To get license plates in Indiana, you title and register the vehicle at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles within 45 days of buying it (or 60 days of moving to the state), bring your title, proof of insurance, and a valid ID, pay the registration fee along with excise tax and any county taxes, and drive on a temporary permit until your metal plate arrives in the mail.
Know Your Deadline Before Anything Else
Indiana ties the clock to how you got the vehicle. Buy, inherit, or receive a vehicle as a gift while already living in Indiana, and you have 45 days from that date to register.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-18.1-11-5 – Delinquent Registration; Administrative Penalty; Violation Move into Indiana from another state, and you get 60 days from establishing residency, which the state generally measures from actions like signing a lease, starting a job, or enrolling kids in school.2Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-18.1-11-4 – Vehicle Subject to Continuous Registration
Miss either window and the BMV adds a $15 administrative penalty when you finally register.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-18.1-11-5 – Delinquent Registration; Administrative Penalty; Violation Filing for the title late is worse: a $30 penalty.3IN.gov. BMV Fee Chart Driving on expired or missing plates in the meantime can also draw a traffic citation at any stop.
What to Bring
The BMV rejects applications with missing or mismatched paperwork, so pull everything together before you walk in.
Proof of Ownership
Your primary document is the vehicle title. If you bought from a private seller, every listed owner must have signed it over to you. If the vehicle isn’t yet titled in your name, you’ll also complete State Form 205, the Application for Certificate of Title, which asks for the VIN, odometer reading, purchase price, and seller details.4IN.gov. Title Forms You can download the form or pick one up at a branch.
Proof of Insurance
Indiana requires a current auto insurance policy that meets the state’s 25/50/25 minimum liability limits: $25,000 for bodily injury to one person, $50,000 for bodily injury when two or more people are hurt in one accident, and $25,000 for property damage.5Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-25-4-5 – Minimum Amounts of Financial Responsibility The name on the policy has to match the name on the title exactly. A nickname where the title shows a legal name is enough to stall things.
ID
Bring a valid Indiana driver’s license or state ID. New residents who still hold an out-of-state license can get the Indiana credential in the same visit, since the BMV handles both at the counter.
VIN Inspection for Out-of-State Vehicles
If your vehicle was previously titled in another state, Indiana requires a physical VIN inspection before it can be titled and registered here. Any BMV branch or BMV-certified service provider will do it at no charge. A law enforcement officer can also perform it, but may charge up to $5 and must complete State Form 39530.6IN.gov. Buying and Selling a Vehicle Without the completed inspection, the BMV won’t process the title application, so this step isn’t optional.
Where to Go
You have three ways to actually file, and the right one depends on your situation.
In Person at a BMV Branch
Out-of-state titles, first-time Indiana registrations, and anything requiring the VIN inspection almost always mean a branch visit. You check in at a kiosk, wait for an agent, and hand over your documents. Once approved, the branch issues a temporary registration that lets you drive legally for 30 days while your permanent metal plate is manufactured and mailed.7IN.gov. Temporary Permits
Online Through myBMV
The myBMV portal lets you register a newly purchased vehicle online if you bought it within the last 60 days and the title has already been submitted to the BMV.8IN.gov. myBMV Overview It’s also the fastest route for renewals, duplicate registration cards, and plate-cost estimates.
BMV Connect Kiosks
Self-service BMV Connect kiosks run around the clock, except Sundays from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET for maintenance. They handle new registrations, renewals, replacement stickers, and duplicate cards.9IN.gov. BMV Connect Kiosks Useful when your registration lapses over a weekend.
What It Costs
The total is a stack of separate charges, not a single registration fee. Budget for all of them.
Base Registration Fee
The standard passenger-vehicle registration fee is $21.35.3IN.gov. BMV Fee Chart Trucks, motorcycles, trailers, and other classes carry different rates on the BMV fee chart.
Vehicle Excise Tax
Usually the biggest line. Indiana calculates excise tax from the vehicle’s original MSRP and its age; newer and pricier vehicles owe much more.10Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 6-6-5-2 A few points from the current schedule:
- Brand-new vehicle, $35,000–$42,499 MSRP: $469
- 3-year-old vehicle, $25,000–$29,999 MSRP: $228
- 6-year-old vehicle, $15,000–$17,999 MSRP: $78
- 9 years or older, any MSRP class: $12 to $50
The full schedule has 17 price classes and 10 age brackets. Look up your exact amount on the BMV’s excise tax page.11IN.gov. Excise Tax Information
Transportation Infrastructure Improvement Fee
Every registered motor vehicle in Indiana pays an annual $15 infrastructure fee on top of excise and registration.3IN.gov. BMV Fee Chart
County Surtax and Wheel Tax
Many counties add their own vehicle taxes. The county excise surtax runs from $7.50 to $25 in most counties, up to $50 where a state-approved transportation asset management plan is in place, and up to $150 in counties containing a consolidated city such as Marion County.12Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 6-3.5-4-2 – Imposition and Rate of Surtax; Wheel Tax A separate county wheel tax may also apply. Two people registering identical vehicles in different counties can see meaningfully different totals.
Sales Tax
Indiana charges 7% sales tax on the purchase price, collected when you title the vehicle, based on the purchase price minus any trade-in credit. State Form 205 includes a tax affidavit where you declare the price and calculate the amount owed. For a newer vehicle this is often the largest single cost.
Transferring Plates from Your Old Vehicle
Selling one vehicle and buying another doesn’t force you to start over. You can move an existing registration and plate to the replacement vehicle for a flat $9.50, as long as the original registration hasn’t expired.13Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-18.1-11-6 – Transfer of Registration and License Plate Fee If the new vehicle sits in a different weight class or vehicle type and the registration-fee difference tops $10, you’ll owe a prorated amount for the remaining months until your next renewal. Any difference in excise tax between the two vehicles is also collected at transfer.
Emissions Testing in Lake and Porter Counties
Most of Indiana skips emissions testing, but vehicles registered in Lake County or Porter County must pass an emissions test and tampering inspection every two years.14IN.gov. Vehicle Emissions Testing Program It applies to vehicles built after 1975 with a gross vehicle weight rating of 9,000 pounds or less. The four most recent model years are exempt, as are antique vehicles. Testing follows a model-year schedule: odd model years test in odd calendar years, even in even. Fail, and you’ll need repairs and a retest before registration can go through.
After You Register: Renewals
Indiana registrations expire on a staggered schedule based on the first letter of the registered owner’s last name, not the date you first registered.15IN.gov. Registration Expiration Schedule The BMV sends a renewal notice before the date, but the deadline doesn’t move if the notice never arrives. You can renew through myBMV, at a Connect kiosk, or in person. Each renewal pulls the same base registration fee, excise tax, infrastructure fee, and any county taxes you paid the first time.