Iowa Code § 321.46 — IA Code / Title VIII / Chapter 321 / Section 321.46
New title and registration upon transfer of ownership — credit.
Status: in_force

(1) The transferee shall, within thirty calendar days after purchase or transfer, apply for and obtain from any county treasurer a new initial registration and a new certificate of title for the vehicle, except as provided in section 321.25, 321.48, or 322G.12, or when the transferee obtains the vehicle pursuant to section 321.52, subsection 2, paragraph “b”. In the case of a mobile home or manufactured home, the transferee shall, within thirty calendar days after purchase or transfer, apply for and obtain from the county treasurer of the county where the mobile home or manufactured home is located a new certificate of title. The transferee shall present with the application the certificate of title endorsed and assigned by the previous owner and shall indicate the name of the county in which the vehicle was last registered and the registration expiration date.

(2) Upon filing the application for a new initial registration and a new title, the applicant shall pay a title fee of thirty dollars, an annual registration fee prorated for the remaining unexpired months of the registration year, and a fee for new registration if applicable. A manufacturer applying for a certificate of title pursuant to section 322G.12 shall pay a title fee of twenty dollars. However, a title fee shall not be charged to a manufactured or mobile home retailer applying for a certificate of title for a used mobile home or manufactured home, titled in Iowa, as required under section 321.45, subsection 4. The county treasurer, if satisfied of the genuineness and regularity of the application, and in the case of a mobile home or manufactured home, that taxes are not owing under chapter 435, and that applicant has complied with all the requirements of this chapter, shall issue a new certificate of title and, except for a mobile home, manufactured home, or a vehicle returned to and accepted by a manufacturer as described in section 322G.12, a registration card to the purchaser or transferee, shall cancel the prior registration for the vehicle, and shall forward the necessary copies to the department on the date of issuance, as prescribed in section 321.24. Mobile homes or manufactured homes titled under chapter 448 that have been subject under section 446.18 to a public bidder sale in a county shall be titled in the county’s name, with no fee, and the county treasurer shall issue the title.

(3) The applicant shall be entitled to a credit for that portion of the annual registration fee of the vehicle sold, traded, transferred, or junked which had not expired prior to the transfer of ownership of the vehicle. The annual registration fee for the new registration for the vehicle acquired shall be reduced by the amount of the credit. The credit shall be computed on the basis of the number of months remaining in the registration year, rounded to the nearest whole dollar. The credit shall be subject to the following limitations:

(3) (a) The credit shall be claimed within six months from the date the vehicle for which credit is granted was sold, traded, transferred, or junked. After six months, all credits shall be disallowed.

(3) (b) Any credit granted to the owner of a vehicle which has been sold, traded, transferred, or junked may only be claimed by that person toward the annual registration fee for another vehicle purchased and the credit may not be sold, transferred, or assigned to any other person.

(3) (c) When the amount of the credit is computed to be an amount of less than ten dollars, a credit shall be disallowed.

(3) (d) To claim a credit for the unexpired annual registration fee on a junked vehicle, the county treasurer shall disallow any claim for credit unless the owner presents a junking certificate or other evidence as required by the department to the county treasurer.

(3) (e) A credit shall not be allowed to any person who has made claim to receive a refund under section 321.126.

(3) (f) If the credit allowed exceeds the amount of the annual registration fee for the vehicle acquired, the owner may claim a refund under section 321.126, subsection 1, paragraph “f”, for the balance of the credit.

(3) (g) The credit shall be computed on the unexpired number of months computed from the date of purchase of the vehicle acquired.

(4) If the annual registration fee upon application is delinquent, the applicant shall be required to pay the delinquent fee from the first day the annual registration fee was due prorated to the month of application for new title.

(5) The seller or transferor may file an affidavit on forms prescribed and provided by the department with any county treasurer certifying the sale or transfer of ownership of the vehicle and the assignment and delivery of the certificate of title for the vehicle. Upon receipt of the affidavit, the county treasurer shall file the affidavit with the copy of the registration receipt for the vehicle on file in the treasurer’s office and on that day the treasurer shall note receipt of the affidavit in the vehicle registration and titling system. Upon filing the affidavit, it shall be presumed that the seller or transferor has assigned and delivered the certificate of title for the vehicle. For a leased vehicle, the lessor licensed pursuant to chapter 321F or the lessee may file an affidavit as provided in this subsection certifying that the lease has expired or been terminated and the date that the leased vehicle was surrendered to the lessor.

(6) An applicant for a new registration for a vehicle transferred to the applicant by a spouse, parent, or child of the applicant, or by operation of law upon inheritance, devise or bequest, from the applicant’s spouse, parent, or child, or by a former spouse pursuant to a decree of dissolution of marriage, is entitled to a credit to be applied to the annual registration fee for the transferred vehicle. A credit shall not be allowed unless the vehicle to which the credit applies is registered within the time specified under subsection 1. The credit shall be computed on the basis of the number of unexpired months remaining in the registration year of the former owner computed from the date the vehicle was transferred, computed to the nearest whole dollar. The credit may exceed the amount of the annual registration fee for the transferred vehicle. When the amount of the credit is computed to be an amount of less than ten dollars, the credit shall be disallowed. The credit shall not be sold, transferred, or assigned to any other person.

(7) If a motor vehicle is leased and the lessee purchases the vehicle upon termination of the lease, the lessor shall, upon claim by the lessee with the lessor within six months of the purchase, assign the annual registration fee credit and registration plates for the leased motor vehicle to the lessee. Credit shall be applied as provided in subsection 3.

[S13, §1571-m9; C24, 27, 31, 35, §4962; C39, §5002.02; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §321.46; 82 Acts, ch 1251, §11]82 Acts, ch 1062, §8, 38; 83 Acts, ch 24, §2 – 4, 12; 83 Acts, ch 82, §2; 84 Acts, ch 1305, §52; 85 Acts, ch 87, §3; 87 Acts, ch 130, §3; 88 Acts, ch 1215, §6; 90 Acts, ch 1154, §1 – 5; 91 Acts, ch 191, §6; 93 Acts, ch 87, §3; 98 Acts, ch 1073, §9; 99 Acts, ch 188, §8; 2000 Acts, ch 1016, §6; 2000 Acts, ch 1047, §2, 4; 2001 Acts, ch 153, §17, 18; 2002 Acts, ch 1119, §44; 2004 Acts, ch 1013, §13, 14, 35; 2005 Acts, ch 34, §5, 26; 2006 Acts, ch 1068, §12, 13; 2006 Acts, ch 1070, §6; 2008 Acts, ch 1113, §17, 21, 80; 2010 Acts, ch 1069, §143; 2013 Acts, ch 22, §1 – 3; 2014 Acts, ch 1110, §1, 2; 2015 Acts, ch 52, §2, 14; 2024 Acts, ch 1145, §12, 26