1. (1) Expiration Date of Registrations. (a) Pursuant to §32-6-61, Code of Ala. 1975, the expiration date of noncommercial motor vehicle registrations are based on the last day of the designated renewal month of the registrant. For example, any vehicle owner whose last name begins with the letter’s “A” or “D,” when renewing their registrations in the month of January, will be issued registrations indicating an expiration date of January 31 of the following year.

   1. (b) All non-apportioned commercial vehicle registrations expire on November 30.
   2. (c) All apportioned International Registration Plan (IRP) commercial vehicle registrations expire on the last day of the designated renewal month of the registrant. The department assigns renewal months to registrants on a staggered basis in order to ensure that registrations are equally distributed and to establish a more efficient registration system.
2. (2) Designated Renewal Month. §32-6-61, Code of Ala. 1975, provides that the starting date of the registration period is the first day of the month following the designated renewal month. The ending date of the motor vehicle registration period is the last day of the designated renewal month in the following calendar year. Example: Anyone with a January designated renewal month renewing in January 2006 will be issued a registration for the period February 1, 2006, through January 31, 2007.
3. (3) Acquisition of a Vehicle during the Renewal Month. A person acquiring a motor vehicle within his or her designated renewal month will owe registration fees for the renewal month and subsequent registration year. For example: A registrant with a last name beginning with the letter “A” acquires a vehicle and purchases the initial registration in the month of January. The registrant may elect to either pay registration fees for 13 months (January 1 through January 31 for the current registration year) and (February 1 through January 31 for the following year) at the time the plate is issued or he or she may elect to pay registration fees for one month (January 1 through January 31 for the current registration year) and return to the county tag office prior to January 31 and pay fees for the upcoming registration year (February 1 through January 31) in order to avoid penalty and interest charges.
4. (4) Display of Registration. Registrants may display their newly-issued Alabama license plates on their vehicle prior to the beginning of the registration period for which the license plate was issued. In the event the vehicle is registered for the upcoming registration period with a higher license plate classification or a license plate of greater cost than the current registration, the vehicle may not be operated beyond the current license plate classification until the current registration expires and the new registration becomes effective. Vehicle operators shall retain both the current registration receipt and the registration receipt for the new registration period, and, upon request of law enforcement, shall present both registration receipts for inspection.

Author: James P. Starling

Statutory Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §§32-6-56, 32-6-61, 32-6-62, 40-2A-7(a)(5).

History: Filed with LRS May 20, 1994. New Rule: Filed August 17, 1994; effective September 21, 1994. Amended: February 14, 2003; effective March 21, 2003. Amended: Filed June 2, 2006; effective July 7, 2006. Amended: Filed December 8, 2009; effective January 12, 2010. Amended: Published July 31, 2020; effective September 14, 2020.