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Iowa Vehicle Registration

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IA Vehicle Registration Summary

Read our Iowa Vehicle Registration page for information about how to register a vehicle with the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT), car registration for new Iowa residents, IA registration renewal, duplicate registration, replacements & changes IA auto insurance requirements, and IA military member registration.

Registering a Vehicle in Iowa

You must register your vehicle through the Iowa Department of Transportation.

Below is a general list of items to bring when visiting a local Iowa DMV office.

What to bring to the IA DOT:

Continue reading for more details about how to register a vehicle in Iowa.

Vehicle Registration for New Residents

New to Iowa?

Iowa law requires you to apply for an Iowa vehicle registration with the county treasurer’s office in your county within 30 days of establishing residency.

To register your vehicle, visit your local IA county treasurer’s office and present:

IA Registration for Military Drivers

Registration for IA Military Residents

Active duty Iowa military residents AND military residents stationed out-of-state can follow the registration instructions in our Registering a Vehicle in Iowa section.

NOTE: Military members with disabilities may be eligible for a reduced registration fee for specially equipped vehicles.

Registration for Non-Residents

The Iowa DOT does NOT require service members stationed in Iowa who reside in another state to register their vehicles in IA.

Iowa military personnel must maintain current registration and auto insurance from their home state during deployment.

If they become residents of the state, they must apply for IA car registration. Refer to Vehicle Registration for New Residents to learn more.

A nonresident may register a passenger vehicle in the same manner as nonresidents with the following exceptions:

Renewing Your Registration in Iowa

In Iowa, you can renew your vehicle registration online, by mail, or in person at your local county treasurer’s office. The Iowa DOT requires you to renew registration in your county of residence.

The IA Department of Transportation mails your renewal notice prior to the expiration. Your renewal notice will contain the following information:

  • Your online PIN.
  • Your vehicle information.
  • Payment instructions.

Be sure to renew your registration before it expires to avoid the late penalty of 5% per month of your registration renewal fee.

NOTE: If you do not have your renewal notice and Web PIN, you can simply use the Audit Number on the bottom left portion of your current vehicle registration. See Iowa Renewals to learn more.

Replace a Lost or Damaged Registration

For lost, stolen, or damaged IA registration cards or tabs, you may apply for a replacement in person at your local IA county treasurer’s office.

To replace your IA registration card in person, gather and submit the following:

NOTE: If you need a replacement decal, you must submit your current registration card. If you do not have your current registration card, you must pay the $3 fee to obtain a new one.

Changes to Your IA Car Registration

Name Changes on IA Registration

You can make changes to your name and/or address on your IA vehicle registration by visiting the IA county treasurer’s office in person.

To change a name on Iowa vehicle registration, you must first change your name with the Social Security Administration (SSA).

Next, visit any Iowa DOT-operated service center with proof of your name change to update your name on your Iowa driver license. There is a $10 fee for a duplicate license with your new address.

To proceed with updating your name on your registration, please follow the steps outlined above in Replace a Lost or Damaged Registration.

Address Changes on IA Vehicle Registration

You may change your address with the IA DOT by contacting your local County Treasurer. You must do this within 10 days of moving to your new address.

The IA DOT will update their system with your new address. Next, you may proceed with applying for duplicate registration. See Replace a Lost or Damaged Registration to learn more.

Vehicle Registration Fees in IA

IA Vehicle Registration Fees

The Iowa DOT has a fixed registration fee schedule for most vehicles. Registration fees vary by vehicle weight and value.

Vehicles with simple fixed registration fees include:

  • Motorcycles: $10 to $20
  • All passenger vehicles 12 years old and older: $50
  • Small regular trailer less than 2,000 pounds: $20

Registration fees vary by vehicle weight and list price in Iowa. All vehicles including multipurpose vehicles, and trucks 2010 and newer with weight less than or equal to 10,000 pounds can use this formula:

$0.40 per 100 pounds of vehicle weight plus:

  • 1% of the list price for vehicles 1 year old to 7 years old.
  • .75% of the list price for vehicles 8 years old to 9 years old.
  • .50% of the list price for vehicles 10 years old to 11 years old.

Here are some of the other Iowa registration and title fees:

  • Duplicate/corrected title fee: $25
  • Replacement registration ID card fee: $3
  • Replacement plate fee: $5
  • Sales/use tax: 5.98%

For more exact vehicle registration fees, you may visit the IA DOT’s fee calculator.

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Last Verified:
Aug 19, 2022