Alabama law provides that any person acquiring a new or used motor vehicle shall obtain a license plate within twenty (20) calendar days from the date of acquisition. In order to register a vehicle subject to the Alabama title law, a title application must be completed before a registration can be processed. When a certificate of title is not required, only a registration is issued. The licensing official or their appointed deputy is required to inspect the vehicle prior to issuing a registration.

Section 40-12-262, Code of Alabama, provides that the owner of a non-commercial vehicle which has a valid registration from another jurisdiction has thirty (30) days from the date the vehicle enters the state to register the vehicle. Please contact your local licensing official’s office for further assistance.

Yes, beginning January 1, 2013, license plate issuing officials will attempt to verify liability insurance utilizing the State of Alabama Online Insurance Verification System (OIVS) when issuing or renewing vehicle registrations. If insurance cannot be verified through OIVS, vehicle owners must provide evidence of insurance to the license plate issuing official. The insurance card is the most common evidence of current insurance.

Title - For any motor vehicle requiring a certificate of title, the vehicle owner must first apply for an Alabama certificate of title through a designated agent of the Alabama Department of Revenue (ALDOR).

Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)/Ownership Documentation Inspection - When a certificate of title is not required, only a registration is issued. The licensing official or their appointed deputy is required to inspect the vehicle prior to issuing a registration each time there is a change in ownership of the vehicle along with the ownership documentation (bill of sale, court order, properly assigned certificate of origin, or any other documentation as specified by ALDOR). An inspection is not required for a registration renewal.

Mandatory Liability Insurance - The motor vehicle must be covered by an Alabama liability insurance policy prior to registration. License plate issuing officials will attempt to verify liability insurance utilizing the State of Alabama Online Insurance Verification System (OIVS) when issuing or renewing vehicle registrations. If insurance cannot be verified through OIVS, vehicle owners must provide evidence of insurance to the license plate issuing official. The insurance card is the most common evidence of current insurance.

Federal Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (FHVUT), if applicable – When registering trucks and truck tractors with gross vehicle weight of 55,000 pounds or more, the registrant must provide proof of payment of the federal heavy vehicle use tax before the registration can be issued. This tax is paid to the IRS, and a Form 2290 is received as receipt of payment.

After the prerequisites are met, the licensing official will collect the necessary registration fees and ad valorem taxes and issue a license plate. Visit the License Plates web page to view the registration fees and plate designs for the various Alabama license plates.

The vehicle owner has 20 calendar days from the date of vehicle purchase or acquisition to register the vehicle without penalty or interest charges applying. If the 20th day falls on a Sunday, a legal holiday, or a day on which the licensing official’s office is closed, the next succeeding working day shall be counted as the last day.

Motor vehicles are registered through License Plate Issuing Offices in the county in which the owner resides. If the owner is a firm, corporation, or an association, the motor vehicle is registered in the county in which the motor vehicle is used or operated. Note: in Jefferson County, several cities process motor vehicle registration renewals (Clay, Hoover, Irondale, and Vestavia Hills).

International Registration Plan (IRP) trucks and truck tractors, operating to points outside the state of Alabama, are registered through Motor Vehicle's Motor Carrier Services Unit.

Motor vehicles owned by the state, a county, a municipality, a public utility department, or a volunteer fire department are registered through Motor Vehicle's Registration Section.

Complete the form to Reserve a Pre-Commitment Plate available through MyDMV.

You will receive a Pre-commitment Redemption Voucher by email notifying you when the plate will be available.

Both documents are available for reprint and can be requested by either contacting the MVD , or your license plate issuing official who has access to both documents and can reprint them as needed.

The money held in escrow is distributed to the sponsoring organization along with a list of all registrants who submitted pre-commitments for the plate design. Please contact the sponsoring organization for further information including possibility of refunds.

The sponsoring organization should be contacted regarding any request for a refund. This information is available from: https://mydmv.revenue.alabama.gov/TAP/?link=PrecomPlt .

No. Alabama law does not provide for emissions testing of motor vehicles.

In accordance with the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil Relief Act, military members whose vehicles are titled and registered in their legal jurisdictions of residency may maintain their valid registration from their home of record while they are stationed in Alabama. However, they may choose to title and register their vehicle in Alabama while they are stationed in this state. Vehicles registered in Alabama must be covered by an Alabama liability insurance policy.

No. While many counties make the determination to mail renewal notices, many other counties do not mail such notices. It is important to note that failure to receive a renewal notice does not relieve a vehicle owner from timely renewing the vehicle’s registration. Please contact your local licensing official’s office for further assistance.

Alabama registers vehicles under a staggered registration system, January through November, based on the first letter of the owner’s last name. Motor vehicle registrations expire on the last day of the designated renewal month. For example, someone whose last name begins with the letter F, G, or N is required to register his/her vehicle in the month of April, and the previous registration expires on April 30.

Leased, commercial, and fleet vehicles are subject to renewal in the months of October and November, and the registrations for these type of vehicles expire on November 30.

Vehicles registered pursuant to the International Registration Plan (IRP) are assigned renewal registration months by ALDOR.

Please visit Vehicle Licensing Offices to view counties that offer online registration renewals.

No. Some plates are available only to members of a particular organization. Select a distinctive license plate on the Motor Vehicle Division's License Plates web page to determine the availability of a license plate. The message under each plate image indicates whether the plate can be personalized, how many alphanumeric characters are permitted, and who is permitted to obtain the plates.

The requestor may search and reserve a personalized message on MyDMV or visit the license plate issuing office to determine if the requested letters and/or numbers are available for issuance. If available, the issuing official will collect the appropriate registration fees and taxes and issue a registration receipt, a 60-day temporary license plate, and month and year decal to be placed on the new license plate. The license plate will be shipped from the manufacturing facility to the registrant (usually within 6-8 weeks).

If the requestor reserves a plate message online, once the message has been approved by ALDOR, the requestor has five calendar days to visit the license plate issuing official’s office to place an order and pay all required fees. If the requestor fails to register the message within the prescribed time frame, the message becomes available to the general public.

The registrant is subject to payment of the standard registration fees based on the vehicle type, plus an annual additional fee. To view registration fees for the various Alabama license plates, visit the License Plates webpage.

Alabama law authorizes the issuance of distinctive and personalized license plates to automobiles and pickup trucks with a gross vehicle weight not to exceed 12,000 pounds, and, in many cases, motor homes. It is important to note that military plates and license plates with the International Symbol of Access are restricted to pickup trucks with a gross vehicle weight not to exceed 8,000 pounds.

To determine what types of vehicles a license plate may be displayed on, visit the License Plates webpage .

Sponsoring organizations:

Submit an application for a new Distinctive License Plate Category to the Alabama Department of Revenue at MyDMV. The sponsoring organization must be a 501(c)(3), a state agency (including in-state colleges/universities), or an out-of-state college or university. Applicants should review the General Procedures of the Legislative Oversight Committee before submission.

For more information related to the application process and package, visit Motor Vehicle and click on Distinctive Plates in the Distinctive Plates dropdown.

Registrants:

If you wish to purchase a precommitment, visit MyDMV to reserve a plate.

Yes. Section 40-12-260, Code of Alabama 1975, provides that the vehicle owner shall retain the Motor Vehicle Registration Tag and Tax Receipt within the vehicle for possible presentation to law enforcement. The fine for failure to provide evidence of current registration to a law enforcement officer is a minimum of $50. If someone trades a vehicle, he/she is required to retain within the vehicle a copy of the title application, bill of sale, or a temporary tag prior to transferring the registration.

Use the Commitment to Purchase License Plate Portal.

A person with disabilities may obtain an application form from the license plate issuing official or download the form from the Motor Vehicle Division web page. The application form should be completed by a licensed physician wherein the physician certifies that the individual meets one or more of the federal criteria listed on the form to obtain disability access parking credentials. In order to obtain the disability access license plates, the vehicle (or vehicles) must be fully or partially owned by the person with the disability. It should be noted that to qualify for disability access parking credentials, the disability must be a mobility disability (the applicant must have problems walking). There is no limit on the number of license plates that may be obtained. Anyone obtaining the disability access license plate may obtain only one (1) placard; anyone who does not obtain the license plate may qualify for two (2) placards. Temporary placards are available upon certification by the physician, using the application form, that the disability meets the federal criteria and is temporary. The maximum length of time for a temporary parking placard under federal law is six (6) months.

ALDOR maintains fiscal year statistics on the number of license plates issued.

Visit Registrations Statistics to view these statistics.

Registrants may voluntarily surrender license plates prior to cancelling the Alabama insurance policy to avoid any future MLI issues should they return to AL and require registration on the vehicle in the future.