RV & Motorhome Registration

If you have a car and can remember how you registered it, that's good, because you'll go about registering your recreational vehicle (RV) or motor home in the same way.

However, if you don't have a car, or can't remember how you registered it, we'll walk you through the process.

By the way, all RVs and motor homes (new and used) must be registered within 30 days of purchase. If you just moved here from out of state, you'll have 90 days to register your RV or motor home.

Just so we're talking about the same thing, this is how the state defines recreational vehicles and motor homes:

• Recreational Vehicle―"A vehicular portable structure built on a chassis designed to be used as a temporary dwelling for travel, recreational, and vacation uses, and permanently identified as 'travel trailer' by the manufacturer of the trailer. A trailer identification plate may not be used on a recreational vehicle."

• Motor Home―"A vehicle designed to provide temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, or travel use, built on or permanently attached to a self-propelled motor vehicle chassis or on a chassis cab or van that is an integral part of the completed vehicle."

Now that we've got that cleared up, let's tell you how to register your vehicle.

You'll need to go to the treasurer's office in the county where you live to register it. You may download and complete the required Application for Motor Vehicle Title and Registration beforehand, if you wish.

The registration must be signed by the vehicle's owner, or by someone authorized to do so. However, if someone other than the owner signs the registration, they'll need to bring along a power of attorney document that indicates this allowance.

If you're registering an RV, you'll have to pay a fee based on the non-commercial trailer fee schedule. If you're registering a motor home, you'll have to pay the fee using the non-commercial motor home schedule.

Once you've properly registered your vehicle and paid the fees, you'll be given the registration paper, which needs to be kept in the vehicle.

You'll need to renew your registration every year on a schedule determined by the first letter of the vehicle owner's last name.

Of course, you'll also have to get a title for your vehicle, and pay fees for that, too. Again, this will occur at the county treasurer's office. We talk about the titling process in our Title Transfers section.

For more information on the registration process, check out the state's registration home page.

Enjoy your new RV or motor home!