How to register a truck in Michigan?

I am wondering if any other Michigan residents have found a way to register any motor-vehicle?

I have a winter fleet and a summer fleet of cars and trucks. I need to get my good (salt and rust-free) truck on the road. So far, I have not found a way to do it. All state motor-vehicle offices (Secretary of State) are closed and not taking appointments. It looks as though it cannot be done on-line either.

I wonder if I just insure my truck and skip registering it - would a cop let me off? That is a rhetorical question, I guess. That said, I might do it.

I sent the state the same question I am asking here, but have gotten no response.

Have you tried the kiosk at Meijer? Just a thought.

Dave

myself I would drive it without registration as the fine is not that bad as compared to no insurance. even though everybody is to stay home now unless emergency. its probably the least of there worries at this time.

The SOS web site says online service available. I always register on line. If the vehicle has been registered in Michigan and you have the application you should be able to register online. If you are transferring plates it could be an issue as all State buildings are locked. Maybe continue to drive winter vehicle.

No registration 250 dollar fine 0 points

Looks like the short answer is You Can't.

I'd say you have two choices
1) drive what ya got
2) insure it and drive it anyway.

You could call your local sheriff and see what they say.
SOS FAQs

.
Will this work?

What is wrong with just driving what you have legally registered for a couple more weeks until this virus thing passes by?

consider: If you get stopped by a police officer with a license plate that does not match the car it is displayed on, the list of violations could get expensive.
Improper number plate.
Insurance not valid on an unregistered vehicle.
Vehicle could be towed and impounded because it is not legal to continue driving.
Vehicle cannot be "rescued" from the impound yard without proper registration and insurance.
Potentially having your driver license suspended for driving without insurance because the police say insurance is not valid on an unregistered vehicle.

Been there, done that. Cost bit attorney fees to resolve the whole thing and stay out of jail.

Your vehicles, your risk. I'll say no more. Just don't expect me to send you commissary money.

What, exactly, is it that you need to do?

If your vehicle has a Michigan plate with an expired tab, you should be able to renew the tab using one of the <a href="https://miselfservicestation.com/">self-service kiosks</a>. Some of the SOS offices have them in their foyers and they're also in some grocery stores. I think you'll need the renewal notice, AND the renewal notice will need to have a PIN, which indicates the SOS doesn't need proof of insurance. But since it sounds like you've taken insurance off the vehicles, that probably won't work.

You should still be able to renew by mail if you include proof of insurance when you mail in your renewal application. Assuming you have the renewal notice.

But if you need to do anything more complicated than to get new tabs, such as transfer the title from another state or get new plates, I think you're SOL. I would put insurance on the vehicle and drive it with expired plates. Or no plate at all, if you don't have them.

Can you get by driving the winter fleet until the Secretary of State offices open again?

I'm surprised you can suspend your vehicle registration for part of a year in Michigan. In Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska you register a vehicle for a year and simply put the insurance on hold for the months you won't be driving a vehicle. Putting a vehicle back into service only requires reinstating the insurance, the department of motor vehicle does not get involved.

In Ontario the government has waived all registration and licencing , if your tags have expired you can continue to drive the vehicle, if you can't register , insure it and drive it , you will be exempt from fines. This is in effect until it is safe for "Service Ontario" offices are safe to open.

I have been told that the police in Maryland have been instructed to avoid traffic stops. They are to answer calls only. I would insure it and drive.

Tennessee has extend all registrations of private vehicles for 90 days, still working on what is going to happen on these commercial trucks.

I want to make something clear because a few replies don't match my problem. I cannot renew my registration on-line. An existing registration can be renewed easily. Registering for the fist time can not. When I transfer the registration from one vehicle to another, that is treated the same as registering for the first time. Only difference is - no changing of titles. State of Michigan has no way to do this on-line. At least not yet. All our Secretary of State offices closed last week, but were taking private appointments for people who needed something done that could not be accomplished on-line. Then they stopped making appointments too.

As far as getting by with what I have? Well yes, it is not going to kill me. I need to tow some heavy equipment 120 miles up into the Upper Peninsula and my winter 1/2 ton truck cannot do that. Like I said, if I put it off I will live, for sure. I also have Mackinac Bridge passes on my summer vehicles and either I cannot use the passes or I find a way to swap them all. Again, it won't kill me. Just trying to figure what to do. I do not want to get a bunch of new Bridge Pass sticker for vehicles I'd normally never take on long trips - and then have the State offices open and have to change again.

Right now, the simplest solution is to just find a way to register my summer vehicles. At least my heavy truck I use for towing and one of my SUVs. We live much of time in the Upper Peninsula once winter is over and it is getting near over and the snow is almost gone.

I was just wondering if any other Michiganders had heard anything about this problem. Seems car dealers must have some way to register vehicles or they'd be almost out of business. Or, maybe they ARE in bad shape right now?

No expired registrations. I have five cars and trucks we use in the winter. We have another five cars and trucks we use in the warmer non-road-salt months. We transfer the registrations from the winter-five to the summer-five this time of year. This cannot be done on-line. Not unless something changes. Getting insurance is easy and that I easily do on-line.

I suspect dealers have a totally separate service both online and in person when they need ownership and registration paperwork.
Especially for new vehicles and used vehicles that are generating sales taxes.
Switching registrations back and forth does not generate income for the state.

Looks like unless you can do stuff online, all other paperwork will not resume until April 23 at the earliest.
No mail will be open until then either.

You plan on violating the stay at home thing to go up north?

(quoted from post at 19:02:51 03/28/20) No expired registrations. I have five cars and trucks we use in the winter. We have another five cars and trucks we use in the warmer non-road-salt months. We transfer the registrations from the winter-five to the summer-five this time of year. This cannot be done on-line. Not unless something changes. Getting insurance is easy and that I easily do on-line.

Click to expand...

Out of curiosity, if I may ask, do all 10 vehicles have plates, or do you have to physically transfer 5 plates along with doing the paperwork?

What does the state charge for doing the "paperwork" twice a year?

> We transfer the registrations from the winter-five to the summer-five this time of year.

OK, you're moving your plates between vehicles. I wasn't aware you could even do that in Michigan, but at any rate it's certainly not something you can do at a kiosk.

As for the insurance, yes you can get it online. But you can't do a renewal online or at a kiosk unless SOS had your insurance information when they issued your renewal notice, which they won't in that case. Your renewal notice will have a PIN if the SOS already has your insurance information.

> I suspect dealers have a totally separate service both online and in person when they need ownership and registration paperwork.

Usually we have to wait a week or two to get plates from the dealer. But when we bought our last new vehicle, the dealer had the plates the day of the sale. Apparently they now have the ability to register vehicles and print tabs in-house. At least that's what the salesman said when I asked him. This was at one of the largest dealerships in the state; I suspect smaller dealerships still have to send someone down to SOS.

I just realized we haven't received our renewal notices. All our plates expire in April.

There is an exemption for travel between your residences...

Florida does not need proof of insurance online nor in person at the SOSO.
Evidently the SOSO can instantly confirm and retrieve your auto insurance info in order to complete your vehicle registrations.

Are you saying you want to tranfer your tags from one vehical while keeping the one that now has the tags on? In Ohio you cannot transfer tags from a vehical you still own, even if it is setting totaled from a wreck. The vehical with the tag,It has to be out of your name before you can transfer tags. Would to me sound like what you are wanting to do no state would allow.

Florida allows tags/plates to be on any vehicle at anytime.
As long as the valid paperwork matches the vehicle when done.