Updating your car’s registration is never something any of us look forward to. However, it’s a lot easier than it seems at first and it saves a lot of headache in the end! Through the Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicles, you can renew your registration online or by snail mail. There are different rules for both, but it’s simple and puts you at less risk of getting a ticket!

If you want to re-register your vehicle online, you can do so if the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (DOT) has your current name and address on file, and if your current registration will expire in six months or less. You will need to have the first eight digits of your title number, your PA license plate number, your insurance information, and the odometer reading of the vehicle you are re-registering. Then it’s just a matter of printing your temporary registration card and paying the renewal fee. Easy peasy! Now, you can only do this online if you are re-registering your vehicle – if you need to register a vehicle for the first time, your best bet is to do it in person.

To re-register by mail, you should first have received a renewal notice. Find that and follow the instructions on it – simple!

If you want to complete the process in person, you’ll have to go to a Pennsylvania DMV office. You should make sure you have your renewal notice or registration application, or a completed request for registration (aka the form MV-140) if you don’t have your renewal notice. You should also have enough money to pay the fee to get your vehicle registered. In Pennsylvania, the fee for a passenger vehicle to get re-registered is $37, and for a motorcycle, it’s $19. If you’re retired, it’s only $10 a year!

If you’ve lost any of your registration documents, you can also request new copies of those for a small fee. A new license plate is $11, and that’s the most expensive replacement fee.

As always, things are different from state to state. Check out your state’s DMV website if you’re outside of Pennsylvania for instructions on renewing your registration. No matter where you are, though, this is an easy process that you’ll be glad you took care of in a timely fashion! But make sure you stay on top of the registration deadlines (i.e. your expiration date), because if you let it lapse you might get pulled over and a ticket!