In Kentucky, vehicle registration is mandated by Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS) Chapter 186, particularly KRS 186.020. This law requires all vehicles used on Kentucky roads to be registered with the Department of Vehicle Registration (DVR) of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC).
Complying with this law is crucial as it ensures that vehicles meet state safety and emissions standards, helps law enforcement identify vehicles and their owners, and allows for collecting taxes and fees essential for maintaining roads and infrastructure. Failure to register a car can result in penalties, fines, and legal consequences.
Residents must promptly register their vehicles and keep their registrations current to avoid disruptions in driving privileges and stay in compliance with Kentucky's vehicle laws.
How To Register a Car in Kentucky?
If a Kentucky resident purchases a vehicle already titled in the state, they must register it at their County Clerk's Office. For a car acquired, whether from a private seller or dealer with a Kentucky title issued before February 2000, the individual will need to submit:
- The existing or original vehicle title
- Photo identification or driver's license
- A completed Application for Kentucky Certificate of Title/Registration (Form TC 96-182)
- Current proof of Kentucky insurance
- Their Social Security number
- A sheriff's certified vehicle inspection if the vehicle is brought from another state
- Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin from the selling dealer
- A lien statement, if applicable
- Payment for all applicable fees and taxes
For Kentucky titles issued in February 2000 or later, an assignment section on the title itself needs to be completed instead of the TC 96-182 form.
Residents with a leased vehicle should also provide a power of attorney from the leasing company and share the company's address and contact information.
Those new residents of Kentucky have 15 days to register their out-of-state vehicle and must also provide proof of sales tax paid in the other state.
Mandatory Insurance for Vehicle Registration
Proof of Commonwealth of Kentucky insurance is mandatory when registering an out-of-state vehicle in Kentucky. The insurance card presented to the Clerk's Office should not have an Effective/Issue date older than 45 days from the presentation date.
If a vehicle owner doesn't keep insurance on their vehicle, they can lose their registration. They might also get fined from $500 to $1,000, face up to 90 days in jail, or both.
In Kentucky, all vehicle owners must have insurance of at least $25,000.00 for injuries to one person, $50,000.00 for injuries to everyone, and $25,000.00 for property damage. They can also have one policy that covers $60,000.00 for everything.
However, there are exceptions to this requirement. As per KRS 186.430, students at Kentucky colleges, universities, or technical colleges can keep their home-state registration and insurance if they have a valid student ID when driving in Kentucky. If they study outside Kentucky, they need to check the registration rules of that state.
Active duty military personnel are also exempt from the requirement to obtain Kentucky insurance. They can use out-of-state insurance to register and title their vehicles in Kentucky.
If the insurance listed at the County Clerk's Office is a regular personal policy instead of one for military personnel, the vehicle might be marked as potentially uninsured. This is because insurance companies in Kentucky aren't required to report insured vehicle details monthly to the Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing.
Suppose active-duty military personnel receive a notice about being uninsured. In that case, they can correct it by showing proof of their active military status, such as a pay stub or ID, to the County Clerk's Office.
Sheriff's Inspection for Vehicle Registration
In Kentucky, if someone buys a vehicle from another state, they need to get it checked by the sheriff in the county where they plan to register it.
A deputy sheriff, who's certified in vehicle inspections, will examine the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and match it with the number on the title or certificate of origin. They will also inspect the vehicle for safety features like lights, brakes, horns, wipers, turn signals, glass, tires, exhaust, and more.
All this information, along with the mileage, is noted on a Kentucky Application for Certificate of Title/Registration or Form TC 96-182.
The cost of this inspection may differ depending on the county, but it is typically $5. If a business needs to have two or more vehicles inspected, there could be an extra fee for each trip. Aside from the fees, the vehicle title and a driver's license are required for the inspection.
Vehicle Registration for Military Members
Non-resident military members stationed in Kentucky have specific vehicle registration requirements based on residency and location. They are not obligated to register their vehicles in the state, although they can do so by following the instructions for new residents.
Kentucky residents who are military members stationed in Kentucky should register their vehicles in the same manner as civilians.
Meanwhile, military members who maintain Kentucky as their home state while stationed out of state can continue to register their vehicles in Kentucky. The necessary documents remain the same, as mentioned earlier. Still, it is recommended that they contact the local County Clerk's Office for specific instructions on registering their cars.
Foreign Vehicle Registration in Kentucky
In Kentucky, individuals can register vehicles from different countries with the correct U.S. Customs forms HS-7 or 7501.
Common countries include Canada, Germany, and Switzerland, each with specific requirements such as Canadian registration for vehicles from Canada, German title for cars from Germany, and Swiss registration for vehicles from Switzerland. All documents must be translated into English.
To inquire about vehicle registration requirements from other countries, call (502) 564-1257.
Kentucky License Plates
Individuals will receive new license plates when purchasing a new vehicle or transferring an out-of-state title in Kentucky. These license plates will remain with the car if it is sold or purchased by another person.
Kentucky offers a wide variety of license plates, with over 150 types available for passenger vehicles and motorcycles. These license plates can be categorized into several types, including regular (standard issue), university, military, miscellaneous, and disabled.
Interested individuals also have the option to personalize their plates for an additional fee. This allows drivers to add a personal touch or display their support for a specific cause or organization through their license plates.
How To Obtain Vanity License Plates in Kentucky?
One must follow a straightforward process to obtain vanity or personalized license plates in Kentucky.
First, visit the Plate List application page on the KYTC's official website to check the availability of the desired character combination. To do so, click on the image of the plate of interest and then select "Personalize This Plate." After confirming availability, submit the online request by clicking the "Request This Plate" button.
Personalized passenger plates can contain up to six characters, including letters, numbers, spaces, or dashes. For personalized motorcycle plates, up to five characters are allowed. Review the plate's image to ensure the chosen characters do not interfere with the plate's design.
Upon receiving pre-approval from the Cabinet's Personalized Plate Review Committee, the applicant will get a pre-approval email notification.
This notification and any other necessary documents must be taken to the County Clerk's Office in the applicant's county of residence. There, the applicant will pay a $25 personalized plate fee in addition to the standard registration fee. All pre-approval notifications are sent to the email address provided on the online request form.
How Much Does Vehicle Registration Cost in Kentucky?
The cost of vehicle registration in Kentucky varies, but there are some standard fees across most counties. For motor vehicle renewal, the fee is $21. If an applicant needs to apply for a motor vehicle title, the cost is $9.
For filing a title lien statement, the fee is $22. In case a duplicate title is required, the cost is $6, and for a duplicate registration, the fee is $3. Additionally, if there is a lien penalty for late motor vehicle taxes, the cost is $2.
Lastly, a 6% Kentucky road usage tax is levied on the purchase price of any vehicle purchased from outside the state if no sales tax was paid at the time of purchase. This applies to new or used cars. The County Clerk's Office handles the collection of this tax along with the registration fees when a vehicle is first registered in Kentucky or renewed annually.
Since the KYTC does not currently have a published fee schedule on its official website, it is recommended that applicants contact the County Clerk's Office in their county of residence for the most updated and complete information regarding vehicle registration fees. The County Clerk's Office can also provide details on the accepted payment methods.
How To Renew Vehicle Registration in Kentucky?
There are two main options for renewing vehicle registration in Kentucky: in-person or online. The processes and requirements are slightly different for each method.
In-Person Renewal
To renew registration in person, the vehicle owner needs to visit the County Clerk's office in the county where they reside. When going to the Clerk's Office, they should bring a few things with them:
- A photo ID
- The current vehicle registration certificate
- Proof of Kentucky insurance that is effective within the last 45 days
- Payment for the renewal fees and taxes (the Clerk can advise accepted payment methods)
The in-person process is straightforward but requires a trip to the Clerk's Office during business hours.
Online Renewal
The alternative is to renew online through the Kentucky Vehicle Registration Renewal system. However, not all vehicle types and situations qualify for online renewal. Before starting the online process, vehicle owners should review a few requirements:
- Vehicles registered in different counties must be renewed separately
- The vehicle's registration must not be expired
- Leased vehicles cannot be renewed online
- The vehicle must be currently insured by a Kentucky-approved company
- The owner cannot have delinquent property taxes on any vehicles they own
Vehicle owners should also ensure the address on file with the County Clerk is their current, correct address where they want the new registration documents mailed.
If the vehicle qualifies for online renewal, the owner can go through the online system and submit payment by credit/debit card (VISA, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express). There is an additional $2 fee per vehicle for mailing costs.
After completing the online transaction, the County Clerk typically takes five business days to process and mail out the new registration materials. So, owners need to plan ahead before their current registration expires. If assistance is required, contact the local County Clerk.
How To Check if a Vehicle Is Currently Registered in Kentucky?
One can use the Online Vehicle Information System (OVIS) to check if a vehicle is currently registered in Kentucky. OVIS provides access to vehicle owner, title, registration, and lien information for various types of vehicles, including cars, trucks, motorcycles, and RVs.
Authorized users must pay an annual subscription fee of $75 per 10 users to access OVIS. Users can search by VIN or title number for detailed information about a vehicle registered in Kentucky.
Once a search is conducted, users can continue to check the status of that record for 60 days without incurring additional search charges.
Becoming an Authorized User
To use OVIS, one must be a registered Kentucky.gov user and authorized under the Federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act of 2000 (DPPA) provisions. The process involves:
- Registering with Kentucky.gov: Users must register on the Kentucky.gov website.
- Completing Agreements: Users must print and complete the Kentucky.gov Subscriber Agreement and the VTI Agreement, declaring their DPPA authorization.
- Subscribing to the Service: Once registered and agreements are submitted, users can subscribe to OVIS.
Subscription Options
There are two different OVIS subscription levels: Standard and Premium. The Standard level costs $0.44 per vehicle record searched. It shows the basic vehicle, title, registration, and lien details but not the owner's address.
The Premium subscription is $4 per record but provides more information, like the owner's address. It also allows searching multiple VINs at once, viewing past search histories, and downloading data in PDF or CSV formats.
No matter which level, users are only charged once every 60 days for any successful vehicle records they look up during that period. The details of the entire record are kept for seven days before being purged.
To become an OVIS subscriber or to upgrade an existing subscription, contact Kentucky.gov at support@kentucky.gov or call (502) 875-3733.