PA Amateur Radio Operator License Plate
Did you know you could get a license plate with your call sign? AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR: One plate may be issued with your Federal Communication Commission (FCC) assigned call letters. If you desire a second Amateur Radio Operator registration plate, your call letters plus a hyphen and the number “2” will be issued. A copy of your Amateur Radio Station registration must be attached to the application.\
To apply for a standard personal registration plate, Form MV-904, “Application for Special Registration Plate,” must be completed. Personal registration plate applicants must have a valid registration plate and valid sticker first, which the applicant shall retain pending receipt of the requested personal plate. Requests for personal registration plates are restricted to: passenger vehicles motorcycles motor homes trailers trucks with a registered gross weight of not more than 14,000 pounds.
PA Vehicle Registration Fees Increase July 1, 2023
Act 89, which became law on November 25, 2013, biennially amends many sections of Title 75. Act 89 represents an investment in Pennsylvania’s future: increasing public safety, driving commerce, creating jobs, and providing reliable funding for our transportation needs without leaving the bill to our future generations. Based on the 2023 CPI, effective July 1, 2023, the act amends the following sections of the Vehicle Code: • Section 1901 – The fee for Retired Persons Processing and Processing Fee in Lieu of Registration Fee adjusts from $10 to $11. • Section 1912 – The fee for passenger vehicle registrations adjusts from $39 to $45. • Section 1913 – The fees for motor home registrations adjust as follows: o Class 1 from $73 to $83, o Class 2 from $101 to $116, and o Class 3 from $130 to $149. • Section 1914 – The fee for motorcycle registrations adjusts from $21 to $24. • Section 1915 – The fee for motor-driven cycle and motorized pedalcycle adjusts from $9 to $10. • Section 1916 – The registration fee for trucks and truck tractors for Class 1 through Class 25. NOTE: As a result of these adjustments, fees for farm vehicles, commercial implements of husbandry and farm equipment dealer registrations are also affected since these fees are based on CPI. Please refer to Form MV-70S, “Schedule of Fees,” for new truck registration fees. • Section 1917 – The registration fee for motor buses and limousines adjusts as follows: o Seating capacity is up to 26 seats – from $14 to $16 for each seat, o Seating capacity is more than 26 but less than 52 – from $362 plus $18 for each seat beyond 26 to $416 plus $21 for each seat beyond 26, o Seating capacity is more than 51 – from $834 to $954. • Section 1918 – The registration fee for school buses and school vehicles adjusts from $37 to $42. • Section 1920 – The fee for trailer registrations adjusts as follows: o Class 1 trailer registrations from $6 to $7 o Class 2 trailer registration from $12 to $14 o Class 3 trailer registrations from $38 to $43, o Permanent trailer registrations from $184 to $210 • Section 1920.1 – The fee for recreational and recreational cargo trailers adjusts as follows: o Class 1 recreational and recreational cargo trailers registrations from $12 to $14, o Class 2 recreational and recreational cargo trailers registrations from $36 to $41, o Class 3 recreational and recreational cargo trailers registrations from $94 to $108, o Permanent recreational and recreational cargo trailers registrations from $442 to $506. • Section 1921 – The fees for special mobile equipment registrations adjust from $58 to $66. BULLETIN NO. 23-09C April 2023 • Section 1922 – The fee for Implements of Husbandry registrations adjusts from $29 to $33. • Section 1924(b) – The fee for farm vehicle certificates of exemption adjusts as follows: o Type A and B from $27 to $31, o Type C from $56 to $64, and o Type D from $112 to $128. • Section 1925 – The fee for ambulance, hearse and taxi registrations adjusts from $86 to $98. • Section 1959 – The fee for Messenger Service – Annual Registration adjusts from $215 to $246. The new fees will appear on renewal notices sent to customers for the above registrations that have a current expiration date of July 2023 or later. PennDOT will begin accepting the new fee on April 12, 2023, for renewals listed above that expire July 2023 or later.
Replacement of illegible license plates.
PennDOT created a new form, MV-46, Application for Replacement of Illegible Registration Plate, to provide clarity to customers when requesting replacement of illegible registration plates. This form was created to help streamline our process and provide clarity on how to request a replacement for an illegible registration plate. Form MV-46, “Application for Replacement of Illegible Registration Plate,” edition date is 03-23 and is now available on PennDOT’s Driver and Vehicle Services website at www.dmv.pa.gov. The following updates were made: • The MV-46 will never require a FEE when it is submitted, unless duplicate registration cards are requested. When the MV-46 is submitted for processing, the registration plate will always be replaced for the customer at no cost. • The form has also been updated to allow for a customer to receive the same style (tag type) of registration plate when replacing their illegible registration plate. • The vehicle owner must take this Form MV-46, to any official Pennsylvania Certified Inspection Station for verification that their registration plate is illegible OR have a law enforcement official verify the need for a replacement registration plate on Form MV-46. • The vehicle owner is the responsible for signing and returning the completed form to PennDOT in order to receive a replacement registration plate free of charge.
PennDOT may suspend vehicle registrations to collect PA Turnpike Tolls
The following is from the PennDOT Bulletin of February 2023. Bulletin no. 23-03.
Act 165, signed into law on November 4, 2016, allows PennDOT to suspend Pennsylvania registrations for individuals who did not pay tolls or related fines received in Pennsylvania. Act 112 has amended Section 1380 to allow the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to request that PennDOT suspend a vehicle registration until the unpaid fees are addressed. PennDOT will issue registration suspensions for individuals passing through tolling locations without paying the appropriate fees, when a vehicle has accumulated either: •Four or more unpaid PA toll invoices; or, •PA toll invoices, fees, and costs exceed $250. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission will inform the vehicle owner or registrant of the unpaid amounts, and provide the opportunity to pay those amounts, or to be heard in an administrative proceeding. If that effort yields no results, the Turnpike Commission can request that PennDOT suspend the registration of the vehicle until the monies due are paid. Act 165 also allows PennDOT, where reciprocal agreements with other states are in place, to request those states take appropriate action on the registration of any vehicle registered in their state when that vehicle owner or registrant owes at least the minimum in unpaid tolls in Pennsylvania. Further, it allows those states to request the suspension of registrations of Pennsylvania vehicles owing unpaid tolls and fines in their states.
PennDOT Drivers License Verification has begun.
Since November of 2022 all PennDOT auto dealers and agents are now required to do a drivers license verification on all title/tag transactions. This means that BEFORE the agent can transfer/issue a title and/or registration they must do the DL validation first. PennDOT says it is to help prevent fraud which may be true, but it is also to check to see if you owe any money to PA, PennDOT or the Turnpike Commission for tolls. If you DO NOT pass the check, they DO NOT tell us why. A letter will be given you on how to contact PennDOT to proceed. The transfer/registration will NOT be completed UNTIL you contact PennDOT and clear up the issues. Yes, there is an additional fee added for this to transfer/registration costs.
PA Real ID Extension
An extension from the Department of Homeland Security has given PA residents another two years to obtain a Real ID. The new deadline is now set for May 7th of 2025.
Real ID is not required by PA residents, but if you plan on using your Driver’s License or Identification Card to board a flight, you will want them to be Real ID when the new deadline approaches.
Notary not required on some PennDOT forms’
PennDOT Form MV145A no longer requires notarization.
Act 15, signed into law on April 20, 2020, now allows for the use of an “Un-sworn Declaration” to be used in place of notarization on some PennDOT applications.
Form MV-145 “Application for Person with A Disability or Hearing Impaired Registration Plate or A Person
With A Disability Motorcycle Plate
Form MV-145A “Person with Disability Parking Placard Application”
Form MV-145V “Application for Disabled Veteran, Severely Disabled Veteran Registration Plate or
Severely Disabled Veteran Motorcycle Plate Decal”
PennDOT ID Validation begins November 30, 2022
Beginning November 30, 2022 all Pennsylvania Auto Dealers and Agents will be required to perform a validation check on the buyer for all PA vehicle transfers. PennDOT says this is being done to prevent fraud. All PennDOT agents will do an online validation check of the buyers drivers license or ID card. They will print a results page which will be sent to PennDOT. If the drivers license or ID cannot be validated the agent cannot process the transfer of your vehicle. A letter will be issued to the buyer to contact PennDOT to correct any issues. There will be an additional fee for the validation. This is NOT optional.
Gavco Notary is now a PennDOT online Messenger.
Gavco Notary Services is now a PennDot Online Messenger. We can process instant vehicle registrations and transfers. We have plates available for cars, trucks, motorcycles, trailers and in-transit plates.
Luzerne County Vehicle Fee
Effective January 1, 2022 Luzerne County eliminated the $5.00 vehicle registration fee. However, Lackawanna County has implemented a $5.00 vehicle registration fee effective April 1, 2022. This fee is in addition to all other registration fees.
PennDot ID Verification coming in 2022
Beginning in November 2022 PennDOT will require all dealers and agents to run an instant verification of Drivers licenses and ID’s before completing any vehicle registration or transfer in PA. PennDOT says this will assist in mitigating fraud associated with titling and registration of vehicles as well as mitigating the potential for insurance fraud. Yes there will be an additional fee for this service but it has not been disclosed yet.
Weight Class Windshield Stickers
Effective January 29, 2022 Pennsylvania eliminated the use of weight class windshield stickers.
PennDOT Documentary Fees
As of January 12, 2022 the maximum allowable documentary fee increased to $351 for processing title work manually and $422 for online title work. This is the fee charged by auto dealers and PennDOT agents. The fee increases each year in conjunction with the Federal Consumer Price Index.
Covid Vaccination Cards
Placing a notary stamp and signature on a vaccination card does not authenticate it or make the card a legal document. There is no notary wording on the card, so it does not require notarization. The vaccine card serves its purpose whether it is notarized or not. Notaries can provide a certified copy of a vaccination card in case the original card gets lost. The customer can provide permission to add the proper notarial wording to the copy. Although the document is a certified copy, there is no guarantee that the airline or business will accept the copy in place of the original vaccination card.
Pennsylvania Vehicle Registration Fees Rise July 1, 2021
Many of the fees for registering vehicles in PA were increased as of July 1, 2021. For example, the Vehicle Title transfer fee increased from $55 to $58. The fee for registering a lien increased from $26 to $28. For a complete list of the fees click here.
PA Power of Attorney
A POA in Pennsylvania must be dated, signed by the principal, witnessed by two adults, and notarized.
If the principal is not able to write, he or she may sign by making a mark (such as an “X”) or by directing another person to sign on his or her behalf. If this is done, there must be two adult witnesses to the signature. The notary public may not be the agent.
The witness requirements for a power of attorney in Pennsylvania are that a witness must be at least 18 years of age, but may not be the agent or a person who signed the POA on behalf of the principal.
PA Apostilles
In Pennsylvania Apostilles are only issued by the PA Dept. of State. Your documents must be signed by and contain the seal of the Pennsylvania official who is the custodian of the record or a Pennsylvania notary public. NOTE: Diplomas, transcripts and criminal record checks must be notarized prior to requesting an apostille or certification. Birth certificates do not need to be and should not be notarized. For more information click here.