Registering and titling a vehicle in Idaho: new residents, purchases and renewals

How to title and register a vehicle in Idaho after buying from a dealer or private seller or moving from another state, plus insurance minimums, renewal options and license plates, from the Idaho Transportation Department.

Guide · Idaho · Vehicle registration · Titles · updated October 29, 2026

Vehicle titles and registrations in Idaho fall under the Idaho Transportation Department's Division of Motor Vehicles (ITD DMV). You do the paperwork at your county assessor's motor vehicle office, and many renewals can be done online, at a kiosk, by mail or by phone. This guide covers buying a vehicle, moving to Idaho, insurance, renewals and plates.

The basics

ITD says that, generally, any vehicle driven on public highways must be titled and registered. A vehicle must belong to an Idaho resident or business. It must also be titled in Idaho before it can be registered, though you can apply for registration right after you submit the title documents at the county office.

To title and register, you give:

• Your full legal name
• An Idaho driver's license or ID number, or your Social Security number. Businesses give an employer identification number.
• A verifiable physical address and mailing address

The state title fee is $14. Each county adds its own title and registration admin fees, and ITD publishes them in a table. Registration fees depend on the vehicle's age and type or weight, inspection requirements and your county. For passenger vehicles, ITD lists:

• $69 for a vehicle 1 or 2 years old
• $57 for the middle age band (ITD's table words it "3 or 6 years old")
• $45 for a vehicle 7 or more years old
• An extra $140 a year for electric vehicles and $75 for plug-in hybrids

ITD has an online registration fee estimator.

Buying a vehicle

From an Idaho dealer

ITD says the dealer prepares the title application and files it with ITD or a county motor vehicle office, within 30 days of delivery.

From an out-of-state dealer

The dealer may file the title application for you. If it does not, you must file the documents with a county motor vehicle office within 30 days of the transfer to avoid a $20 late-filing penalty.

From a private seller

If a financial institution holds a lien, it may file the title application. Otherwise, you file at a county assessor's motor vehicle office within 30 days of the transfer, or pay the $20 penalty. Bring:

• The existing title, properly signed to release the previous owner's or lienholder's interest
• An odometer disclosure, for vehicles newer than 2010 and under 16,000 pounds
• A VIN inspection, if the vehicle comes from another state or has never been titled in Idaho. It can be done by a law enforcement officer, a DMV employee, a military police officer or a licensed Idaho dealer.
• The fees

ITD lists the Application for Certificate of Idaho Title (ITD 3337) as optional, noting that out-of-state dealers, lienholders and leasing companies may prepare it for you. If a properly released title cannot be obtained, a bill of sale may be used, with extra steps described on the Conditional Title Statement of Facts. If you apply by mail, include a power of attorney so the county assessor can sign for you.

If you sell a vehicle, ITD asks you to file a Release of Liability, online or on paper, within 5 days of delivery. You need the VIN and title number, and ITD lists a $3.50 fee. Before buying, ITD points to the federal NMVTIS title history check and the National Insurance Crime Bureau's VINCheck.

Moving to Idaho with a vehicle

ITD says you must title and register your vehicle within 30 days of moving to Idaho, whether or not your out-of-state registration has expired. At the county office:

1. Bring the vehicle, so a DMV employee can inspect the VIN.
2. Bring your current title and registration. If the vehicle is not titled in your name, the title must be signed and show the price; if not, bring the bill of sale. If a lender holds the title, bring the lienholder's name and address. If the title is lost, get a duplicate from the state that issued it.
3. Bring your personal ID.
4. Order your plates. ITD says plates are made to order and mailed by the U.S. Postal Service, so allow about 6 weeks.

For your license after a move, see the Idaho driver license and ID card guide.

Insurance

ITD says your vehicle must be insured with a company licensed to do business in Idaho, with at least:

• $25,000 for injury or death of one person in any one accident
• $50,000 for injury or death of two or more people in any one accident
• $15,000 for damage to the property of others in any one accident

ITD checks insurance electronically through its Drive Insured program. Owners with no coverage on record for two consecutive months get a warning and 30 days to provide proof or get an exemption. After that, the registration is suspended, and ITD lists a $75 reinstatement fee. ITD notes that county offices are not involved with Drive Insured; you report your insurance online.

Renewing your registration

ITD says to renew before your registration expires; renewing early does not change your expiration date. You cannot renew a registration that is suspended, revoked or conditional for title. Your options:

• Online, up to a year before or after expiration, with or without a DMV Online account. Without logging in, you need your plate number, the VIN and a credit or debit card.
• At a self-service kiosk in participating grocery stores, by credit or debit card. A vendor fee and a card fee apply.
• In the Ada County virtual lobby, open to residents statewide, with Ada County admin fees.
• By mail, sending the bottom of your renewal notice with a personal check or money order payable to DMV.
• In person at a county motor vehicle office.
• By phone at 208-584-4343. ITD says county transactions handled this way still include the county's admin fee.

License plates

Idaho's standard plate is the red, white and blue scenic Idaho plate. ITD lists it at $3.75 per plate, with a county designator in the plate number. ITD says that as of July 1, 2026, the DMV stopped providing registration stickers and plates are no longer replaced every ten years. Plates of any design stay good as long as they are undamaged and readable and the registration is active.

Personalized plates cost $25 to start plus $15 a year, and ITD offers over 40 special plate designs. For plate transfers, ITD tells you to contact your county office.

To visit an office, see the Idaho DMV visit guide and the Idaho DMV office list.