Minnesota Tab Renewal

Minnesota vehicle tabs (the year sticker on the rear license plate) run for one year and expire on the last day of the month printed on the registration card. DVS mails a renewal notice 60 days before expiration, and the same renewal can be completed three ways: online through Minnesota.gov/DVS, by mail using the renewal notice, or in person at any deputy registrar office.

When to renew

Minnesota allows renewals up to 9 months before the expiration date. After the month of expiration, the tab is technically expired but practical enforcement varies — most officers extend the courtesy of a few days into the new month. Driving with tabs expired more than the grace period is a petty misdemeanor traffic offense with a $30 base fine plus surcharges that bring the total to about $115. Repeated lapses can result in registration suspension.

Online renewal

Online renewal at Minnesota.gov/DVS is the fastest option. You'll need:

• The renewal notice with PIN (or your plate number and last six digits of the VIN).
• A current proof of Minnesota insurance.
• A credit or debit card (e-checks also accepted).

Online renewals charge a small $2 processing fee. The new tab sticker is mailed in 7-10 business days. A printable temporary registration receipt is available immediately after payment, and some Minnesota officers will accept it as proof of valid registration during the mail period.

Renewal by mail

Mail-in renewal works if you prefer to keep paper records. Sign and return the renewal notice with a check for the totals shown, the insurance verification, and (for vehicles in counties with mandatory inspection) any required documents. The DVS receives the mail-in within 5 business days and mails the tabs within 2 weeks total.

In-person renewal at a deputy registrar

The deputy registrar offices print the tab on the spot — no mail wait. The 174 offices spread across Minnesota's 87 counties are particularly useful when:

• Tabs are about to expire and you can't wait for the mail.
• You've changed counties since the last renewal and the renewal needs to be processed at the new county's deputy registrar.
• You need to combine renewal with a title transfer or address change.
• The vehicle is past expiration and the late fees need to be calculated at the counter.

Deputy registrar offices charge a small filing fee ($6-$11 depending on the county) on top of state fees. Some offices keep evening and Saturday hours that DVS-direct stations don't match.

How the totals are recalculated

Minnesota's tab tax has two parts: a value-based registration tax that steps down each year, and fixed fees that stay the same. The value-based portion is calculated on a depreciation schedule:

• Years 1-2: 1.25% of MSRP plus $10 base.
• Years 3-9: declining about 10% of the prior year's amount each year.
• Year 10 and later: $35 minimum.

For a $35,000 vehicle, year-one registration tax is roughly $448, year-two $448, year-three $403, year-four $363, with the decline continuing until year ten when it bottoms out at $35. That makes Minnesota tab renewals progressively cheap as the vehicle ages.

Wheelage tax

If you live in a county that levies a wheelage tax ($10-$20 per vehicle per year), it's automatically added to the renewal calculation. Most metro counties — Hennepin, Ramsey, Anoka, Dakota, Scott, Washington, Carver — and several greater Minnesota counties have adopted wheelage. The fee funds local road and bridge maintenance.

Specialty and personalized plates

Specialty plates renew with the same online or in-person process, but the contribution to the sponsoring program is automatically added. Personalized plates also carry a $25 annual renewal surcharge on top of the standard tab tax. See other vehicle registrations for collector and Pioneer plate renewals, which run on different schedules.

Late fees

If the renewal lapses past the expiration date:

• No fee is added during the small grace period most officers honor.
• Renewing 1-12 months late: 10% surcharge on the registration tax.
• Renewing more than 12 months late: full registration tax for the lapsed period plus the current year.

Drivers storing a vehicle long-term should use the Vehicle Storage Affidavit to suspend the registration. Storage is valid only for a vehicle that is not driven on public roads and is kept off the public way.

Suspended registration

Tabs cannot be renewed when there is an active hold from an unpaid traffic citation, an unresolved insurance lapse, or an outstanding wheelage tax balance from a prior year. The online portal will reject the renewal — clearing the underlying flag is required first. The deputy registrar can sometimes process a same-day clearance if you bring documentation showing the issue has been resolved. For larger tickets, the license reinstatement page covers the parallel suspension process that applies to the driver license itself.