Kansas License Plate Lookup

In Kansas, each automobile must have a special authorization to drive on the roads of the state. So, if you are planning to buy a preowned car or are newly settled down in this region, keep reading our article on Kansas License Plate Lookup. It is one of the most useful tools to obtain info on the automobile’s history, to check its condition and details of the production, involvement in accidents, etc.

KS strictly follows the laws of the Drivers’ Privacy Protection Act. So, while searching, you can’t receive the personal information of the automobile’s previous owner. Moreover, any violation of DPPA laws and misuse of the driver’s personal information will have legal consequences and even result in a criminal charge of $2,500 per accident. Sign a waiver to show the acceptable reason for the need for the records. If your use is permissible, you can pay only $10 to receive info on the past owner of the car.

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How to Carry Out Kansas License Plate Lookup?

It is helpful to use the Kansas License Plate Lookup databases, in the process of buying an old car. To obtain all the necessary information on it and reveal its history, perform the online lookup, or visit the nearest local county office.

The obtained info may keep you from buying a stolen, crashed, or broken automobile. The advantage of personally visiting the office of the local treasurer is that you will obtain the needed info on the spot.

The address is:

DMV

915 SW Harrison Street

Topeka, Kansas 66612

Tell: 785-296-3621

Website: www.ksrevenue.org

Online lookup is also a very acceptable and easy method. Open the website that you have selected for the search, enter your vehicle’s distinctive numbers, and get access to the needed data. Kansas License plate lookup provides the following data:

Vehicle title
History report, underlining its involvement in accidents and natural disasters
Detail of the manufacturer and current condition
The data on the repairs

In the frame of the pandemic outbreak, the online method is more acceptable. Besides, you will save your time and conduct all the processes from home. Check How can you search a license plate in several states: Texas, New Hampshire, Mississippi and New Mexico.

Having Your Car Registered in KS

The Department of Revenue handles all the license-plate-related issues. Before getting your distinctive car numbers, you should apply for registration. After buying a car you have only 60 days to take your documents to the local county office. After moving into the state, you will have 90 days to do the registration.

Provide the documents in the required timeframe, otherwise, legal penalties and payments may arise. You have to attach a 60-day or temporary permit to the vehicle until receiving a permanent authorization.

Before paying a personal visit, make sure you have the following documents with you:

Completed application form
The title of your and the documents signed by the previous owner
Inspection paper (if you bought a car from another state or it dates back to 1950 or before)
Valid insurance
Checks of your payments

State-issued standard type contains three letters and three digits. You will get only one plate. You have to display it on the rear, it must be undamaged and noticeable. It corresponds to the standard US sizes and is made from aluminum.

To identify the county of residence, KS uses a two-letter abbreviation for them. The state started to attach them to the decals in 1951. For example, the SN means Shawnee, which is one of the 105 counties of KS. The name Shawnee comes from Native American Origins.

Available Types

Besides the standard category, the DMV offers many other categories to meet the personalized and organizational interests of its residents. There are 4 big categories:

Military
Veteran
Collegiate
Personalized

To apply for any of these customized categories, you should pay $45.50. This payment is valid for 5 years. So, you don’t have to pay it every year. However, in case of replacing your distinctive combination before the 5-year period, you will need to make the payment earlier.

Personalized type

This category contains up to 7 characters (both digits and letters) and spaces. You have a right to use only 5 characters. Any use of symbols is prohibited. The characters cannot contain gaps between and the letters must be uppercase.

The period of validity is five years. So, every five years the County Treasurer’s office issues personalized tags. Their new design appeared on January 15, 2020. The slogan “Powering the Future” appeared on them, and it emphasizes the power of wind as a natural energy resource.

Each personalized combination has to be approved by the Secretary of State. You may not use vulgar writings that are abusive to the public. For some reason, the Department of Revenue may reject personalized tags. To get more details on that reasons, look through the article on Kansas banned license plates.

Counting from the date of order, the delivery may take at least 90 days. Fill out a special form at the official website of the KS Department of Revenue.

The procedure of getting personalized combination:

Firstly, contact the Department of Motor Vehicles and make an appointment. Take the completed form with you while visiting the local office.
Secondly, to submit your request, pay all the necessary fees.
While using any combination of numbers and letters, take into account all the laws and regulations. Don’t use irreligious, vulgar, or indecent writings. Otherwise, the DMV has a right to ban your combination.
Finally, after submitting all these steps, take your time and consider 30 working days to get your distinctive numbers by mail.

The first time you apply, you should pay $45.50 in addition to title, registration, and property tax costs.

Renewal process

You cannot operate your car on the roads of KS without current registration. Each year, you should renew it and attach the current year’s decal. 30 days before the registration expires, you will receive a reminder by mail. By filling out your tag number and ZIP you may also be able to check your renewal notice online.

NOTE: Before renewal, you have to pay all the necessary fees and personal property taxes.

The first letter of the owner’s last name determines the date of the renewal.

There are 4 four options available for this procedure:

Online
By mail
Via self-service kiosk
In-person at the front counter

To renew online:

Visit the official page of The State of Kansas for the renewals.
Do the payments.
Fill out the PIN written on the reminder note.
Save the confirmation code.
Wait for up to 7 working days to get the decal by mail.

There would be some cases when you can’t conduct the process online.

To renew by mail:

Put the renewal notice, the proof of valid insurance, and the payment in the envelope and send it to:

Division of Motor Vehicle
Johnson County, 29192
Shawnee Mission, KS 66201

Wait for up to 7 working days to get the decal by mail.

To renew via self-service kiosk:

The terminals are available at Mission or Olathe Motor Vehicle office. They operate from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm.

Bring with you the reminder paper, payments, tag number, and zip code.

Don’t bring cash as each returned check will be a $30 service charge.

In-person

This is not the best option for conducting this procedure. However, if you choose to do it at the front counter, the best time is during the middle of the week/month. At that period, the customer volume is lower. Have the same documents with you as in the above-mentioned options.

Registration costs range from $39 to $49 per year. It is based on the number of months before you do the renewal.

The cost of title renewal is $10. If your automobile is titled in another state, you may also make extra payments.

Replacement Procedure

If you find your tags broken, damaged, or stolen, you have to replace them as soon as possible. In case of theft, first of all, you should immediately file a police report at the nearest police station. Then, complete a Custom Plate or decal application (TR-211) form. Take the completed application form along with the documents to the DMV office.

You need the following data:

Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
The main features of the automobile
Details of valid Driver’s License or other proof of identity

The fee for this procedure is $2 for plates or $0.50 for decals.

Transferring and surrendering the tags

In this region, you can transfer your tags to another automobile. However, the name of the owners of the automobiles has to be the same. So, the owner can’t be changed. You have only 30 days to do the transfer.

The cost for the transfer is $6.50 in addition to title fees and taxes.

If you don’t need your current recalls, you have two options to get rid of them:

First of all, you always may surrender them to the nearest Motor Vehicle office.

You have a right to destroy and recycle them.

NOTE: State may require you to do surrendering if you replace your tags with another special category.