Do I Have To Get License Before Register Vehicle?

Vehicle Registration and Inspection

To annals a vehicle in the District:

You must have a DC driver license or DC identification card. More than information is available nether the DC DMV Real ID and DC DMV Limited Purpose Driver License/Non-Driver Identification Card pages.

Do not expect until your out-of-land license or vehicle registration is about to expire; kickoff the process of converting to DC credentials earlier either your license or your vehicle registration is near expiring.

Y'all must have the vehicle title.

DC DMV must receive the vehicle title to register your vehicle in the District. If there is no lien on the vehicle, and y'all do not have a re-create of the title, you volition need to obtain a duplicate title from the DMV in the jurisdiction in which the vehicle is still titled.

If in that location is a lien on the vehicle, you must asking that the lienholder send the title to DC DMV. You can impress and mail the DMV Lienholder Out-of-Land Title Request form to your lienholder.

Cheque online to see if we have received your out-of-state title from your lienholder.

If the vehicle is newly purchased, you must bring the lienholder information to the DMV then we can record the lien on the new DC title. At that place are additional title and lien recordation fees. Information on DC DMV fees is available at the link beneath:

If the championship is not in your proper noun already, and so you will owe excise tax on the vehicle since information technology volition be a change of ownership. Data on the excise revenue enhancement is likewise available at the fee link above:

Vehicle Title Fees

The vehicle must be inspected.

All vehicles registered in the District must take a valid DC inspection sticker. Valid inspection stickers from other jurisdictions are not accepted. Inspection fees are not paid at the Inspection Station, but they are paid at the fourth dimension of vehicle registration.

Y'all can use your electric current out-of-state tags to take your vehicle through inspection. If your tags accept expired, y'all will need to visit a DC DMV service middle, with your title and proof of DC insurance, to obtain a temporary DC registration to have the vehicle through inspection.

You must have proof that the vehicle is insured.

You lot must maintain continuous insurance on your vehicle for equally long as information technology is registered in the District. District police force requires proof of valid DC insurance for the vehicle prior to registration in the District.

The proof of insurance document must contain your proper name, valid coverage dates, the VIN of the vehicle and your District accost. If you do not receive your proof of DC insurance prior to visiting the DC DMV office, you can call the insurance company to take the information faxed to the states.

Failure to maintain vehicle insurance volition result in insurance lapse fees. If you will non be driving your vehicle for a significant length of time, we encourage you to surrender your DC tags to avoid insurance fees or tickets.

Vehicle registration fees are based on the weight of your vehicle.