Michigan Motor Vehicle Registering Procedures
In Michigan, if you want to drive your motor vehicle on the state’s roads legally and avoid fines or imprisonment, you must have your vehicle registered within the deadline of fifteen days since the purchase was made or the acquisition of the vehicle took place.
Keep in mind that you are responsible for fulfilling all the registration and titling requirements if you buy a vehicle from an individual. When a vehicle is purchased from a dealer, you can be certain that they provide all the necessary documentation on your behalf.
If you participate in a private sale and have to register your vehicle yourself, make sure that you have all the necessary documents completed and verified. Submit the documentation to the nearest Secretary of State Office, where you can complete both titling and vehicle registration. A new buyer cannot appoint a representative for dealing with the registering procedure. They must visit the local office in person.
The following steps and papers are mandatory for a new purchaser to provide:
- The essential step in the registration process is titling your vehicle. The titling form indicates that you are the owner of the vehicle. If you fail to transfer your vehicle’s title within fifteen days after the purchase, the state will perform a fee penalty. Be ready to pay taxes for the service. If any of your close relatives take over the vehicle’s ownership, no tax payment is required. Keep in mind that the title cannot be transferred if the vehicle loan has not been paid off yet;
- The state of Michigan requires that you provide the vehicle identification number (VIN), a code that helps identify the vehicle. If you have participated in a sale with an individual seller, you must check if the number coincides with the VIN on the vehicle’s title.
- As it was mentioned above, the buyer is to attach the odometer reading recordings that state what mileage the odometer shows and that it doesn’t differ from the actual mileage. If the vehicle is titled, make sure that there are no discrepancies relating to the actual odometer reading and the statement on the title;
- It is essential to provide documentation relating to your vehicle insurance. If an accident happens, the insurance company, as a rule, covers all the expenses;
- The registering procedure requires that you provide photo identification to prove that you are the person who you say you are. You must visit the office in person, and the service agent performing the registration must make sure if the photo matches with your actual appearance;
- If there is a lien on your vehicle, contact the lienholder to obtain their signature.
- Without the seller’s and the purchaser’s signing the documentation, the registering procedure will not be completed;
- Be aware of the taxes that are to be paid for the services. Look up the taxes on the official website of the Secretary of State Office.
- Once you have completed all the required forms and obtained the necessary documentation, you can submit it to the nearest office in your city.
