Registration Renewals

Unlike your vehicle's certificate of title, the registration needs to be renewed on a yearly basis.

In Iowa, vehicle registrations are set to expire at the end of your birth month. This occurs regardless of the actual day you were born. If your birthday is July 2 and your mother's birthday is July 19, for example, both of you will have your vehicle registrations expire on July 31.

Note that there is a one-month grace period after this date in which you can renew without penalty.

Registration Renewal Reminders

Before your registration is set to expire, you should receive a renewal notice in the mail. This notice will contain the amount of your registration renewal fees and instructions for how to submit your payment.

If you do not receive a renewal notice, the county treasurer's office may not have your correct address on file. When you move, it is your responsibility to update your address with the county treasurer's office within 10 days.

Failing to do so may result in a misdirected renewal notice, although you will still be expected to pay your registration renewal fees in a timely fashion.

Online Renewals

Iowa residents are now eligible to renew their vehicle registrations online. If you do not have any overdue registration fees and you've received a PIN number with your renewal notice, you can take advantage of this convenient service.

The entire process takes less than ten minutes and you can pay by credit card or using an eCheck electronic debit. If you're on a tight budget, however, be aware that there is a small additional fee charged for taking advantage of the online renewal system.

Questions?

If you still have questions about the renewal process, call your county treasurer's office for further instructions.