Car registration 101
Car registration in Alaska
Tips for getting your car registered in Alaska
Conclusion
Car registration 101
Getting your car registered in a new state is critically important for your ability to be able to drive legally. If you drive anywhere without having your car registered, you risk being ticketed and/or arrested.
In Alaska, if you are caught driving with your registration, you can face a misdemeanor charge and a ninety dollar fine. If you are caught driving with a suspended or revoked registration the fine is much higher at three hundred dollars. Neither of these infractions will earn you any points on your license unless you are a repeat offender.
It is fairly easy to get your car registered. In almost all cases you will be able to do so on the same day that you visit the DMV office within an hour or two. However, you need to make sure that you have all of the required materials with you and already filled out. You can read more about that in the next section.
Car registration in Alaska
If you are moving to Alaska or visiting for an extended period, you can drive the car around for two months without getting it registered. However, if you are going to Alaska for work or to become a resident, you will need to get the car registered within ten days of entering the state.
In order to get your car registered in Alaska, you will need a clean title for the vehicle. You will also need your current registration from your last state. Finally, you will need to fill out Application for Title & Registration which you can find here.
There will also be fees. For a regular passenger car, the fee will start with a one hundred dollar registration fee. After that you will need to pay a tax between fifty and a hundred and twenty dollars depending on your vehicle year and the city which you are registering the car in. For example, Anchorage levies a hundred and ten dollar tax whereas Chiniak levies a sixty dollar fee.
If you are not sure where an Alaska DMV location is, you can find a list of all the DMV locations in Alaska here.
Tips for getting your car registered in Alaska
- Plan ahead – You should plan ahead when you are registering your car in Alaska. Make sure that you set aside time to go to the DMV and that you have all of the necessary documentation ready and with you when you go.
- Get to the DMV early – The DMV can get very busy, very quickly no matter where you are. So, try and get there by the time the doors open in order to have less of a wait time.
- Print and fill out the 812 form at home – The 812 form is the primary form that you need when you go to the DMV in Alaska to register your car. So, in order to avoid being sent off-line to fill it out and then having to stand in line again, print and fill out the form at home prior to heading to the DMV.
- Make sure you display the registration sticker in the right place – You can get a ticket if you do not have your registration sticker displayed in the right place. So, make sure that you have your registration sticker placed in the lower left corner of your windshield to the right of your inspection sticker.
Conclusion
Getting your car registered is not much different than it is anywhere else in the country. You will just need pay some fees that will vary, find your local DMV location and make sure that you prepare for your registration appointment before you go to the DMV.
If you want to make the process of being able to drive around Alaska easier, you can always have your car shipped there. Give us a call today at (907) 331-3100.
