Mich. Comp. Laws § 257.226 — MI Code / Chapter 257 / Act Act-300-of-1949 / Section 257.226
Expiration of vehicle or motorcycle registration; duties of secretary of state; issuance of registration; tax; validity of certificate of title; special registration; certification; registration of commercial vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer; assignment or reassignment of expiration date under international registration plan; leased vehicle multiyear registration; pandemic expiration extension.
Status: in_force

Sec. 226.

(1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (13) or (14), a vehicle registration issued by the secretary of state expires on the owner's birthday, unless another expiration date is provided for under this act or unless the registration is for any of the following vehicles, in which case registration expires on the last day of February:

(a) A commercial vehicle except for a commercial vehicle issued a registration under the international registration plan or a pickup truck or van owned by an individual.

(b) Except for a trailer or semitrailer issued a registration under the international registration plan, a trailer or semitrailer owned by a business, corporation, or person other than an individual; or a pole trailer.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (13) or (14), the expiration date for a registration issued for a motorcycle is the motorcycle owner's birthday.

(3) The expiration date for a registration bearing the letters "SEN" or "REP" is February 1.

(4) In the case of a vehicle owned by a business, corporation, or an owner other than an individual, the secretary of state may assign or reassign the expiration date of the registration.

(5) The secretary of state shall do all of the following:

(a) After the October 1 immediately preceding the year designated on the registration, issue a registration upon application and payment of the proper fee for a commercial vehicle, other than a pickup or van owned by an individual; or a trailer owned by a business, corporation, or person other than an individual.

(b) Beginning 60 days before the expiration date assigned on an international registration plan registration plate, issue a registration under section 801g upon application and payment of the proper apportioned fee for a commercial vehicle engaged in interstate commerce.

(c) Beginning 45 days before the owner's birthday or, if the owner has requested the expiration date described in subsection (14), 45 days before the expiration date, and 120 days before the expiration date assigned by the secretary of state, issue a registration for a vehicle other than those designated in subsection (1)(a) or (b). However, if an owner whose registration period begins 45 days before the owner's birthday or expiration date will be out of the state during the 45 days immediately preceding expiration of a registration or for other good cause shown cannot apply for a renewal registration within the 45-day period, application for a renewal registration may be made not more than 6 months before expiration.

(6) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection and subsection (14), the secretary of state, upon application and payment of the proper fee, shall issue a registration for a vehicle or a motorcycle to a resident that expires on the owner's birthday or, if applicable, on the expiration date described in subsection (14). If the owner's next birthday is at least 6 months but not more than 12 months in the future, the owner shall receive a registration valid until the owner's next birthday or, if applicable, the expiration date described in subsection (14). If the owner's next birthday is less than 6 months in the future, the owner shall receive a registration valid until the owner's birthday following the owner's next birthday or, if applicable, the expiration date described in subsection (14). The tax required under this act for a registration described in this subsection is either of the following:

(a) For an original registration, the tax must bear the same relationship to the tax required under section 801 for a 12-month registration as the length of the registration bears to 12 months.

(b) For a renewal of a registration, either of the following:

( i ) For a registration that is for at least 6 months but not more than 12 months, the same amount as for 12 months.

( ii ) For a renewal of a registration that is for more than 12 months, 2 times the amount for 12 months.

Partial months must be considered as whole months in the calculation of the required tax and in the determination of the length of time between the application for a registration and the owner's next birthday or, if applicable, the expiration date described in subsection (14). The tax required for that registration must be rounded off to whole dollars as provided in section 801.

(7) A certificate of title remains valid until canceled by the secretary of state for cause or upon a transfer of an interest shown on the certificate of title.

(8) The secretary of state, upon request, shall issue special registration for commercial vehicles, valid for 6 months after the date of issue, if the full registration fee exceeds $50.00, on the payment of 1/2 the full registration fee and a service charge as enumerated in section 802(1).

(9) The secretary of state may issue a special registration for each of the following:

(a) A new vehicle purchased or leased outside of this state and delivered in this state to the purchaser or lessee by the manufacturer of that vehicle for removal to a place outside of this state, if a certification is made that the vehicle will be primarily used, stored, and registered outside of this state and will not be returned to this state by the purchaser or lessee for use or storage.

(b) A vehicle purchased or leased in this state and delivered to the purchaser or lessee by a dealer or by the owner of the vehicle for removal to a place outside of this state, if a certification is made that the vehicle will be primarily used, stored, and registered outside of this state and will not be returned to this state by the purchaser or lessee for use or storage.

(10) A special registration issued under subsection (9) is valid for not more than 60 days after the date of issuance, and a fee must be collected for each special registration as provided in section 802(3). The special registration may be in the form determined by the secretary of state. If a dealer makes a retail sale or lease of a vehicle to a purchaser or lessee who is qualified and eligible to obtain a special registration, the dealer shall apply for the special registration for the purchaser or lessee. If a person other than a dealer sells or leases a vehicle to a purchaser or lessee who is qualified and eligible to obtain a special registration, the purchaser or lessee shall appear in person, or by a person exercising the purchaser's or lessee's power of attorney, at an office of the secretary of state and furnish a certification that the person is the bona fide purchaser or lessee or that the person has granted the power of attorney, together with other forms required for the issuance of the special registration and provide the secretary of state with proof that the vehicle is covered by an automobile insurance policy issued under section 3101 of the insurance code of 1956, 1956 PA 218, MCL 500.3101, or proof that the vehicle is covered by a policy of insurance issued by an insurer under section 3163 of the insurance code of 1956, 1956 PA 218, MCL 500.3163. The certification required in this subsection must contain all of the following:

(a) The address of the purchaser or lessee.

(b) A statement that the vehicle is purchased or leased for registration outside of this state.

(c) A statement that the vehicle must be primarily used, stored, and registered outside of this state.

(d) The name of the jurisdiction in which the vehicle is to be registered.

(e) The name and address of the lien holder.

(f) Other information requested by the secretary of state.

(11) In the case of a commercial vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer issued a registration under the international registration plan, the secretary of state in mutual agreement with the owner may assign or reassign the expiration date of the registration. However, the expiration date agreed to must be either March 31, June 30, September 30, or December 31 or beginning on February 19, 2019, the last day of a calendar month. Renewals expiring on or after June 30, 2020 must be for a minimum of at least 12 months if there is a change in the established expiration date. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, a commercial vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer registration issued under this subsection that expires on or after March 1, 2020 is valid until March 31, 2021. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, a commercial vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer registration issued under this subsection that expires after March 31, 2021 but before August 1, 2021 is valid until 120 days after the date of the expiration.

(12) The expiration date for a multiyear registration issued for a leased vehicle must be the date the lease expires but must not be for a period longer than 24 months.

(13) A vehicle registration described in subsection (1) or a motorcycle registration described in subsection (2) that expires on or after March 1, 2020 is valid until March 31, 2021. A vehicle registration described in subsection (1) or a motorcycle registration described in subsection (2) that expires after March 31, 2021 but before August 1, 2021 is valid until 120 days after the date of the expiration.

(14) Beginning October 1, 2022, in the case of a vehicle owned by an individual, upon request of that individual, a vehicle registration issued by the secretary of state expires 2 years after the owner's birthday.

History: 1949, Act 300, Eff. Sept. 23, 1949; Am. 1952, Act 153, Imd. Eff. Apr. 24, 1952; Am. 1953, Act 179, Imd. Eff. June 8, 1953; Am. 1955, Act 77, Imd. Eff. May 26, 1955; Am. 1957, Act 33, Eff. Sept. 27, 1957; Am. 1958, Act 55, Eff. July 1, 1958; Am. 1960, Act 85, Imd. Eff. Apr. 25, 1960; Am. 1962, Act 80, Imd. Eff. Apr. 24, 1962; Am. 1966, Act 180, Imd. Eff. July 1, 1966; Am. 1966, Act 348, Imd. Eff. Dec. 21, 1966; Am. 1967, Ex. Sess., Act 3, Imd. Eff. Nov. 15, 1967; Am. 1978, Act 78, Imd. Eff. Mar. 22, 1978; Am. 1978, Act 391, Imd. Eff. Aug. 1, 1978; Am. 1978, Act 548, Imd. Eff. Dec. 22, 1978; Am. 1979, Act 25, Imd. Eff. June 6, 1979; Am. 1980, Act 46, Imd. Eff. Mar. 19, 1980; Am. 1980, Act 84, Imd. Eff. Apr. 7, 1980; Am. 1980, Act 398, Eff. Mar. 31, 1981; Am. 1982, Act 254, Imd. Eff. Sept. 30, 1982; Am. 1983, Act 165, Eff. Oct. 1, 1983; Am. 1984, Act 324, Imd. Eff. Dec. 26, 1984; Am. 1986, Act 311, Imd. Eff. Dec. 23, 1986; Am. 1987, Act 142, Eff. Oct. 1, 1987; Am. 1989, Act 136, Imd. Eff. June 29, 1989; Am. 1989, Act 280, Imd. Eff. Dec. 26, 1989; Am. 1989, Act 286, Imd. Eff. Dec. 26, 1989; Am. 1989, Act 299, Imd. Eff. Jan. 3, 1990; Am. 1992, Act 29, Eff. Jan. 1, 1993; Am. 1992, Act 297, Eff. Jan. 1, 1993; Am. 2000, Act 36, Eff. Apr. 1, 2001; Am. 2002, Act 642, Eff. Jan. 1, 2003; Am. 2003, Act 152, Eff. Oct. 1, 2003; Am. 2004, Act 163, Imd. Eff. June 23, 2004; Am. 2016, Act 425, Eff. Apr. 4, 2017; Am. 2018, Act 342, Eff. Jan. 14, 2019; Am. 2020, Act 127, Imd. Eff. July 1, 2020; Am. 2020, Act 241, Eff. Oct. 28, 2020; Am. 2020, Act 304, Imd. Eff. Dec. 29, 2020; Am. 2021, Act 71, Imd. Eff. July 29, 2021; Am. 2021, Act 112, Eff. Oct. 1, 2022; Am. 2022, Act 224, Eff. Jan. 23, 2023