A new resident must apply for a title and registration for each vehicle the person owns and drives on public streets within 30 days after the Office of Motor Vehicles issues a Louisiana driver's license. The file needs the out-of-state title, liability insurance from a company authorized in Louisiana, and road use tax. Policy 48.00 does not list a safety inspection, an emissions test, or a VIN inspection for an ordinary passenger car.
What do I do, in order?
- Get a Louisiana driver's license. The title policy ties the 30 days to that issuance date.
- Complete and sign Vehicle Application DPSMV 1799. If the car is already registered in your name in another state, complete Section F, Out of State Declaration.
- Bring the original out-of-state title. If a lienholder holds it, a copy of the title or a registration that names the lienholder may be filed instead.
- Bring proof of current liability insurance from a company authorized in Louisiana.
- Pay road use tax and the fees the office assesses, at an Office of Motor Vehicles office or a public tag agent.
What documents do I bring?
For a car already titled in your name in another state, policy 48.00, revised November 15, 2018, lists the signed application with Section F, the original title or the lienholder substitute above, proof of insurance, and a $10 mortgage recordation fee if the out-of-state title shows an outstanding lien.
If you bought the car out of state and it is not yet titled in your name, the FAQ also asks for the assigned title, notarized if that applies, a lien release if a lien was recorded, and an odometer disclosure for a vehicle less than 20 years old. A notarized bill of sale is required when the title assignment does not show the sale date, price, and signatures. A sale on or after August 1, 2012 needs a copy of each owner's photo identification. If the papers were not notarized out of state, the FAQ asks for an affidavit that the seller is not a Louisiana resident, or a copy of the seller's out-of-state license.
Which inspections apply?
The out-of-state transfer policy and the basic title rule do not state a safety inspection, an emissions test, or a VIN inspection for a passenger car moved into Louisiana. The agency's page does not state this. Confirm with the Office of Motor Vehicles.
Do I owe tax on a car from another state?
Policy 48.00 says a vehicle transferred from another state is subject to road use tax, based on NADA loan value or electronic average trade-in, at the parish rate where the vehicle is kept. A newer model missing from the guide is taxed on the invoice price less 15 percent.
If you bought the car out of state and have not titled it in your name, and you paid sales or use tax there, the policy allows a credit against Louisiana state and local use tax for the rate on its chart, up to the Louisiana tax due. Extra credit needs proof of additional tax paid. Credit is not allowed for ad valorem tax. The section for a car already titled in your name does not restate that credit. Confirm that file with the Office of Motor Vehicles.
A leased vehicle can be exempt if the lessor holds a Department of Revenue and Taxation exemption number and can show tax paid to the other state by something other than the title. The policy points to the lease exemption for the rest. See sales tax and use tax when a car moves.
What insurance must the car have?
The Department of Insurance guide says each vehicle must carry 15/30/25 liability limits: $15,000 bodily injury for one person, $30,000 for more than one person in one accident, and $25,000 for property damage. Proof is required on the title file unless a licensed dealer submits the transfer. See insurance proof before registration.
Can I drive it before it is registered?
The transfer policy does not describe a temporary tag for a passenger car a new resident brings in. The trip-permit page is for a carrier that is not apportioned. Those permits are valid for 48 hours and come through a wire service. Confirm with the Office of Motor Vehicles before you drive. See temporary tags and trip permits.
What fees does the agency list?
For an already-titled transfer, policy 48.00 states one dollar fee: $10 to record the mortgage when the out-of-state title shows a lien. It was revised November 15, 2018. The new-vehicle page lists other fees, including a $68.50 title fee, and those figures are for a new vehicle, not for this transfer. Confirm title, license, and handling fees at expresslane.org.
What special cases does the agency describe?
A person or spouse has 90 days after separation from active duty to register a vehicle that was registered in another jurisdiction, without penalty and interest. If that plate expires during the 90 days, the tax is due then. Bring a DD214 when it applies.
A tax credit may be allowed when a parent titled a child's car for insurance, if a notarized affidavit of the relationship is signed by the person on the out-of-state title and that state has a road-use-tax reciprocity agreement with Louisiana.
If purchase papers were notarized in Louisiana and the file has no residency documents, the FAQ says the office can treat the out-of-state owner as a new resident and process a double transfer with tax on both transactions.
What if the car arrives on a truck?
A carrier delivery does not change the 30 days, which still run from the Louisiana license date. Insurance and road use tax still apply. Car shipping in Louisiana covers the haul. RideShipper does not title the car. A sample sedan range is $413–$629 as of , model v1 RideShipper estimate, updated 2026-11-09, based on 3,588 prices that customers reported paying in MoveAdvisor reviews, adjusted for U.S. diesel at $6.13 a gallon for that week (U.S. Energy Information Administration). In testing, the typical difference between an estimate and a reported price was about 20% of the estimate. This is an estimate, not a quote: the carrier sets the price. No pickup date was supplied, so this estimate uses November 2026. There is no seasonal direction adjustment for this route and month.. Change cities on the calculator.