Registering An Out Of State Vehicle In Michigan: Here’s What To Know

If you are not a Michigan resident, but you drive your out-of-state vehicle for more than 90 days in Michigan, you are legally required to register your vehicle with the Michigan Secretary of State. And once this registration requirement is triggered, you are also legally required to purchase and maintain a valid Michigan No-Fault auto insurance policy on your vehicle.

Both the registration and insurance requirements apply even if your vehicle is registered and insured in your home state.

Failure to register and failure to obtain Michigan No-Fault car insurance carry serious penalties.

The penalties for not registering your out-of-state vehicle in Michigan are:

• You will be guilty of a misdemeanor.
• You could be fined up to $100.
• You could be imprisoned for up to 90 days.

The penalties for not insuring your out-of-state vehicle with a Michigan No-Fault policy are:

• You will be guilty of a misdemeanor.
• You can be fined between $200 and $500.
• You can be imprisoned for up to 1 year.
• If you are injured in a crash, you will be barred from suing the at-fault driver for pain and suffering compensation.
• If you are injured in a crash, you will be barred from receiving No-Fault benefits to help pay for your medical expenses and lost wages.
• If your vehicle is damaged, you will be barred from filing a mini tort claim for damage repair costs against the at-fault driver who caused your vehicle damage.
• You will be held responsible for the medical bills and lost wages of other people injured in the crash (including the at-fault driver) because Michigan law requires “uninsured” drivers to reimburse car insurance companies for the money they pay out in No-Fault benefits to people injured in crashes involving “uninsured” drivers.

These are important, but little known, laws that affects the many drivers from Canada, Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin who enter and drive regularly – perhaps daily – in Michigan. This can often be for work, or it can be to spend time with family, or to attend school or college in the state of Michigan.

What is the rule for registering an out of state vehicle in Michigan?

Michigan law requires that a “nonresident owner” of an out of state vehicle who drives his or her vehicle in Michigan for more than 90 days must get the vehicle registered in Michigan.

Specifically, the Michigan Vehicle Code provides that a “nonresident owner of a pleasure vehicle otherwise subject to registration under this act shall not operate the vehicle for a period exceeding 90 days without securing registration in this state.” (MCL 257.243(4))

The Michigan Vehicle Code generally defines “owner” as a “person” who has “exclusive use” of a motor vehicle “for a period that is greater than 30 days” or a person “who holds the legal title of a vehicle.” (MCL 257.37(a) and (b))

The Code also states that “operate” means “[b]eing in actual physical control of a vehicle.” (MCL 257.35a(a))

How to register an out of state vehicle?

The Michigan Secretary of State explains that if you are an out-of-state resident and you drive your own car in Michigan for more than 90 days, then you must obtain a Michigan registration for your vehicle. You will need to show proof of No-Fault auto insurance and proof of your out-of-state registration or title.

The Michigan Secretary of State explains how non-Michigan resident can register an out of state vehicle on its FAQs/Vehicles/Titles page (topic 50, “I am going to be in Michigan for an extended period of time for work/school. Am I required to register my vehicle here?”):

“According to the Michigan Vehicle Code, a vehicle owner is required to register their vehicle in Michigan after staying in the state for 90 days. It is not necessary to title the vehicle in Michigan, however in order to comply with Michigan law, a Michigan certificate of no-fault insurance must be obtained in order to register your vehicle with the Michigan Secretary of State. If your out-of-state title is being held by a lien holder or leasing company, you may take your previous state registration (expired less than 90 days) or proof of your out-of-state title to any Secretary of State office. The Secretary of State will issue a Michigan registration and plate to a vehicle with an out-of-state title.  For a list of insurance companies authorized to issue Michigan no-fault insurance, please visit the DIFS website at: www.michigan.gov/difs.”

We recommend that if you are a non-Michigan resident who must meet the “nonresident owner” registration requirement, then print out and bring a copy of the SOS page with you when you go to apply for registration. It may also be helpful to have the link (and its URL) available to show the SOS staff in case they have questions.

Do you need to have auto insurance when registering an out of state vehicle in Michigan?

If you are an out-of-state resident and you must register your vehicle in Michigan because you drive your vehicle in the state for more than 90 days, then one of the requirements for registration is showing proof that you are maintaining a valid Michigan No-Fault auto insurance policy on your vehicle.

The Michigan Secretary of State explains on its website that “[y]ou must provide proof of a valid Michigan No-Fault insurance policy to register your vehicle in Michigan.” (Click on “Michigan No-Fault insurance” on the SOS page)

You can simultaneously carry both a Michigan auto insurance policy and coverage from your home state on your vehicle if you are a nonresident of Michigan. From a cost perspective, it would make sense to find an insurer who can write policies in both your home state and in Michigan.

What are the penalties for not registering an out of state vehicle in Michigan?

If you are an out-of-state resident and you drive your own vehicle in Michigan for more than 90 days, the penalties for not registering an out of state vehicle in Michigan are the following: (1) it is a misdemeanor; (2) it carries a $100 fine; and (3) it could result in 90 days in jail. (MCL 257.215; 257.901(1) and (2))

What are the penalties for not insuring an out of state vehicle in Michigan?

If you are an out-of-state resident who is legally required to register your vehicle in Michigan – and, thus, you are legally required to insure your vehicle in Michigan – the penalties for driving “uninsured” in this state are very severe as we discuss below.

To recap the rules, here is what non-Michigan residents need to know when it comes to registering an out of state vehicle along with the auto insurance requirements:

• If you are a non-Michigan resident and you drive your own vehicle in Michigan for more than 90 days, then you must get a Michigan registration for your vehicle. (MCL 257.243(4))
• If you are a non-Michigan resident and you are legally required by MCL 257.243(4) to register your vehicle in Michigan, then MCL 500.3101(1) requires that you purchase and maintain a valid No-Fault auto insurance policy on your vehicle. The statute states that “the owner or registrant of a motor vehicle required to be registered in this state shall maintain” No-Fault auto insurance coverage on the motor vehicle. (MCL 500.3101(1) and (4))

Importantly, a non-Michigan out-of-state resident who fails to register and insure their vehicle will be considered an “insured” driver and will be subject to the following penalties:

• You will be guilty of a misdemeanor. (MCL 500.3102(2))
• You can be fined between $200 and $500. (MCL 500.3102(2))
• You can be imprisoned for up to 1 year. (MCL 500.3102(2))
• If you’re injured in a crash, you will be barred from suing the at-fault driver for pain and suffering compensation (MCL 500.3135(2)(c))
• If you’re injured in a crash, you will be barred from receiving No-Fault benefits to help pay for your medical expenses and lost wages. (MCL 500.3113(b))
• If your vehicle is damaged, you will be barred from filing a mini tort claim for damage repair costs against the at-fault driver who caused your vehicle damage. (MCL 500.3135(4)(e))
• You will be held responsible for the medical bills and lost wages of other people injured in the crash (including the at-fault driver) because Michigan law requires “uninsured” drivers to reimburse car insurance companies for the money they pay out in No-Fault benefits to people injured in crashes involving “uninsured” drivers. (MCL 500.3177(1))

What if my car is already registered in my home state?

A driver and automobile owner can have his or her car registered in multiple states. Registering your vehicle in Michigan because you are a nonresident who drives here more than 90 days does not affect your vehicle’s registration in your home state.

What “snowbirds” need to know about registering an out of state vehicle in Michigan

“Snowbirds” (folks who live in warm states during the winter and return north in the summer) who are not Michigan residents must register their out of state vehicle in Michigan if they drive here for more than 90 days. “Snowbirds” who are Michigan residents must register immediately as soon they drive here.

Non-Michigan resident “snowbirds” must register an out-of-state vehicle from the Michigan Secretary of State if they drive their own out-of-state vehicle in Michigan for more than 90 days. (MCL 257.243(4)) In order to register, they will need to show proof of valid No-Fault auto insurance coverage for their vehicle. Michigan law requires non-residents who drive their own vehicle in Michigan for more than 30 days in a calendar year to maintain Michigan No-Fault coverage. Our recommendation for non-Michigan residents who will be driving their own vehicle regularly in Michigan is that they get their vehicle insured and registered immediately because in the event of a crash a non-resident is not eligible for No-Fault benefits unless he or she owned a vehicle that was both insured and registered in Michigan. (MCL 500.3113(c))

“Snowbirds” who are Michigan residents and own a vehicle that they intend to drive on Michigan roadways must immediately register their out of state vehicle with the Michigan Secretary of State (regardless of how long the vehicle will be driven in Michigan) and they must immediately maintain Michigan No-Fault car insurance on their vehicle. (MCL 257.216(1); 257.217(1); 500.3101(1))

As other states likely have similar registration requirements, it is important to know that a vehicle can be registered simultaneously in both Michigan and another state. (MCL 257.218(2))

Additionally, as we note above, the Secretary of State has stated that “[i]f your out-of-state title is being held by a lien holder or leasing company, you may take your previous state registration (expired less than 90 days) or proof of your out-of-state title to any Secretary of State office” and the “Secretary of State will issue a Michigan registration and plate to a vehicle with an out-of-state title.”

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