News : Did You Know? Vehicle Registration

Iowa has a new temporary registration tag, which is designed to be tamper resistant and trackable. This new design allows officers to quickly distinguish legitimate temporary tags from fake tags. Each tag has its own unique identifying numbers and letters, like a license plate. They also include the date the new owner received the vehicle from the dealer and the expiration date of the temporary registration tag, which is 45 days after purchase of the vehicle. These new tags must be displayed on the rear of the vehicle and are designed to be attached to the license plate holder.

For vehicles bought through private sale, several steps must be followed. First the back of the title must be properly filled out including signatures from the buyer and seller, the buyer’s name and address, the date of transfer, the amount the vehicle was purchased for, and the odometer reading at the time of transfer. New owners should also obtain a bill of sale from the seller; a proper bill of sale may be used to temporarily operate the vehicle without a registration plate. A bill of sale should include the date of transfer, the vehicle information (year, make, model, and VIN), the amount the vehicle was purchased for, and information about the buyer and seller, including their signatures. A bill of sale template can be found at Iowa Treasurers Bill of Sale. Buyers who purchase a vehicle privately and do not have plates to transfer to the vehicle and the vehicle is currently registered, can operate the vehicle for 30 days without plates, as long as a copy of one of the following is carried in the vehicle.

1.Bill of sale, which describes the vehicle, and is signed and dated by the seller and the buyer.

2. Title assigned to the buyer, or photocopy of both sides of the title.