Bring the items listed below to your DMV Office

• Original title (or other proof of ownership). This title or other proof of ownership must either already be in your name or signed over to you from the previous owner.
  • Cars, trucks, trailers & motorcycles 
    • Model year 1973 or newer, either 
      • New York State Certificate of Title (original or certified copy, not a photocopy) with the transfer ownership section completed by the seller, or
      • acceptable proof of ownership from another state (original or certified copy, not a photocopy)
    • Model year 1972 or older, either
      • a New York State Transferable Registration (original or certified copy, not a photocopy) and Vehicle Bill of Sale (PDF) MV-912, or
      • acceptable proof of ownership from another state (original or certified copy, not a photocopy)
  • See acceptable proofs for other vehicles (manufactured homes, boats, ATVs, snowmobiles, gifted vehicles, vehicles with deceased owners).
• Current New York State Insurance ID card (auto liability insurance) 
  • Your insurance company will:
    • give you 2 barcoded original New York State Insurance ID cards (see sample ID cards) or provide you with access to your digital electronic New York State Insurance ID Card
    • send an electronic notice of insurance coverage to the DMV (your insurance agent or broker cannot file this notice)
  • Your New York State Insurance ID cards and the electronic notice together verify your coverage. We need both.
  • You must register your vehicle within 180 days of the effective date on your Insurance ID Card. Provide one copy or form of your Insurance ID Card with you. The DMV office will keep the paper card.  Keep the other paper card with the vehicle as your proof of insurance. Anyone operating your vehicle must be able to provide proof of insurance.
  • Learn more about New York State Insurance Requirements.
• New York State driver license, permit, non-driver ID or other proof of identity
  • You must provide proof of identity and date of birth. You must be at least 16 years old (except for ATV and boat registrations). 
  • You can use a New York State
    • driver license
    • learner permit, or
    • non-driver ID card
    • that is current or expired less than 2 years as proof of identity and age.
    • If you don’t have one of these, see other kinds of proof you can use.
• A completed Application for Registration / Title (PDF) (MV-82)
• Payment for fees (more information below)
• A Statement of Transaction (PDF) (DTF-802), if this is a vehicle you have just purchased and do not currently have the title or transferable registration in your name.
• A $50 title fee, if the title is not currently in your name.

You can estimate the registration fees online if the registration is one of the classes below. Both vehicles must be the same registration type (passenger, commercial, motorcycle).

• PAS - Passenger
• COM - Commercial
• RGL - Passenger
• MOT - Motorcycle
• ORM - Motorcycle
• CSP -  Commercial
• ORC - Commercial
• RGC - Commercial
• ORG - Passenger
• SPO - Passenger
• SRF - Passenger

If you don’t want to transfer the registration, you must surrender the vehicle plates to the DMV. You may be eligible to receive a refund if you surrender the plates before the registration expires.