County Officials

Vehicle Registration

                           Mississippi State Lighthouse Tag

Registering a Vehicle

STATE ISSUED PHOTO ID IS REQUIRED FOR ALL TRANSACTIONS

1. Family members may pick up your tag.
2. Friends with written permission may pick up your tag.
3. If YOUR NAME is on the Title, then YOU MUST BE PRESENT to sign your name on the Title Application.
   Otherwise, a “POWER OF ATTORNEY FORM” must be presented which can be picked up in our office

When do I need to register a vehicle without incurring a penalty?

• Newly purchased vehicles
• within 7 working days, exclusive of date of delivery, from purchase date
• Moving in from out-of-state
• within 30 days of becoming a resident OR
• within 30 days after the vehicle enters the state
• Renewals
• taxpayers are sent a notification 30 days prior to expiration (not required) and are allowed a 15 day grace period from the point of expiration before penalties will be assessed
• However, the owner can still be ticketed if within 15 day grace period

What is required to register a vehicle?

1. Payment for all fees (taxes, registration, title transfer ($10), tags, etc.) are due at the time of registration
2. State Issued Photo ID 
3. Special Tag Proof if you wish to have a Special Tag
4. Power of Attorney Form if YOUR NAME is on the title and you will not be present to sign the title application (if someone else is appearing for you)
5. As well as the following:

The Tax Collector's Office will provide the following at the time of registration:

1. Renewal Notice (this is not a required service)
• Mailed 1 month prior to expiration as a reminder to renew 
2. Application for Certificate of Title (unless purchased from a Mississippi dealer) 
• Tax Collector will complete for the owner to sign
• Application will be sent to State Tax Commission
3. Assessments
• Of necessary taxes and valuation which are included on
4. Road and Bridge Privilege Receipt
• Owner's receipt after payment

Do we register golf carts, 4 wheelers and other such vehicles?

1. 4 Wheelers and Golf Carts 
• A Title is required, but they are not registered (tagged)
2. Jet Skis and Boats
• No, we do not register or title these types of vehicles at the tax office. 
• The Wild Life Game Management titles and registers these types of vehicles, and we furnish the necessary form to send to the State for registration.

What will it cost to register a vehicle?

Residents will pay the following taxes and fees when the register a vehicle:

• Privledge Taxes
• Registration Fees
• Ad Valorem Taxes (based on the Assessed Valuation of the vehicle and local milage rates)
• Legislative Tag Credit (against the ad valorem tax assed on private passenger vehicles, determined by the State Tax Commission each year)
• Penalties (when applicable)
• Additional Potential Fees including: Title Transfer ($10), Mailing Fees, Revenue Sharing Tags, Use Tax, Sales Tax, Motorcycles/ATV ($50) 

For a more detailed listing of costs associated with vehicle registration, click "Cost Specifics" (left column)

Renewing Tags 

When does an owner get a new tag when they move to another county?
The recommendation is that the owner wait until renewal time and go into the tax collector's office and give the new location information and receive a new tag. If the owner wants a new tag immediately, then they can go into the tax collector's office with their tag, pay a sub-tag fee, and receive a sub tag with the new county name on it. The renewal month will stay the same.

Where do I renew a tag?

On-Line
Mississippi1Stop.com allows residents of Mississippi to renew their tags on-line.
To access this website click this link: https://www.pay1stop.com/RenewTag/MS/

In Person
Residents can renew their tags at one of the Tax Collector Offices (see left column for addresses).  The Ocean Springs office has a manned drive through window for renewals with a card and people with disability payments.

In a Drop-Box
The Pascagoula Courthouse location has an unmanned drop-box at the back entrance of the building for on-time car tag renewals and property tax payments.

By Mail
Use the address in left column.

Handicap Tags & Placards

Permanent Disability
Individuals may apply for a disability tag/placard using the "Mississippi Disabled Parking Application Form."  This form must be certified by the applicant's physican or nurse practitioner as being permanently disabled.  Permanently disabled individuals may receive two disability tags and two placards.

Temporary Disability
Individuals may apply for a temporary disability placard (red) using the "Mississippi Disabled Parking Application Form."  The form must be certified by the applicant's physician or nurse practitioner as being temporarily disabled.  This placard is issued in six-month increments.

Additionally, in both cases, the owner of a vehicle who has a disabled child, parent, or spouse living with them may be issued a disabled license tag/placard.  The applicant's child, parent, or spouse must have certification from a licensed physician or nurse practitioner.

A PDF version of the application is available under "Forms to Download" - link in left column.
The "Mississippi Disabled Parking Application Form" will be kept on file and is good until September 30, 2013.  At that time, a new application form will be required for tag and placard renewal.

Military Exemption on tags

Members of the Military can qualify for an exemption from ad valorem taxes -- they still must pay Privilege Taxes, Registration Fees, Title Transfers, and any other required fees.
 
Who is eligible?

• Any member of military who is a legal resident of another state, but is stationed and registers his/her vehicle in Mississippi
• This does not apply to legal residents of Mississippi who register their vehicles in Mississippi

What Proof is Required?

• A "letter of domicile" from their military legal office
• Military member's name must be on the registration (joint ownership and lease agreements are allowed as long as the military person's name is on the registration)

Specialty car tags

Can a specialty tag be transferred from one car to another if both cars are owned by the same person? 
Only specialty tags can be reissued to another car as long as the owner is the same. The special tag fee, if there is one, will be charged as if a new tag is issued. The fee does not transfer, but the tag can be reissued. We do this for the benefit of the owner since some people memorize their tag numbers. If they do not want to keep the same tag, issue a new one. The process is the same. Surrender the tag off the old car and register it to the new car. The old car would receive a different tag (if they kept the old car) for a fee of $10 if it's not renewal time.

Can a person qualify for more than one special tag?
Yes. If someone qualifies for a retired armed forces and a DAV tag, they can place each tag on a separate vehicle. The restrictions are limited to the qualifications of the person and the number of tags they can receive (1). This is true for DAV and ex-POWs. If a person qualifies for two exempt tags, they can place each on a separate vehicle. The exception to this is the Pearl Harbor & Purple Heart. These tags share the same section number and because of the wording in the section, a person can only receive one or the other.

What Specialty Tags are available and how much do they cost?
Contact the Tax Collector's Office for more information on specialty tags and prices.