Register a vehicle in Alabama
Title and register a vehicle in Alabama: apply for the title through a designated agent, then register at the license plate issuing office in your county; registering late means a $15 penalty plus interest.
- Online or in person
- No online option described · County license plate issuing officeThe pages read here describe registration through county license plate issuing offices and titles through designated agents. Motor vehicles are registered through license plate issuing offices in the county where the owner resides. Register within 20 calendar days of the purchase or acquisition to avoid a penalty and interest.
- Cost
- $15 title application feePer application for a motor vehicle. Designated agents add $1.50 commission; license plate issuing officials may collect another $1.50; some counties have local fees. The licensing official also collects registration fees and ad valorem taxes.
- You leave with
- License plateAfter the prerequisites are met, the licensing official collects fees and ad valorem taxes and issues a license plate.
Your plan
Gather your documents
0 of 5 ready · saved in this browser only
-
Show accepted documents (bring 1)
- Bill of sale
- Court order
- Properly assigned certificate of origin
Apply for the title
Title applications go through a designated agent: county license plate issuing officials, licensed Alabama motor vehicle dealers, or Alabama banks and credit unions. The owner must give a physical Alabama address.
Make sure you have Alabama liability insurance
The vehicle must be covered by an Alabama liability insurance policy before it is registered.
Register in your county
Go to the license plate issuing office in the county where you live. Firms, corporations and associations register in the county where the vehicle is used or operated.
Pay and get your plate
The licensing official collects the registration fees and ad valorem taxes and issues the license plate.
Common reasons people get turned away
- The vehicle must be covered by Alabama liability insurance before it can be registered.
- A $15 penalty plus interest applies if you are late registering a newly acquired vehicle or a vehicle you brought into Alabama.
- The title application needs a physical Alabama address for the owner; a P.O. box may only be the special mailing address when no lienholder is listed.
- Additional documentation may be required if it cannot be determined whether the vehicle meets federal and state safety, emissions and anti-theft standards.
Offices that register vehicles
Motor vehicles are registered through license plate issuing offices in the county where the owner lives. Titles go through designated agents, including county license plate issuing officials, dealers, and Alabama banks and credit unions. Agency source.
72 offices where you can register a vehicleSee them on a map, search by county or show the ones open nowLargest cities with them: Huntsville (1) · Mobile (1) · Birmingham (2) · Montgomery (1) · Tuscaloosa (1)
Read more
Sources · checked October 30, 2026
- Where do I go to register my motor vehicle in Alabama? (Alabama Department of Revenue)
- Prerequisites for registering a vehicle in Alabama (Alabama Department of Revenue)
- Where do I apply for an Alabama certificate of title? (Alabama Department of Revenue)
- Documents needed for an Alabama certificate of title (Alabama Department of Revenue)
- Cost of an Alabama certificate of title (Alabama Department of Revenue)
- Delinquent registration penalty (Alabama Department of Revenue)
- Physical address on the title application (Alabama Department of Revenue)
- Vehicle Licensing Offices (Alabama Department of Revenue)
We wrote this plan ourselves from the official pages above on the date shown. Agencies change rules without notice: the official page always wins. DMV Decoded is independent and not a government agency; we don't book appointments or take payments.