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Forget to renew your vehicle’s registration? You may be subject to severe fees, fines, and penalties. Read on to find out you can prevent that from happening
It’s a common oversight. You receive a courtesy notification — usually the same time every year — reminding you that your vehicle’s registration has to be renewed. Because it’s several months away, you place the notification in a safe location.
Eventually, however, it slips your mind. Next thing you know, your registration is expired. Is this the end of the world? Of course not. But you may face some hefty fees, fines, and penalties if you don’t renew your registration.
Grace Periods
Before you panic, check to see if your state has a grace period. This is simply a period of time you have to renew your registration before penalties incur. For example, in Colorado, Iowa, and Oklahoma, you have one month after your registration expires to get it renewed. In Texas, you have only five days for the renewal of an expired car tag.
At the same time, not every state has grace periods. Most states are like California and do not have a grace period. If you reside in a state with no grace period, you need to make sure that it’s renewed prior to the expiration date.
Here’s how you can find if your state offers a grace period:
● Check the registration renewal card you received in the mail.
● If you have one handy, go through your state’s driver handbook. If not, you can find your state’s handbook and manuals by visiting Drive Safely.
● Visit and search on your state’s DMV website.
Late Fees and Other Penalties for Late Registration Renewal
Let’s say that for whatever reason, you have not renewed your vehicle’s registration — even if your state has a grace period. What can you expect to happen?
For starters, you will get pulled over by the police. While there may be a chance that the officer gives you a warning, you’ll most likely be issued a citation where you must renew your license in a specific amount of time. If your registration has been expired for more than six months, not only will you receive a citation, but your vehicle could be towed and impounded on the spot. If this happens, you can’t get your vehicle back until all associated fines have been paid.
Also be aware that because not renewing your registration is a non-moving violation, you can still receive a citation if parked legally and unoccupied — as long as it’s not on private property.
If you have multiple citations over a limited amount of time, you may even land in jail — on top of more severe penalties.
As for late fees, that varies among the states. Typically, it can be anywhere from $4 to $30. However, some states also add a penalty. In California, you’re charged a $25 fee and a penalty that’s usually 4 to 5 times the fee. This means you could spend between $125 to $225 plus processing fees.
In other states, the fees are calculated by a percentage of your vehicle property tax.
Renewing Your Vehicle’s Registration
What’s the best way to avoid these late fees, fines, and penalties? Make sure that you renew your vehicle’s registration on time with your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), Secretary of State (SOS), Department of Revenue (DOR) or Motor Vehicle Division (MVD).
The good news is that you should receive a courtesy reminder in the mail. These notices are sent out a month, if not more, before your registration expires. Additionally, your registration is often renewed annually in the same month. For example, every September. Knowing this, you could mark it in your calendar.
Once you receive your reminder you’ll need at least the following items:
● Car registration renewal notice.
● Proof of car insurance.
● Driver license number, vehicle’s license plate number, and last four digits of a vehicle identification number (VIN).
● Some states, like Georgia, require your Social Security Number.
● Payment for the applicable fees.
Some states, such as Arizona and New York, require a smog check or emission test. And, in Texas, you must be current with your child support in order to register your vehicle.
After you have the following items in order, you can then submit the renewal notice and payment by mail or by visiting your local DMV branch.
Most states now allow you to renew your registration online as well. Not only is this convenient, it’s also much faster than going through the mail or spending hours at the DMV. As an added perk, you may not even have to have your renewal notice to renew your registration online.
To be honest, renewing your vehicle’s registration only takes a few minutes when renewing it online. And you automatically receive more than enough notice to renew it before the expiration date.
To avoid any headaches, and to keep your hard-earned money in your pocket, make sure to renew your resignation as soon as you receive the reminder in the mail.
Thank you for warning us that apart from receiving a citation, letting our registration expire for more than six months can also lead to our vehicle getting towed or impounded on the spot. My dad handed down his old car to me, so I plan to get it registered under my name soon. I’ll keep what you said in mind while I look for where I can get my car title registration soon.
Yeah that’s really nice….if you can’t afford to pay it it’s awesome that you can get more fees tacked on for nothing more than being broke… Also once you get them it doesn’t matter that 4 months have passed it’ll still expire in the month you originally registered it in…. Talk about scandalous…my favorite is if you park on the street in front of your house…your car will be towed for abandoning your vehicle….in front of your house. God bless the government always looking for more was to screw you out of money so they can waste it on dumb shit.
So true. We’ve voted for the 40 dollar tabs numerous times and they still do what they want in Washington. Thanks again Insley……not.
Hey there! It’s essential to stay on top of your vehicle’s registration renewal to avoid those hefty fees and penalties. We’ve all been there, misplacing reminders from time to time. But it’s crucial to act promptly once you realize your registration has expired. Let’s discuss some helpful tips on how to prevent this situation and keep your vehicle legal on the road.
This is a really informative post! I had no idea the penalties could be so steep if you forget to renew your registration. Thanks for highlighting the importance of staying on top of it to avoid unnecessary fines and complications. Definitely bookmarking this for future reference!
This is such an informative post! I had no idea the penalties could be so severe for not renewing my vehicle’s registration on time. It’s definitely a reminder to keep track of those deadlines to avoid any unexpected fines or issues. Thanks for sharing!
This is such an important topic! I had no idea there were so many potential consequences for not renewing my vehicle’s registration. The fines and penalties can really add up, and the risk of being pulled over is definitely not worth it. Thanks for the informative post!