How to Renew Your Car Registration in All States

If you own a car and plan on driving it on public land, you will need to make sure that it’s registered. In the United States, it is illegal to drive an unregistered vehicle, unless you are only driving it on your private land. Registration connects each car to an owner, which means that all abandoned vehicles can be tracked back to a responsible party.

Registration isn’t simply a one-time thing. Once your car is registered, you will have to renew the registration for as long as you continue driving the car. However, the renewal process is different in every state, and the price and method for renewing your registration will vary. To make sure that you always renew your vehicle’s registration correctly and on time, be sure to read up on your state’s registration renewal rules.

Part 1 of 1: How to renew auto registration in each state

Each state has its own specific rules governing the process of renewing your registration. Find your state from the list below for a better sense of what you’ll need to do:

Getting your registration renewed is a vital part of owning a car, so don’t forget to do it at the intervals required by your state. Additionally, if you think your car is having safety issues, be sure to have an inspection performed so both your paperwork and your safety are taken care of.


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Pardeep

22 years of experience
1277 reviews
Pardeep
22 years of experience
Ford Fusion L4-2.0L Hybrid - 75 Point Safety Inspection - San Jose, California
I have ordered a 75-point inspection of the car since my dealership claimed it had an oil leak and the timing cover replacement was due (this kind of repair costs in the ballpark of a thousand dollars). I mentioned the need for a second opinion on that since the car had been bought relatively recently from that dealer (certified pre-owned) and not very actively used. Pradeep performed the safety inspection in a very timely manner and addressed my main question by honestly concluding that there was no leak but just some dust collected over time. This has saved me much time and money. Finally, I was also very glad to learn a tip on how to find a matching paint for a body scratch from him.
Ford Escape - 75 Point Safety Inspection - San Jose, California
Pradeep immediately found the suspension problem I was worried about and fixed it. We had just purchased this car and now feel a lot better about it now that he has checked it out.

H

27 years of experience
828 reviews
H
27 years of experience
Hyundai Accent L4-1.6L - 75 Point Safety Inspection - Sunnyvale, California
Honorio not only told me what is going on with the car but was so honest about everything. Looking forward to having Honorio taking car of my requests.
Acura RDX - 75 Point Safety Inspection - Palo Alto, California
Honorio went above and beyond my expectations. He was honest about which repairs needed to be done even though my service revision decreased his income. Will absolutely use again!!!! Thank you!

Robert

5 years of experience
61 reviews
Robert
5 years of experience
Nissan Versa L4-1.6L - 75 Point Safety Inspection - Lakewood, Washington
Robert is a rockstar. I can't express enough (again) the quality of his work and his ability to work around our schedules here. Honest, professional and courteous. I would recommend his services to any and everyone.

Juan

13 years of experience
55 reviews
Juan
13 years of experience
Mazda Protege5 L4-2.0L - 75 Point Safety Inspection - Vacaville, California
Professional, clear, & courteous when discussing results of inspection & recommendations going forward. If I still live in the area when I need to do future services, will definitely book again.

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