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View All Registering a Vehicle, Registration FAQs

What are the prerequisites for registering a vehicle in Alabama?

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.
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 the Department). 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. 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.
Federal Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (FHVUT) if applicable – When registering trucks and truck tractors with gross vehicle weight of 55,000 lbs 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 Internal Revenue Service (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. Click here to view registration fees for the various Alabama license plates. Images of Alabama license plates may be viewed by selecting a license plate category under the “License Plate Information” menu item on the Motor Vehicle Division web page.

The vehicle owner has twenty (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.

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.

Related FAQs in Registering a Vehicle, Registration

In Alabama, a resale certificate is officially called a “Sales Tax License”. To get a copy of your Alabama resale certificate or Sales Tax License, you should:

Login to MAT, locate the appropriate tax account, locate and click “Print tax account license” link. If you need help or cannot access your certificate online contact the Alabama Department of Revenue Sales and Use Tax Division for assistance.

Step by Step Instructions for License Renewal

Yes. In accordance with Rule 810-6-1-.144.03: All buyers of property for resale purposes are entitled to purchase at wholesale, tax-free, the property they resell as regular course of business when they have secured the sales tax license required by law. This rule also applies to retailers located outside Alabama when they have secured the sales tax license required by law in the state in which they are located.

A credit card transaction fee is a charge added to the regular price of an item by a retailer when the purchaser pays for the item using a credit card. Other names for this fee include swipe fee, credit card surcharge, processing fee, service charge, or convenience fee.

These fees are subject to sales and use tax and should be included in the seller’s gross sales on retail transactions when calculating tax due. Example: A sale of tangible personal property totals $100. The customer pays with a credit card and is charged a $3 credit card transaction fee. The total price of $103, including the credit card transaction fee, is subject to sales and use taxes.

A credit card fee, even if separately stated, is part of the retailer’s cost of doing business, and the entire consideration for the sale of tangible personal property is subject to sales and use taxes.

If a transaction consists of only non-taxable goods or services, the credit card transaction fee is not subject to sales and use taxes. Example: A customer is charged $50 for a haircut. The customer pays with a credit card and is charged a $3 credit card transaction fee. Since the haircut is not subject to sales and use taxes, the corresponding credit card transaction fee is not subject to sales and use taxes.

When trying to complete title applications for vessels that have inches listed on the MSO, please use this Vessel Length Chart for conversion purposes.

Vessel Length Chart

Yes, Alabama allows resident individuals to claim a tax credit for income taxes imposed by other states. This credit is claimed on Form 40, Schedule CR. A copy of the other state’s return and a copy of the state Schedule K-1 should be included as documentation of this credit.

If the individual does not file an individual income tax return in the other state or the state provides an exclusion of income, include a proforma return calculating the tax at the other state’s rate and a copy of the state Schedule K-1 as documentation of this credit.

Note: Any Pass-Through Entity tax deducted on the Pass-Through Entity’s federal return, which reduces the taxable income reported on the owner’s K-1, should be added back to compute Alabama taxable income.

No, if the current title is an Alabama ELT there is no cost to print a physical title.

However, once an ELT is printed on physical title paper it can not be printed again. A replacement title application must be applied for if a replacement is needed.