How Do You Renew Vehicle Registration in Minnesota?

The Minnesota rule in one table

What makes Minnesota different

Minnesota taxes registration by value and age, not by a flat fee. For passenger automobiles first registered in Minnesota on or after November 16, 2020, the tax is $10 plus 1.575 percent of the manufacturer's suggested retail price, depreciated by year of vehicle life from 100 percent in year one down to 10 percent in year ten, with a flat $20 amount for year 11 and beyond. The total due must not exceed the smallest total amount previously paid or due. Trucks, trailers, and farm vehicles are taxed on gross weight under separate schedules in the same statute.

Registration expires each year on the last day of the month shown on the plates. No grace period and no late fee are stated on the pages read for this guide. The timing rule that does exist is an eligibility limit: online renewal is available as early as six months before expiration, and in-person renewal at a deputy registrar office is required if a tab renewal is past due more than 10 months. Kiosk renewal carries a $4.95 service fee per vehicle, and plates 7 years old or older must be replaced at renewal.

The process, step by step

1. Check the plate month. Tabs expire on the last day of the month displayed on the plates.
2. Renew online, by mail, at a kiosk, or in person. Online renewal through MyDVS opens six months early with tabs arriving within 14 days; mailed renewals arrive within 21 days; kiosks print tabs instantly; a deputy registrar office is required more than 10 months past due.
3. Have the plate, VIN, and insurance ready. Renewal needs the license plate number, the last three characters of the VIN, and the insurance provider name, policy number, and expiration date.
4. Expect the value-based tax. The amount on the renewal notice follows the statutory formula above, capped at the smallest total previously paid or due.
5. Do not assume a grace period or late fee. Neither is stated on the pages read. Renew before the last day of the plate month.

Renewing somewhere else

See Vehicle Registration Renewal in Arizona.

See Vehicle Registration Renewal in Georgia.

For all twenty states side by side, see the Vehicle Registration Renewal by State directory.

Source

• DVS deputy registrar office (same-day tabs); required if a tab renewal is past-due more than 10 months (in-person)
• DVS Now kiosks at select locations (deputy registrar offices and other sites); tabs print instantly; $4.95 service fee per vehicle renewed at a kiosk (kiosk)
• Mailed-in registration renewal (tabs arrive within 21 days) (mail)
• DVS online services / MyDVS , Renew Tabs (online renewals available as early as 6 months before expiration; tabs arrive within 14 days) (online)

Facts verified 2026-10-28.

This page explains how the process works and what the official rules say. It is general information, not legal advice. For a dispute about your specific situation, talk to your state motor vehicle agency.

Not carried on this page: Grace period after expiry (none stated on official pages opened).; Late fee / penalty amount or formula for late renewal (none stated on official pages opened).; The $8 renewal filing fee under Minn. Stat. 168.33 was cited in search results but that statute page was not opened in full; carried only as a cited reference in distinctive, not as a verified opened-page fact.; Emissions/safety inspection requirement (none stated on official pages opened)..