How to Register Your Car in Oklahoma

Every state has different procedures when it comes to registering your vehicle. However, in each of them, it is legally required to register a new or used car shortly after you purchase it. Failing to do so can lead to fines and a suspension of your license until proof of registration is obtained. It is your responsibility following the purchase of a car to bring the title and registration documents to the Oklahoma Tax Commission (OTC) as quickly as possible.  

Oklahoma Registration Laws

In Oklahoma, you will have to register their vehicles within 30 days of purchase. For new residents to the state bringing an out-of-state vehicle with them, you will have 30 days upon establishing residency to file the necessary paperwork. Regardless of whether your vehicle is new or used, or whether you bought it from a private party or from a dealership, you are required to have it registered before driving it. Failure to do so will garner a fine of 25 cents for every day your vehicle is not registered.

Initial Vehicle Registration in Oklahoma

The first time you register a vehicle in Oklahoma, it has to be done in person at the OTC. After that, every subsequent annual registration renewal can either be in person, via mail, or online. Here are the documents you must bring when registering your vehicle for the first time in Oklahoma:

• Proof of minimum liability insurance
• A completed Application for Oklahoma Certificate of Title (Form 701-6) signed in front of a notary
• A completed bill of sale (or declaration of purchase price)
• Three forms of government ID
• The old title transferred over to you

Registration Fees in Oklahoma

When you initially register your car, you will have to pay a title fee, and a fee for the first year of registration. Registration fees depend on how long you have been the owner of your vehicle, and will go down per year every 4 years. You must also pay an excise tax on first registration, which is usually 3.25% of the total purchase price for new cars.

You are required to renew your vehicle registration every single year. The renewal can be done via mail or online in recurring years, and the renewal fees will be significantly lower than the initial registration fees.

Protecting Your Car

Registering your vehicle is only one step in the process of responsible and legal car ownership. It’s a way for the state of Oklahoma to keep bad drivers off the road and cut down on crime involving cars. It is also your responsibility to keep your car insured with a minimum amount of liability insurance, which will protect both you and any other drivers involved in a crash. Failure to keep either or registration or insurance up to date every year could cause you to lose your driving abilities, and repeat offenses could lead to a complete license revocation. Don’t go through all the trouble of buying a car or moving here just to lose so much because of such a simple technicality.