Is it OK to drive with expired vehicle registration tags in KY? Here’s what state law says
It’s something that’s likely happened to every driver at some point: You get a notice in the mail reminding you it’s once again time to renew your vehicle’s registration. You mean to get to it, but you get distracted by other stuff going on in your life and it gets bumped to the bottom of your to-do list.
You may wonder if there’s a grace period for renewing your tags, or even how long you can push your luck and procrastinate. While there doesn’t appear to be any official grace period laid out in state law, an officer can grant you a courtesy warning, provided you take it seriously and don’t abuse that warning. Here’s what Kentucky law has to say, including what kind of penalties you may expect if you put off renewing your registration tags for too long.
Can I drive with expired vehicle registration in Kentucky?
Kentucky law requires annual renewal of a driver’s vehicle registration, and the time to renew aligns with the birth month of the vehicle’s owner.
At least 45 days before the registration is set to expire, the law requires owners be notified by mail of their registration’s expiration date.
However, claiming the notice got lost in the mail or that you never received it won’t get you out of any offenses you incur for not renewing. You’ll also still have to pay the fees required to renew.
County clerks are required to ensure the certificates of registration they issue to owners display the correct month and year the registration expires.
They are also required to give you a decal that corresponds to the month and year the registration expires. Those decals are to be placed on the vehicle’s license plate by its owner.
That statute, Kentucky Revised Statute 186A.035, doesn’t mention an official “grace period” for not renewing your registration on time.
However, in some cases, officers may choose to exercise their enforcement discretion and give drivers with expired registration tags a courtesy warning, though that’s not a requirement.
An officer may be sympathetic to your plight, however, given the rocky rollout of a new software upgrade that has caused processing delays in County Clerk offices this year.
Kentucky drivers can renew their vehicle registration online, but there are a few caveats and conditions to keep in mind. These include:
The vehicle being renewed must not have an expired registration.
The owner of the vehicle cannot have any past due property taxes on any vehicles they own.
Leased vehicles aren’t eligible for online registration renewal.
The vehicle must be insured for at least 45 days with the same insurance company for database verification. Insurance is mandatory in Kentucky. Going without it means having your registration revoked.
What are the penalties for driving with an expired vehicle registration?
According to the law office of Busald, Funk and Zevely, based in Florence, driving with expired registration tags is treated as a moving violation, which carries a possible fine of $250 plus court costs. No points are assessed against your license.
Can my vehicle be towed for expired tags?
It’s possible, given that police in Kentucky are granted broad authority to impound vehicles for lawful reasons, such as outstanding, delinquent parking tickets.
For example, if you got lucky and an officer initially waved you off with a warning about your expired tags, and you get pulled over again without having renewed your registration after the courtesy warning, you could expect your car to be towed and impounded.
- Do you have a question about Kentucky for our Service Journalism team? Send us an email at ask@herald-leader.com or fill out our Know Your Kentucky form.
This story was originally published June 6, 2024 at 6:00 AM.