To be valid, a vehicle registration certificate must be signed by the registered owner, carried in the vehicle for which it is issued, and provided on demand to law enforcement and the Department of Licensing (DOL).  The registration certificate may be provided in either paper or electronic format.  Acceptable electronic formats include the display of electronic images on a cellular phone or another portable electronic device.  These requirements do not apply to vehicles for which registration is not required to be renewed annually or for properly marked public vehicles.

The Legislature finds that printed addresses on vehicle registrations provide an opportunity for thieves to break into vehicles to use the information for nefarious purposes.

Beginning January 1, 2023, paper-issued registration certificates for vehicles, trailers, and vessels must be printed to allow for the manual removal of a registrant's address, by the named registered owner, without compromising any required information on the certificate.