How to Register an Out-of-State Car in Indiana

Registering an out-of-state car in Indiana happens at a branch of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). A new resident has 60 days after moving to apply for an Indiana title, and the car must be titled in your name before it can be registered and plated, so you apply for both at the branch. The car's vehicle identification number (VIN) also has to be inspected, either at the branch or by one of two other routes.

This guide takes the steps in order for a car you already own, then covers a car bought in another state. If the car is coming from New York, our page on New York to Indiana car shipping covers the lane itself.

When Do You Have to Register a Car in Indiana After Moving?

The BMV gives a new resident 60 days after moving to apply for an Indiana title, or to submit a Request for Title, State Form 1014, for every vehicle with an out-of-state title. Its registration rules set the same 60 days for registering every vehicle you own when you become a resident. Miss the title deadline and the BMV charges an administrative penalty, which its fee chart lists at $30.

A car you buy after the move runs on a shorter clock. The title application is due within 45 days of the purchase or other acquisition, and a newly acquired vehicle must be registered within 45 days as well.

When you title a car you brought with you, the branch asks for your residency date, the day you moved to Indiana. The BMV's new resident packet says it uses that date to prorate taxes.

Where Do You Title and Register an Out-of-State Car?

At a BMV branch, in person. The BMV's New Indiana Residents page says new residents must visit a branch to apply for the Indiana certificate of title and registration, and the title comes first.

Indiana does offer online registration for a newly acquired vehicle, but not for a car you have owned for a while. The BMV limits it to a vehicle whose date of sale is less than 60 days old and that is not leased, and its interactive title and registration guide says a vehicle sold more than 60 days ago must be registered at a branch. A car you brought with you falls outside that window, so plan on the branch visit.

What Documents Do You Need to Register an Out-of-State Car in Indiana?

The New Indiana Residents page and the BMV's New Indiana Resident Packet list what to bring to the branch:

• Your most recent title. If your former state issues electronic titles, request a printed copy from that state first. If it does not require the vehicle to be titled, the packet says proof of ownership, such as the registration, is needed in most cases.
• The VIN inspection. Done at the branch when you bring the car, or shown on a State Form 39530 completed by a law enforcement officer. The next section covers the options.
• Two proofs of your Indiana address. The new resident packet asks new residents for two, and the BMV's registration rules ask for two whenever you change your legal address in the transaction. Two original documents with your name and Indiana residential address, such as a utility or credit card bill issued within 60 days and a bank statement dated within 60 days, meet the requirement.
• Proof of your full Social Security number. The packet names the Social Security card. The BMV's documentation list also accepts a W-2, an SSA-1099, a non-SSA-1099 or a pay stub showing your name and full number.
• Proof of identity, if this is your first BMV transaction. The guide points first-time customers to the Real ID requirements, and the BMV's Real ID overview page links to its checklist of accepted identity, lawful status, Social Security and residency documents.
• Proof of insurance. You need it to buy a license plate and certificate of registration.
• An emissions test, in two counties only. Required for vehicles registered in Lake and Porter counties, covered further down.

How Does the Indiana VIN Inspection Work?

Indiana requires a VIN inspection on every vehicle from another state before it titles it, including cars owned by new residents. The inspection confirms the VIN on the car, and the BMV accepts it from three places:

• A BMV branch. Bring the car with you when you apply, at no charge.
• A BMV certified full or partial service provider. Also at no charge.
• A law enforcement officer. The officer may charge up to $5 and must give you a completed Physical Inspection of a Vehicle or Watercraft, State Form 39530, which you take to the branch in place of the car.

The new resident packet notes that the branch or partial service provider route works when the VIN is easy to see through the windshield. If you cannot bring the car to the branch, or the VIN plate is hard to see or reach, use the officer route and State Form 39530.

What If a Lender Holds Your Title?

If you still owe money on the car, the out-of-state title may be with your lender. In that case you visit a branch within the same 60 days to complete a Request for Title, State Form 1014. The branch mails the request to the lender, then contacts you when the title arrives so you can return and finish the Indiana title application.

That wait can outlast your old registration. The new resident packet says you can buy a 30-day permit, for a fee, if your out-of-state registration has expired or will expire before the branch receives the title. When the title arrives, the BMV records any lien shown on it on your new Indiana title. If the loan is already paid off, the lender must release the lien by signing the release section of the old title or by providing a written lien release.

What If You Bought the Car in Another State?

An Indiana resident who buys a car out of state has 45 days from the purchase to apply for the Indiana title, and the car still needs a VIN inspection. How you apply depends on the seller.

After buying from an out-of-state dealer, you can mail the application to the BMV instead of visiting a branch. The BMV's Out-of-State Title Transfer checklist lists what goes in the packet:

• The title application. A completed and signed Application for Certificate of Title for a Vehicle, State Form 205.
• Proof of ownership. The certificate of title or manufacturer's certificate of origin, plus a bill of sale, purchase order or sales contract.
• The odometer statement. State Form 43230, only if the mileage is not already recorded on the title or certificate of origin.
• The VIN inspection. A completed and signed State Form 39530.
• One proof of address. Your license or ID card if its address is correct, otherwise a document from the approved list dated within the last 60 days.
• Payment. The Collection of Payment form, State Form 56163, with the fees and the sales tax or proof that it was paid. If the dealer did not collect Indiana sales tax, include Form ST-108E, State Form 48841, with its sales and use tax worksheet.

The BMV returns an incomplete packet, and one received more than 45 days after the purchase date carries the $30 administrative penalty. After a private purchase, you apply at a branch and pay any Indiana sales or use tax due there.

What Will You Pay at the Branch?

There is no single figure. The first bill includes a title fee, the registration fee and Indiana's annual vehicle excise tax, which is a flat amount for some vehicles and based on value and age for others. Some counties and cities add their own excise or wheel tax, so the same car can cost more to register in one place than in another. The excise tax and the registration fee come due again at every renewal. Our guide to what registering a car in Indiana costs has the current fees, the full excise table and how the first bill is prorated.

Do You Pay Sales Tax on a Car You Bring to Indiana?

Not on a car you already own. The BMV does not charge new residents sales tax when they transfer a title from their prior state of residence.

Sales tax applies to purchases. Indiana's rate is 7 percent, and an Indiana resident who buys a car in another state, New York included, gets credit for the sales tax paid there and pays any difference when applying for the Indiana title, so keep the receipt. This is a one-time tax on a purchase, separate from the annual excise tax that comes with every registration.

What Insurance Do You Need Before You Register?

You need proof of insurance to buy an Indiana plate and registration. Indiana's minimum liability coverage is 25/50/25: $25,000 for injury to one person, $50,000 for injury to two or more people in one accident, and $25,000 for damage to property. Indiana policies also include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage unless the named insured rejects it in writing.

Does Your Car Need an Emissions Test in Indiana?

Only if it will be registered in Lake or Porter County, in the northwest corner of the state. Vehicles registered there need a test every two years if they were built after 1975 and have a gross vehicle weight rating of 9,000 pounds or less. The four latest model years and antique vehicles are exempt. The BMV's Vehicle Emissions Testing Program page has the details.

When Do You Switch Your Driver's License to Indiana?

Within 60 days of moving, if you hold a valid license from another state. Drivers 18 or older go to a branch with their current out-of-state license, a copy of their official driving record or a verification letter, along with documents proving their identity, lawful status, Social Security number and Indiana residency, and pass a vision screening.

You surrender any license, permit or ID card you hold from another state, and the BMV issues a temporary license valid for 30 days while it verifies your documents. If your out-of-state license has expired, you also take a knowledge exam, and if it expired more than five years ago, or you held it for less than a year, a driving skills test as well.

What Happens to Your Old License Plates?

Indiana's new resident rules say nothing about plates from another state, so your former state's rules decide. Check them before you cancel your old insurance, because some states tie the two together. New York does: its DMV requires the plates and registration to be surrendered before the New York liability policy is canceled, and our guide to returning New York plates covers the steps.

At the branch, the car gets an Indiana plate. The guide offers a plate from the Indiana designs or, if you already have Indiana plates on another vehicle you own, a transfer of that plate.

How Does Shipping Fit Into Your Move to Indiana?

A shipped car travels on its current plates and registration, so keep both, and the insurance behind them, in force until the Indiana registration is done. Keep the title, your proofs of address and your other papers with you rather than in the car. If you plan to have the VIN inspected at the branch, the car has to be in Indiana before your visit.

Rivalane coordinates door to door transport to Indiana with licensed, insured carriers. A carrier is typically assigned within one to three working days of booking, and pickup and delivery dates are estimates, not guarantees, so leave room before your 60 days run out. Our pages on shipping a car from New York to Indiana and car shipping in Indiana cover the lane and deliveries across the state, and the car shipping calculator gives an estimate for the move.

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