How Do I Renew My Expired Registration in PA?
PA, Pennsylvania or officially - the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the seventh-largest state by the number of cars in the United States. In 2020, it had about 4,043,715 registered vehicles driven around the state. It is punishable to drive vehicles without registration or expired registration around PA; if you are pulled over, you may face fines that are worth double the cost of renewal. Having other traffic violations can substantially increase the fines to pay and the consequences to face.
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is the governing body in charge of vehicle registrations in PA. It oversees all policies affecting transportation routes such as highways, airports, waterways, ports, and railroads. It is also concerned with issuing out registrations and licensing to vehicles and their operators. It has issued over 10.3 million driver's licenses and 11.8 million vehicle registrations. It is also concerned with the inspection for emissions and safety on vehicles before granting them registration.
Vehicle registration in PA usually lasts for one or two years, after which they must renew it to drive legally on the road. The state of Pennsylvania does not give a grace period to renew your expired registration; instead, they give you reminder notice before your registration expiry date.
Renewing Your Expired Registration in Pennsylvania
When you drive with expired registration, you are expected to renew it quickly to avoid any fines and consequences. PennDOT is in charge of vehicle registration renewal, and it has made different avenues available for renewing expired registration. It allows for license renewal online, through the mail, and in-person at any designated service center, allowing people to choose whichever renewal mode they are comfortable using.
Online Registration Renewal
Pennsylvania's online car registration process is fast and straightforward. It saves you the hassle of appearing at the service center in person. Swift-tags is an online platform that is concerned with vehicle registration and renewals. It carries out renewal and registration faster and efficiently. It has an excellent customer support system to help you with whatever you need. After receiving your renewal notice, follow these steps to renew your vehicle registration online:
- Visit swifttags website.
- Create an account on the platform.
- On the platform, after creating your account, type in the first eight digits of your title number, input your proof of insurance and your driver's license number. After inputting these, the platform will show the amount due.
- Using a valid credit or debit card, make payment of the due amount.
- After making payment, a receipt will be generated, alongside a permanent registration credential. You are expected to print these documents as PennDOT no longer sends registration cards through mail for those who renewed their registration online.
Making a payment online is the easiest and fastest way of renewing your expired license in PA. It saves you the hassle of visiting the service center or waiting for your registration card to be delivered in the mail. When renewing your license online, you can typically get your renewed registration in a few minutes. When paying online, it is advised to have a printer close by to print your registration card immediately.
Registration Renewal in Person
After receiving a notice for renewal, and you decide to renew it in person, the process is relatively simple and straightforward. Visit any office of the department of motor vehicles (DMV) of your choice with your renewal notice, and make your payment. The DMV office does not accept cash for payment of fees; credit or debit cards, checks, and money orders are the acceptable mode of payment.
If you did not receive any notice renewal, you can visit the DMV office with a completed request for Registration (Form MV-140). Download the MV-140 pdf form, print it, and fill it out appropriately before going to the DMV office. Applicants can get the MV-140 pdf form on the official website.
Registration Renewal Through the Mail
After receiving your renewal notice, and you decide to complete your registration through mail, all you need to do is to send the renewal notice together with the appropriate amount listed in the notice with other appropriate documents to this address:
"Bureau of Motor Vehicles
1101 South Front Street
Harrisburg, PA 17104-2516".
It is an excellent option for people who are outside Pennsylvania during the time in which their vehicle registration has to be renewed. When renewing your registration through mail, money orders and checks are the only acceptable form of payment; debit or credit cards and cash are not accepted. If you did not receive a renewal notice, you can also fill out the MV-140 form and send it to the above address.
Having different methods of renewing your expired registration gives a large room to accommodate everyone and enables them to use their preferred renewal choice. It also gives those out of state the chance to renew their registration remotely.
Duration of Registration
Registration renewal in PA typically lasted for one year until Act 89 was made a law on November 25, 2013. Act 89 represents an investment opportunity in the future of Pennsylvania's transport. It increases public safety and driving commerce while creating jobs and providing reliable funding for transportation needs without leaving the bill for future generations. It also allowed for the purchase of car registration for two years. Vehicles with circus carnival license plates, seasonal registration, or an international registration plan are not eligible for the two-year registration in Pennsylvania. If the section dedicated to the two-year renewal period is shaded in gray on the renewal notice, the car is not eligible for the two-year renewal.
In conclusion, license renewal in the state of Pennsylvania is relatively easy. It has different renewal methods that allow it to cater to many people. People who are out of state can also renew their registration at the right time. The renewal notice sent via mail usually contains the payable amount. If you lost your renewal notice or did not receive it, you can download the MV-140 form and use it for your renewal purposes.
