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Vehicle tabs and license plates

Vehicle tabs and license plates

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

    • Yes. Proof of Michigan no-fault insurance is required. 

  • Yes, plates may be renewed through our Online Services website or by mail.

    Renewals may also be completed at any Secretary of State self-service station. A processing fee may be charged.

  • Renewal forms cannot be resent. You can still renew without the renewal notice:  

    • Go to Online Services or renew at a self-service station.
    • Renew at any Secretary of State branch office. Documents needed for renewals are: 
      • Old registration for each registration (or plate configuration) 
      • Michigan no-fault insurance for each vehicle. 
      • Driver's license 
      • Cash, check, money order, or a debit or credit card. 
    • To renew by mail:  
      • Use the Renewal Fee Calculator to determine the renewal fee.  
      • Mail a photocopy of your current registration, proof of Michigan no-fault insurance, and a check or money order payable to the State of Michigan to: 
        Michigan Department of State 
        Internal Services Section 
        7064 Crowner Drive 
        Lansing, Michigan 48918 

  • Online 

    • Go to Online Services and then to Vehicle Services. Go to ‘More Online Vehicle Services’, you can renew your plate and submit a one-time mailing address so your new tab and registration get mailed to you. 
    • Tabs and registrations renewed using the Quick Renewal option will be mailed to the residential address on record. 

    By mail 

    • Use the Renewal Fee Calculator to determine the renewal fee.  
    • Send a photocopy of your current registration, proof of valid Michigan no-fault insurance, and a check or money order payable to the "State of Michigan" to: 
      Michigan Department of State 
      Renewal by Mail Unit 
      7064 Crowner Drive 
      Lansing, Michigan 48980 
    • The renewal fee can also be obtained by calling 517-636-5872. 
    • Provide an out-of-state address if you want your new registration and tab mailed to you while you are out-of-state.  

     

    • Put the new plate with the tab on your vehicle immediately.  
    • The old plate is cancelled when your new plate is issued. 
    • Driving on your old plate can result in a ticket from law enforcement and vehicle impoundment.  
    • Always have the proper registration and insurance certificates with you when driving.  
    •  License plate fees for 1984 or newer model year passenger vehicles and light trucks are calculated using a percentage of the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) at the time the vehicle is first titled. This is also known as the base price. It is then reduced by a percentage of that registration fee for the following three years. Under the present law, no further reduction is provided. 
    • On individually owned passenger vehicles, pickup trucks, and vans, the plate expires on the owner's birthday.  
    • If owned by two people, either owner's birthday can be used as the expiration date. 
    • If the expiration date is not on the owner's birthday, it can be changed at renewal time by request at a Secretary of State office.  
    •  A new license plate fee will be calculated for the new expiration date.  
    • Schedule an office visit 

    Schedule an office visit

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    • Veteran plates are available in the standard Pure Michigan design. 
    • Campaign and Service Medal Veteran plates are available for veterans who have served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Vietnam and earned a medal.  
    • Veterans must provide their Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty form DD-214, 
    • It must indicate a medal award for a Campaign or Service Medal Veteran plate.  
    • The official Service Medal Award Certificate issued by any of the Armed Forces branches will also be accepted for the Vietnam Service Medal plate.  
    • Veteran plates can be ordered at any Secretary of State office or by mailing in a completed Application for Veteran Plate form.
    • Yes, if you have been decorated with a campaign medal or service medal for serving in Afghanistan, Iraq or Vietnam, you are eligible. 
    • Bring your Officer Record Brief or Enlisted Record Brief when submitting your Application for Veteran Plate form.  

  • If you provided your license plate number to an employer or to an apartment, housing complex or parking facility manager, make sure you update them when you receive a different plate number.

  • If you have titled and registered your vehicle in another state, Michigan does not require the return of the Michigan license plate. The plate should be destroyed before disposal to prevent misuse. If you receive a Michigan registration renewal notice after you have registered your vehicle in another state, it can be ignored.

    • If you are purchasing a vehicle from a Michigan dealer, the dealer will handle the plate transfer for you.

    If you bought a vehicle from an individual:  

    • Visit a Secretary of State office. You will need: 
      • Your current registration or plate number. 
      • Title to the vehicle you want to transfer the plate to, or a copy of the title application if you recently applied for your title 
      • $10 transfer fee plus a $5 transaction fee will be due. 
      • Additional fees may be due if transferring a plate to a different type of vehicle. 
      • $15 title fee plus 6 percent tax on the purchase price is due if transferring the vehicle into your name. 
    • Your registration receipt will show the plate number and the vehicle it is registered to.  
    • If the vehicle information or plate number is incorrect contact our Information Center at 1-888-SOS-MICH (1-888-767-6424) for assistance.  
    • If you need to visit a Secretary of State office, bring the title and registration for the vehicle with you.  
    • Michigan requires plates that are 10 years old or older to be replaced upon renewal. 
    • Plates that are rusted, damaged or illegible should be replaced.  
    • You can bring your old plate to the Secretary of State to dispose of it, or you can destroy it by cutting it up or bending off a corner so that it can’t be used.  
    • If your new plate is peeling and defective, bring it to a Secretary of State office for a manager to inspect.  
    • Go to Online Services
    • Make sure to have the license plate number or registration number ready. 
    • Create or log into your account to print a duplicate copy of your registration.
    • There is no fee for duplicate vehicle registration.
    • Duplicate watercraft or moped registration is $2
    • Duplicate snowmobile registration is $5. 

    Go to Online Services

  • If there are no plans to use the license plate and you decide to dispose of it, please destroy it by cutting it in half or bending off a corner to discourage theft and fraud. Recycling might also be another option. Check with your local recycler for more information.

  • Allow 14 business days for the new plate or tab to arrive by mail.  

    • If you are using a license plate frame, make sure it doesn’t cover the plate number or tab. 
    • Use at least two bolts to secure the plate to the back of your vehicle. 
    • Get a replacement plate at a Secretary of State office. Bring the vehicle registration or plate number and your identification.  
    • A replacement plate and tab will be issued for $5, along with a new registration.  
      • Additional fees are due if you personalize your replacement plate or if you purchase a different type of plate. 
    • If stolen, contact police. Police will enter a message into the Law Enforcement Information Network alerting officers the plate was stolen.  

  • Your vehicle registration is the document that shows your license plate has been officially registered to your vehicle.

    The tab is the sticker you place on your license plate after you apply for or renew your vehicle registration.

    • Login to your Online Services account and select “Change My Address.” 
    • Add your alternative mailing address to your account before requesting your replacement tab or registration.  


    Go to Online Services

  • A vehicle can be titled in your name without a license, but to maintain the registration and plate there will need to be a licensed adult listed on the registration. There cannot be a registration hold on your record. You may also wish to contact your insurance company for any requirements it may have. 

  • No. All vehicles must have Michigan No-Fault insurance to be registered or to renew registration in Michigan. Out-of-state insurance is not accepted.

  • Plates registered to vehicles you own are only transferrable if you sell your vehicle to an immediate family member. Immediate family is the owner’s: 

    • Spouse 
    • Father, mother, stepparent, mother-in-law, father-in-law 
    • Child or stepchild, daughter-in-law, son-in-law 
    • Sibling or stepsibling, half-sibling, or sister-in-law, brother-in-law 
    • Grandparent 
    • Grandchild or grandchild-in-law 
    • Legal ward 
    • Legally appointed guardian  

      It doesn’t include aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews. 

  • A plate or tab can only be replaced by the vehicle owner, by a member of the owner’s family living at the same address, or by someone the vehicle owner designates through an Appointment of Agent form.

    Appointment of Agent form

  • The Department has two types of commercial plates:

    Regular commercial plates for:

    • A vehicle used to transport persons for hire like a taxi, bus, or limousine. 
    • Company-owned pickups and vans weighing up to 8,000 pounds empty not towing a trailer.
    • A vehicle weighing up to 8,000 pounds empty used commercially to transport goods, wares, or merchandise like a stake truck, tank, dump, utility truck, including passenger vehicles used commercially.
    • Ambulances and hearses.

    Elected Gross Vehicle Weight GVW plates:

    • All trucks weighing over 8,000 pounds empty used commercially
    • All semi tractors used commercially
    • Trucks weighing 8,000 pounds or less empty towing a trailer or towing any other vehicle for commercial purposes.  
    • GVW plate fee is based on the truck's maximum elected gross vehicle weight. Elected gross vehicle weight is the empty weight of the vehicle or combination of vehicles, fully equipped for service, plus the weight of the maximum load that the owner has elected to carry. 
    • Organizations can pursue the creation of a specialty fundraising license plate by working with the state legislature. 
    • Legislation must be introduced and passed by both the House and Senate, and be signed by the governor to be enacted into law to authorize the state to begin the process of creating create the plate.  
     
    • First-time plates: A $50 Road Fund fee is charged when purchasing a plate, in addition to the one-time $5 plate fee. 
    • Plate renewals: A $10 Road Fund fee is collected each time a plate is renewed. 
    • Collector plates: Collector plates for both legacy plates are available for $10. There is no Road Fund fee for collector plates. Collector plates are for display purposes only and cannot be personalized or used as a vehicle registration. 

    Learn more about legacy plates

  • $5 to replace an unexpired tab.  

    • Check your address online or call to make sure your address is correct. 
    • Incorrect address – update it online and order a new registration for $5 
    • Address is correct – Wait 30 days after renewing for it to arrive.  
    • After 30 days, call or visit a Secretary of State office for a replacement registration.   
    • No - immediately remove your plate when you sell the vehicle.  
    • You can transfer the plate to another vehicle you own or purchase later.  
    • Do not let a buyer borrow your plate because you could be responsible for any violations, like parking tickets, the buyer gets with your plate.  
    • Michigan law allows the buyer 3 days to drive the vehicle home in the most direct route without plate. The buyer needs to carry the assigned title and proof of insurance while driving it home. 
    • Passenger vehicles, vans, and light trucks must have Michigan No-Fault insurance. Out-of-state insurance policies cannot be used.  
    • Motorcycles need Michigan insurance coverage, but it doesn’t need to be No-Fault insurance. 
    • Keep your Michigan No-Fault insurance certificate in your vehicle or carry it with you when you drive. 
    • Failure to present Michigan No-Fault insurance while driving could result in license suspension, plate cancellation, and vehicle impoundment.   
    • If you use your vehicle seasonally and it will be kept in storage when your plate and registration expire, you can either renew it up to 6 months early or provide proof of your storage and comprehensive insurance policy and valid Michigan No-Fault insurance policy to renew after the expiration. 
     

  • If your insurance company doesn’t report your insurance to the state electronically, you won’t be able to renew online or at a self-service station. You will need to provide proof of insurance when you renew by mail or when renewing at a Secretary of State office.

  • Bring the plate to a Secretary of State office for a manager to inspect and obtain a replacement.

    • Bring your plate to a Secretary of State office and let the greeter know you have a damaged plate. 
    • $5 plate replacement fee.
    • If you don’t bring the plate for disposal, you can destroy it by cutting it up or bending off a corner so that it can no longer be used.
    • If your new plate is peeling and defective, bring it to a Secretary of State office for a manager to inspect.  
    • A $5 replacement fee is charged for tabs that are damaged, lost, or stolen.
    • If your tab was stolen, contact law enforcement.
    • You may order a replacement tab online or at a Secretary of State branch office. Additional fees apply when paying with a credit or debit card.

     

  • Email us at Michigan.gov/ContactSOS or visit a Secretary of State office. There is no charge for replacing a defective tab. 

     

  • In 2023, Public Act 317 was signed requiring the Secretary of State to develop and issue three "legacy" license plates: 

    • The black Great Lake State plate (1979-1983) 
    • The blue Great Lakes plate (1983-2007) 
    • An updated 1976 plate only available in 2026 to celebrate the United States' semiquincentennial anniversary 
    • These modern-day replicas are made with the same technology and materials currently used in manufacturing all of Michigan’s license plate types.
    • A portion of each plate order and renewal go into the Road Fund. These funds are earmarked for road construction and repair and will be administered through the Michigan Transportation Fund. 

    What is the Michigan Transportation Fund?  
    Revenue from sources such as the state fuel tax and vehicle registration fees are deposited into the Michigan Transportation Fund, which is administered by the state treasurer. The money is allocated for the construction and maintenance of Michigan roads at the local, county, and state levels.  

     

    Learn more about legacy plates

  • Electric vehicle (EV) and plugin hybrid (PHEV) fees are charged when registering or renewing the registration of an EV or PHEV. 
    The fee will also be charged when a plate is transferred from a non-electric or non-hybrid vehicle to an electric or hybrid vehicle. 

    • The EV fee is $160 and is charged in addition to any regular registration fees. The EV fee for trucks and buses is $260. 
    • The PHEV fee is $60 and is charged in addition to the regular registration fees. The PHEV fee for trucks and buses is $130. 

  • Early: You can renew your registration, tab and license plate up to six months in advance of their expiration. 
     
    Expiration date:     In most cases, your tab and license plate will expire on your birthday. If your birthday falls on the weekend or a legal holiday, you have until the next business day to renew your tab and plate without penalty. 
     
    After expiration (additional fees apply): If you don't renew your registration, tab and plate on time, you will be charged an added $10 fee and risk being ticketed or fined by law enforcement for driving on expired registration. Renewal fees for expired plates are not prorated. The amount shown on your renewal notice doesn't change if the plate is renewed after it expires.  

    • For most plates: 
      • Place the tab in the upper right-hand corner of the plate. 
    • For the following plate types, the tab goes in the lower right-hand corner:
      • Motorcycle plates
      • Water Wonderland plates
      • Water-Winter Wonderland plates
      • Black-and-white legacy plates
      • Blue-and-white legacy plates