How to Renew Your Louisiana Vehicle Registration and License Plate
Quick Answer: Louisiana lets you renew vehicle registration online using the Renewal Identification Number printed on your renewal notice, or the details on your current registration certificate. You need active liability insurance and a credit card. If your notice has no renewal ID number, you cannot renew online and the file needs to be worked another way. You can order your renewal online through Title Authority and skip the OMV line entirely.
TLDR:
- Online renewal needs the Renewal Identification Number from your renewal notice, or the information on your current registration certificate.
- No renewal ID number on the notice means you are not eligible to renew online, because the OMV needs additional information first.
- You must carry the liability limits required under La. R.S. 32:861. The law is enforced by civil and criminal penalty.
- Automobile plate fees are based on the vehicle selling price at .1% of value per year, sold in two-year increments, with a $20.00 minimum.
- Lost your registration certificate? A duplicate registration is $12.00, plus a local fee that cannot exceed $6.00.
- Transferring a plate to another vehicle is a $3.00 license transfer, separate from renewal.
- A Public Tag Agent can process the renewal, the plate, and any related title work in one visit.
Registration renewal is the most routine thing the OMV does and still the thing people put off the longest. The notice gets buried, the sticker expires, and then a traffic stop turns a two-minute task into a real problem. Here is every path Louisiana gives you, what each one requires, and how the plate fee is actually calculated so the number on the receipt is not a surprise.
Your options for renewing a Louisiana registration
The OMV allows registrations to be renewed online for convenience, and offices and Public Tag Agents handle the ones that cannot go through the online system. Which route you take depends almost entirely on one thing: whether your renewal notice carries a Renewal Identification Number.
What you need to renew online
The OMV lists a short set of items for online renewal. Have them in front of you before you start, because the session is not forgiving if you go hunting mid-transaction.
- Your renewal notice or current vehicle registration. The Renewal Identification Number is printed on the Vehicle Registration Renewal Notice mailed to you. If you never got the notice, the information on your current registration certificate can be used instead.
- A valid credit card. VISA, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express are accepted.
- Active liability insurance. Louisiana law requires every vehicle you have registered to carry the required limits of liability insurance or other security under R.S. 32:861, enforced by civil and criminal penalty.
One warning straight from the OMV: if your renewal notice does not contain a renewal ID number, you are not eligible to renew online because additional information is required. Do not keep retrying the form. Confirm the current rules on the OMV Registration Renewal page, then bring the file to a Public Tag Agent or an OMV office.
How Louisiana calculates the automobile plate fee
Louisiana does not charge a flat plate fee for cars. Automobile license plates are based on the selling price of the vehicle. The current rate is .1% of the value of the vehicle per year, with a minimum base of $10,000. Plates are sold in two-year increments, which is why the minimum price is $20.00.
That means a $12,000 vehicle and a $38,000 vehicle do not pay the same. Here is how the published schedule moves across the range.
| Vehicle value | Plate fee | Notes |
| $10,000 to $10,499 | $20.00 | The published minimum for an automobile plate. |
| $15,500 to $16,499 | $32.00 | Mid range of the published schedule. |
| $24,500 to $25,499 | $50.00 | Typical late model used vehicle. |
| $32,500 to $33,499 | $66.00 | Typical new vehicle purchase. |
| $40,500 to $41,499 | $82.00 | Highest tier shown on the published table. |
Values shown come from the OMV Vehicle Registration, Title and Plate Fees schedule current as of publication. Motorcycles, trailers, motor homes, and trucks each have their own plate fee and expiration cycle. If you ride, our breakdown of what it costs to register a motorcycle in Louisiana covers that side.
Other fees that show up at renewal time
Your renewal amount is printed on your renewal notice, and it reflects your vehicle and your plate class. These are the other published OMV amounts that commonly land on a renewal or plate transaction.
| Item | OMV amount | When it applies |
| Handling fee | $8.00 | Standard OMV handling charge on the file. |
| License transfer | $3.00 | Moving an existing plate to a different vehicle. |
| Duplicate registration | $12.00 | Replacing a lost or damaged registration certificate. |
| Local fee on a duplicate registration | Up to $6.00 | A local fee not to exceed $6.00 may be assessed. |
| Title fee | $68.50 | Only when the transaction also issues a certificate of title. |
| Public Tag Agent convenience charge | Varies | Separate charge authorized by La. R.S. 47:532.1. Ask for the exact amount before filing. |
If you lost the registration certificate itself
A missing registration certificate is its own request, separate from renewal. Louisiana accepts duplicate and replacement registration requests online, by mail, or in person at an OMV office. What you supply depends on the route.
- By mail or in person: the vehicle identification number or current plate number, the make and model of the vehicle, proof of insurance, and a $12.00 fee. A local fee not to exceed $6.00 may also be assessed.
- Online: the current plate number, the vehicle model year, the expiration date of the registration sticker, and a $12.00 fee plus applicable online service fees.
The OMV publishes the full requirements on its Duplicate and Replacement Registrations page. Note that a lost registration certificate and a lost title are two different problems with two different filings. If it is the title that is missing, read how to get a duplicate Louisiana vehicle title instead.
Renewing without standing in an OMV line
Title Authority is a Public Tag Agent in Covington, which means we process registration renewals, plates, and title work directly rather than sending you across town. We now take renewal requests through an online intake form so the file can be opened before you ever walk in. The form gathers your vehicle and owner details. It does not collect payment.
Start with the online order form, or read what the online registration and duplicate title service covers. If you prefer to handle it in person, our vehicle registration renewals page explains what to bring, and license plate issuance and transfers covers moving a plate to a different vehicle.
Walk-in info:
73015 Highway 25, Covington, LA 70435.
Call (985) 590-4400.
Common questions about Louisiana registration renewal
These are the renewal questions we field most often at the Covington counter. If yours is not here, call us at (985) 590-4400 and we will tell you what your vehicle needs before you start.
How often do I have to renew a Louisiana automobile registration?
Automobile license plates are sold in two-year increments, which is why the published minimum plate price is $20.00 rather than $10.00 for a single year. Other vehicle classes run on different cycles. Your renewal notice and your current registration certificate both show your expiration, so use those rather than assuming.
What happens if my renewal notice never came?
You can still renew. The OMV allows you to use the information found on your current vehicle registration certificate in place of the renewal notice. If the certificate is also missing, request a duplicate registration first, then renew.
Why does the online renewal system reject my vehicle?
The most common cause is a renewal notice with no Renewal Identification Number on it. The OMV states plainly that when the notice has no renewal ID number you are not eligible to renew online, because additional information is required. That file has to be worked at an OMV office or by a Public Tag Agent.
Do I need proof of insurance to renew?
Louisiana requires every vehicle you have registered to carry the required limits of liability insurance or other security under R.S. 32:861, and the law is enforced by civil and criminal penalty. Proof of insurance is also on the list of items required for a duplicate or replacement registration request.
Can I move my current plate to a different vehicle?
Yes. That is a license transfer, and the published OMV amount is $3.00. It is a separate transaction from renewal, and it often rides along with a title transfer, so bring the title paperwork for the new vehicle at the same time.
What if my registration already expired?
Renew it as soon as you can. Penalties and interest can apply to a lapsed registration, and the amount depends on your situation and how long the lapse ran. Confirm the current penalty treatment with the OMV or bring the notice to us and we will tell you what the record shows before you pay anything.
Renew your Louisiana registration without the OMV line. Start the request online, or stop by 73015 Highway 25 in Covington. We are a Public Tag Agent and a notary office, so the renewal, the plate, and any title work happen in one place.
