How to Renew Your Vehicle Registration in Alaska

Getting your car registration renewal in Alaska is an important procedure for all vehicle owners. While titles are designed to prove the legal ownership of a car, vehicle registrations are used by state drivers to demonstrate that all taxes, auto insurance payments and other costs related to the car are up-to-date. Thus, learning how to renew a car registration is very important, including which requirements and procedures are mandated in the state.

Regardless of whether you complete an AK DMV registration renewal online or via other methods, all requests are processed through the state’s Department of Administration (DOA). If you fail to renew a car registration, you will no longer be able to legally and safely operate that vehicle on public roads. This article will inform you of all the steps you can take in order to prepare for and request your renewal.

Requirements for Car Registration Renewal in Alaska

An Alaska DMV car registration renewal is a critical process to undergo as a driver in the state. However, you will need to first make sure that you are eligible to request one. Overall, the requirements to renew a car registration in AK include being in possession of a state-issued vehicle title and covered by the appropriate limited liability insurance policy.

In addition, motorists cannot allow their registrations to be expired for longer than one year. Generally, the standard timeframe for an Alaskan vehicle to remain registered is two years. Thus, before reaching those two years, you will need to request a renewal.

What do you need to renew your car registration in Alaska?

Besides the general Alaska DMV registration renewal fees, there are certain items that you will need to provide for your renewal procedure. Thus, make sure to prepare the following documents ahead of time:

• Your current AK car registration.
• Your current AK car title.
• The proper application form.
• Your limited liability insurance policy.

Alaska Vehicle Registration Renewal Notice

Getting a vehicle registration renewal notice from the Alaska DMV is a standard procedure for most registered drivers in the state. This document is sent to residents as a small, yellow card in the mail, and it includes all of the necessary information that you will need if your registration documents are set to expire soon. While these documents are typically sent to all registered drivers, certain factors such as changing addresses within the state could prevent you from receiving this motor vehicle registration renewal notice.

The AK DMV registration renewal status listed on your yellow notice card will include the date by which you will need to complete your renewal, the type of fee that you will be expected to pay, the different possible application methods that you can use and what you will need to prepare for the renewal process. This means that this is one of the most important documents that you can receive from the Alaska DMV, as it can prevent you from unknowingly driving with an expired registration in the state.

Alaska Car Registration Renewal Notice Lost or Not Received

There are several circumstances that may have caused you to have lost a car registration renewal form in Alaska. For example, your notice could be lost upon arrival, sent to the wrong address, damaged in some way or even stolen. If any of these situations occur, you will need to contact the DOA and request a new document to be sent out. While you may already be aware of the renewal instructions listed on this notice, it also includes your receiver registration number (RRN), which is needed for you to renew a car registration online.

If you have a lost registration renewal notice in AK, your best course of action is to contact or visit a local DMV office. They will be able to inform you about your next steps, and potentially give you a new RRN if it is needed for your renewal.

Alaska Car Registration Renewal Options

While you are able to renew a car registration online in Alaska, there are also other renewal methods at your disposal. However, each of these renewal methods has different application and processing times. Thus, you should always keep in mind the timeframe that you have available before your registration expires.

How to Renew Your Car Registration Online

In order to complete an AK vehicle registration renewal online, you will need to be able to prepare all of the necessary information detailed in previous sections. This procedure will require you to input your RRN in the Alaska DMV online portal, or a combination of your license plate number and the last two digits of your vehicle identification number (VIN).

How to Renew Your Car Registration by Mail

You may be eligible to submit your motor vehicle registration renewal by mail, as long as your specific Alaska county allows it. Generally, this renewal method is not offered by every county in AK, as it can be a slow process with extended delivery and processing times. Therefore, make sure to contact a local DMV office to ensure that submitting your renewal request via mail will be acceptable.

How to Renew Your Car Registration in Person

Motorists are always able to renew a car registration in Alaska by visiting a DMV office in person. This application method is recommended for those who may have additional questions about their registration, as these concerns can be answered in person by a DMV attendant.

Military & Out of State Vehicle Registration Renewal in Alaska

An expired vehicle registration in Alaska can also be renewed if you are a member of the U.S. military who is stationed in Alaska, or if you are an AK resident who is living out of state. In the event that you are in the military, you will not be required to get a new registration, title or another driving document from the Alaska DMV if you would prefer to keep the credentials from your home state.

However, you may choose to switch these documents over to the AK DMV if you so choose. Furthermore, you will be able to renew a car registration by mail as long as you are an active duty military service member.

Learning where to renew a vehicle registration in Alaska is especially relevant if you have an AK registration but find yourself currently out the state. Overall, there are certain circumstances that allow state motorists to renew a registration from outside of Alaska. For instance, you may need to renew a car registration in this way as an Alaskan citizen if:

• You are a college student at a university outside of Alaska.
• You are visiting somewhere else during the time in which your registration is set to expire.
• You are a resident of Alaska but are serving in the military somewhere else.

In these cases, you may be able to submit your motor vehicle registration renewal to the Alaska DMV via mail, along with a self-addressed envelope that can be resent to you with your new registration papers.

Alaska Vehicle Registration Renewal Fees

Your car registration renewal cost in Alaska is dependent on a few different factors. These different considerations include:

• The type of commercial or non-commercial vehicle that you are registering. While passenger vehicle registrations have a base cost of $100, motorcycle credentials can cost as low as $60. Conversely, renewing the registration for heavy commercial vehicles can cost as much as $268.
• Your city of residence. This vehicle registration renewal price can have a wide variation. For instance, while these credentials cost $30 in Afognak, they cost $70 in Anchorage.
• The age of your vehicle. While older vehicles can be renewed for a lower cost, newer ones can add costs of over $100.
• The type of license plate. Standard license plates typically have no additional fee, whereas commemorative or political plates can range between $30 and $100.

Note: Depending on whether or not you get a leased car registration renewal in Alaska, you may be responsible for any of these costs at the time of your registration’s expiration.