What Is Vehicle Registration? Defined & Explained
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Car Registration Definition
Why Do You Have to Register Your Car?
How To Get a Car Registered
You’ll show the registration office the title of your car to prove ownership. With a leased car, the lease agreement will be used. If this car is new to you (whether literally new or used), you’ll also provide a certificate of origin for a vehicle bought from a dealership or a bill of sale if you bought it from an individual. Be prepared to provide the odometer reading (the vehicle’s mileage) if asked. Although the car’s title should have the necessary information about your vehicle, it can help to know information about it, anyhow, such as the make, model and year, as well as its vehicle identification number (VIN). In some states (usually with a used car), you’ll have to show that your vehicle meets the state’s exhaust emission standards and is otherwise sound before renewing your registration. Be ready to provide the registration office with proof of insurance; again, state requirements vary. Have your driver’s license handy and, if newly moved to the state, proof of your address. Plus, you’ll pay registration fees each time (more about that later in this post).
When to Register a Car
When you’re buying it If you’re moving to another state When you’re renewing your registration according to your state’s schedule
When Are Car Registration Documents Needed?
Trade in a Car
Refinance a Car
Buy a Car
Sell Your Vehicle
What Are Car Registration Fees?
The Takeaway
About the Author
Kelly Boyer Sagert is an Emmy Award-nominated writer with decades of professional writing experience. As she was getting her writing career off the ground, she spent several years working at a savings and loan institution, working in the following departments: savings, loans, IRAs, and auditing. She has published thousands of pieces online and in print.
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