To Serve Your Motor Vehicle Needs

IMPORTANT NOTICE
KANSAS MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION & TAGS
KANSAS DRIVER'S LICENSE
HELPFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS
REGISTRATION CHECKLIST
KANSAS AUTO REGISTRATION AND TAG RENEWAL FORMS

KANSAS VEHICLE REGISTRATION AND TAGS

Whether your new to Butler County or you're a long time resident with a newly purchased car, truck, motorcycle, trailer, mobile home, or recreational vehicle, one of your first tasks is to purchase a new Kansas license plate or to transfer a plate from your old to your new vehicle so that you can drive legally. To do that, you must register your vehicle with the State of Kansas, pay registration fees and property taxes (sales tax if purchased from an individual or out-of-state dealer) at one of the two Butler County Treasurer's Vehicle Tag Offices.

To assist you through this sometimes complex task, we have designed this web page to explain the vehicle registration process.

You are in the Driver's Seat!

WHERE TO LICENSE

You must apply in person at one of the two local vehicle tag offices to purchase or transfer your license plate (tag). If you intend to register the vehicle jointly with other persons (listing it as Jane and John Doe), all persons listed as owners must be present to sign and complete the title application; otherwise, you must provide an original power of attorney from the other owners you wish to list on the title.

The main Vehicle Tag Office is located on the 2nd floor of the courthouse at 205 W Central, El Dorado, Ks.   Office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The Butler County Western Office is located at the Red Wing Airport on US 54 (Kellogg) west of Augusta, Ks.  Office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. A $2.00 substation fee is required for each transaction.

Both  tag offices are full service operations where title work, registration renewals, handicapped placards/tags, stolen tags/decal replacement, out of state vehicle inspections, and refund applications are available.

WHEN TO LICENSE

You may register your newly-purchased vehicle or renew your current vehicle registration (existing vehicle) Monday through Friday at either Vehicle Tag Office location. Due to high volume of customers at certain times during the month, quicker service is provided during the middle of the week and in the middle of the month.

• If you are a new resident of Kansas, you must register all vehicles within 90 days to avoid penalties. An out of state motor vehicle number inspection is required.

• If you are a resident of Kansas, recently transferred to Butler County, you must notify our office of your new address within 90 days of your arrival. You will receive a corrected registration and Butler County decal for your license plate at no cost.

• As a Kansas resident, you are required by law to register (tag) any newly purchased vehicle within 30 days to avoid penalties and, possibly  a traffic ticket. This includes any vehicle that is garaged in Butler County on evenings, weekends, and holidays, even if the vehicle belongs to a company that is headquartered out-of-state. A 30-day permit (non-renewable) is available from any Vehicle Tag Office and may be used as a temporary registration for a newly purchased vehicle until you have time and/or documents in your possession to apply for Kansas registration.

• After initial registration of your vehicle in Butler County, an annual renewal notice will be mailed to you by the Kansas Motor Vehicle Department in Topeka. If you do not receive a renewal notice, call (785)296-3621 to have one mailed to you. Your tag expiration and renewal month depends on the first letter of your last name or the first letter of your companies name, if it is a company owned vehicle. Renewals are easily handled through the mail. You may also renew in person at the tag offices.

WHAT TO BRING

Important Notice

Effective January 1, 2000, Everyone will be required to SHOW proof of insurance on all motor vehicle transactions. Trailers require proof of insurance on the trailer or towing vehicle. Renewals done by mail will need to include a COPY of the proof of insurance along with the renewal notice.
1999 SB 3, K.S.A. 8-173

1. The name of you vehicle insurance company and the policy number - Kansas law requires that you carry no-fault liability insurance on any vehicle except a motorized bicycle.

2. Out-of-state - If you are a new resident who is registering a vehicle that you have brought into Kansas from another state, you must present a valid vehicle title from the state upon application for Kansas title. When moving from a title-holding state where the lien holder has possession of the vehicle title during the term of the loan you will need to contact your lien holder and have a certified copy of your title mailed to you or a copy faxed directly to the Butler County Motor Vehicle Department at the Main Office (316)320-7965 or at the Augusta Office (316) 733-5334 before coming in to register your vehicle . Also bring the name and current mailing address of your lien holder.

3. Kansas Resident - If you are a Kansas resident who is registering a vehicle that you have just acquired, you must present a signed Manufacturers State of Origin (MSO) if it is a new vehicle or a title signed over to the new owner from the previous owner if it is a used vehicle.

4. A completed federal odometer disclosure form which has been signed by both the buyer and the seller - If you are a Kansas resident who bought a vehicle less than 10 years old with either a Kansas or an out-of-state title from an individual or business, you and the seller must complete a Federal Odometer Disclosure form at the time you purchased the vehicle. The mileage already is listed on your paperwork if you buy a new or used vehicle with a conforming Kansas title from a Kansas motor vehicle dealer. Kansas law requires a working odometer on each vehicle registered in the state.

5. A sales receipt from the selling Kansas motor vehicle dealer. If you bought the vehicle from someone other than a Kansas dealer, you need to bring a bill-of-sale for sales tax purposes. you must pay city/county/state sales tax on the purchase price.

6. A Kansas Highway Patrol inspection slip (MVE -1) is required if the vehicle has an out-of-state title (not MSO). The inspection verifies the vehicle's identification number has   been checked to make sure the vehicle is not stolen. This state-required inspection has a $10.00 (cash only) fee. The inspection sites are listed in the table at the top of the page. If the vehicle has a salvage or non-highway status the fee is $15.00 (cash only).

7. Non-resident military personnel, or deployed Kansas Residents or Kansas Residents stationed out of state (If stationed out of state, vehicle must be with military person.) who register their vehicles in Butler County must furnish a copy of LES or deployment orders and a copy of photo identification at the time of each registration or renewal to qualify for the military exemption. Failure to provide such affidavit at the time of registration will require full payment of personal property taxes. For Property tax exemption to be valid, the military member who signs the affidavit must be listed on the title of the vehicle as owner.

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   HOW MUCH

   #1     The registration (tag) fee usually depends on the weight of the vehicle. Autos cost $35.00 each, while trucks with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) under 12,000 lbs. cost $45.00 to register. The motorcycle registration fee is $21.00. Mopeds are $15.00. Trailer tags cost $20.00 to $40.00 depending on the loaded weight of the trailer.

   #2     Cost of a new title is $10.00.

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   TRANSFERRING OWNERSHIP

   When a vehicle's ownership is transferred from one person to another (sold or traded), the assignment section on the back of the vehicle's title must be completed in its entirety before the purchaser can register it. On newer Kansas titles, the Federal Odometer Disclosure and the bill of sale are on the back of the title. The new owner will be mailed a new title by the state of Kansas about six weeks after registration application is made. Provided there is not a lien.
   
   If a vehicle is given as a gift, an affidavit signed by the previous owner stating that the vehicle was given rather than sold to the new owner must be provided or sales tax will be collected at the time of registration.
   
   Additional documents may be required by state law if the transfer is occurring because of death, divorce, or marriage. For more information, contact the Vehicle Tag Office at (316) 322-4200 or (800) 940-6013.

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   TRANSFERRING A LICENSE TAG

   Transfers require a payment of $6.50 transfer fee, a $10.00 title fee, and any additional personal property and/or sales taxes. You may also have to pay a supplementary licensing fee if the new vehicle weighs more than the old one. An estimate of value is available by calling the Butler County Vehicle Tag Office at (316) 322-4200 or (1-800) 940-6013 with the vehicle identification number of the newly purchased vehicle.

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   REFUND OF TAXES AND REGISTRATION FEES

   If you sell a vehicle before your tag expires, and the tag will not be transferred to another vehicle, you may be eligible for a prorated refund on the unused portion of the personal property taxes and /or registration fees. Refunds are calculated from the date the application for refund was made (not the date of the sale). The refund amount will depend on the date you apply for it - the quicker, the better. Minimum refund that will be given is $5.00.
   
   You must surrender your valid metal license tag and the current years registration for the vehicle disposed of when the refund application is made. The name of the purchaser is required, as well as the seller's social security number (personal) or federal tax identification number (business). If it was a leased vehicle a copy of the lease agreement is required.

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   KANSAS DRIVER'S LICENSE

   The Butler County Division of Vehicles now offers the service of Driver's License at the El Dorado Courthouse. The services available are renewals, I.D. cards, change of name or address, duplicates of Driver's License or I.D. cards, Learner's Permits, and Driver's License Records (MVR). There is an additional fee of $3.00 on all transaction to offset the expenses of maintaining the office and equipment. All other licenses must be obtained through a full service station. The Butler County full service station is located at 111 W Central, Andover, Ks The phone number for the full service is 733-0106. The El Dorado office is located on the second floor of the county courthouse in room 200, Motor Vehicle Dept. The Driver's License hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Notification to the State of an address change is required within 10 days. All CDL applications must be made at the full service office. When changing address or renewing an expired driver's license you are required to show proof of name with address.

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HELPFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS