What will happen if you discover that your license plate tags are expired while you are on a trip out of state? Someone points it out at a gas station, what is going to happen?
Traveling with expired tags is against the law in every state. You can be pulled over and fined or even jailed. Tags, also known as registration, can be renewed online in almost every case. This is a non moving violation, you can be fined even if the car is unoccupied and parked.
When traveling out of state, renew your registration online as soon as you notice that it has expired. Even states with laws that prohibit police from pulling motorists over for expired plates can still pull over out of state plates that have expired. These laws only apply to residents.
Once you have completed the registration online, keep the proof printed in your vehicle or keep the electronic proof handy.
Some states have passed measures that prohibit police from pulling over cars for registration that is less than 6 months expired, but this extends only to residents, not out of state plates.
If you are traveling with your home state you are less likely to be pulled over. States have various ‘grace periods’ for resident’s license renewal, so you should be fine if you need to wait till payday to renew those plates. Do so as soon as possible, as the fines increase with time.You can find a handy chart at the end of this post with all the states DMV/DOT grace periods I could find.
Can I renew my registration while out of state?
Every state offers an online portal for vehicle registration. You may renew your registration online at any time unless an emissions test is required. This requirement can be delayed in certain states by applying for an extension.
If you are on an epic road trip and you notice that the plates are expired, go to your state website and renew them there. If you need emissions testing, see if an exemption or extension is available.
When on an extended trip, possibly unexpected trip, see if you can get a local emissions inspection. They can be submitted by mail or electronically to your home state.
This requirement varies by county all across the US, so there may be a shop that can perform the test in your area.
What will happen if I get pulled over for expired tags out of state?
The worst case scenario is if the office feels your car is unsafe to operate, then it could be impounded immediately. This is more likely if your safety inspection is also expired. You will also be fined for the expired registration on top of the late fees applied by your state.
This will totally derail any road trip plans that you may have. If you are unable to bring the car into right standing in the eyes of the law you will be forced to find another way to get home.
This means getting a new inspection, and registration. You may get the new registration online and they may allow you access to the car after you have done so.
Once you have secured: registration, safety inspection and proof of insurance, you should be able to be on your way.
I was not able to find a single story of this happening to anyone, so I think it is pretty unlikely, if it has happened to you, comment! I wanna hear the story!
Can I get pulled over out of state for expired tags?
Driving without current registration is illegal in all states, so you can be pulled over and fined at any time in any state if your plates are expired. Even if your state has a grace period, you can still be pulled over out of state the day your plates expire.
States have different rules for residents than for out of state plates. I compiled a table of the states offering a grace period for registration renewal, but remember this only applies to you when you are driving in your state.
While looking at these DOT sites, I noticed that these are the policies that each state has for their residents, drivers with in-state plates. These grace periods are not for out of state plates. There are also different grace periods (most commonly 30 days, but sometimes less) for registering out of state plates if you are moving to the new state, not just passing through.
There were lots of stories from tourists that were pulled over out of state with expired tags.Enough stories to conclude that you are a bit more likely to be pulled over if you have out of state plates, even more likely if they are expired.
You can use this chart to see if your state extends a grace period for expired tags:
| State | Grace Period |
| Alabama | 20 Days |
| Alaska | 0 Days |
| Arizona | 0 Days |
| Arkansas | 0 Days (fee of $3 per 10 days late) |
| California | 0 Days (Impounded after 6 Months) |
| Colorado | 30 Days |
| Connecticut | 30 Days |
| Delaware | 0 Days |
| Florida | 0 Days |
| Georgia | 0 Days |
| Hawaii | -45 Days (you are asked to renew up to 45 days before the registration expires) |
| Idaho | 30 Days |
| Illinois | 90 Days |
| Indiana | 30 Days |
| Iowa | 90 Days |
| Kansas | 0 Days |
| Kentucky | 0 Days |
| Louisiana | 0 Days |
| Maine | 30 Days |
| Maryland | 0 Days |
| Massechuets | 7 Days |
| Michegan | 0 Days |
| Minnesota | 0 Days |
| Mississippi | 16 Days |
| Missouri | 30 Days |
| Montana | 30 Days |
| Nebraska | Unclear |
| Nevada | 0 Days |
| New Hampshire | 10 Days |
| New Jersey | 0 Days |
| New Mexico | 0 Days |
| New York | 0 Days |
| North Carolina | 15 Days |
| North Dakota | 0 Days |
| Ohio | 0 Days |
| Oklahoma | 30 Days |
| Oregon | 90 Days* |
| Pennsylvania | 30 Days |
| Rhode Island | 0 Days |
| South Carolina | 30 Days |
| South Dakota | 30 Days |
| Tennessee | 0 Days |
| Texas | 5 Days |
| Utah | 15 Days |
| Vermont | 0 Days |
| Virginia | 90 Days |
| Washington | 0 Days |
| West Virginia | 0 Days |
| Wisconsin | 0 Days |
| Wyoming | 0 Days |
