CHAPTER 13
REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES
Subchapter
A. General Provisions
B. Registration Plates
C. Violations and Suspensions
Enactment. Chapter 13 was added June 17, 1976, P.L.162, No.81, effective July 1, 1977, unless
otherwise noted.
Special Provisions in Appendix. See section 25 of Act 115 of 1996 in the appendix to this title for special provisions
relating to pilot programs for decentralized services for motor vehicle and driver
license transactions.
See section 15 of Act 23 of 1999 in the appendix to this title for special provisions
relating to joint study on registration validation stickers.
Cross References. Chapter 13 is referred to in sections 1516, 1752, 1798.3, 1911, 3722, 6117, 7702,
9024 of this title.
SUBCHAPTER A
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Sec.
1301. Registration and certificate of title required.
1302. Vehicles exempt from registration.
1303. Vehicles of nonresidents exempt from registration.
1304. Registration criteria.
1305. Application for registration.
1306. Grounds for refusing registration.
1307. Period of registration.
1307.1. Permanent fleet registration.
1308. Issuance of registration card.
1309. Renewal of registration.
1309.1. Apportioned registration renewal.
1310. Temporary registration cards.
1310.1. Temporary registration permits.
1311. Registration card to be signed and exhibited on demand.
1312. Notice of change of name or address.
1313. Duplicate registration cards.
1314. Transfer of registration.
1315. Operation of vehicle following death of owner.
1316. Department records.
1317. Acknowledgment of littering provisions.
1318. Duties of agents.
1319. Duties of motor carrier vehicle owners.
1320. Contributions to Veterans' Trust Fund.
1321. Contributions for pediatric cancer research.
1322. Contributions to Keystone Tree Restricted Account.
1323. Contributions for breast cancer research.
1324. Contributions for the prevention of child abuse and neglect.
§ 1301. Registration and certificate of title required.
(a) Driving unregistered vehicle prohibited.--No person shall drive or move and no owner or motor carrier shall knowingly permit
to be driven or moved upon any highway any vehicle which is not registered in this
Commonwealth unless the vehicle is exempt from registration.
(b) Proof of residency.--A person charged under this section has the burden of proving that he is a nonresident
whenever he asserts a defense based on section 1303 (relating to vehicles of nonresidents
exempt from registration). If he produces at the office of the issuing authority satisfactory
proof that he is a nonresident and is in compliance with section 1303 within five
days after being charged with a violation of this section, the issuing authority shall
dismiss the charge.
(c) Certificate of title prerequisite to registration.--No vehicle shall be registered unless a certificate of title has been applied for
or issued if one is required by Chapter 11 (relating to certificate of title and security
interests).
(c.1) Reconstructed, recovered theft, flood, modified and specially constructed vehicles.--Only the department shall issue a temporary registration plate or card, or permit
the transfer of a registration plate, in conjunction with any application for reconstructed,
recovered theft, flood, modified and specially constructed vehicles. Proof of financial
responsibility must accompany the application for registration prior to the issuance
of a registration plate.
(c.2) Special inspection prerequisite to operation.--After the effective date of this section, no reconstructed, modified or specially
constructed vehicle may be operated on the highway until it has successfully passed
an inspection at a reconstructed vehicle inspection station.
(d) Penalty.--Any person violating the provisions of subsection (a) is guilty of a summary offense
and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of $75 or double the registration
fee, whichever is greater, except when the vehicle was previously registered in this
Commonwealth within 60 days of the commission of the offense whereupon the fine shall
be $25. In the case of a motor carrier vehicle other than a trailer, the fine shall
be $50 if the motor carrier vehicle was previously registered in this Commonwealth
within 60 days of the commission of the offense or, if the registration occurs outside
the 60-day period, the fine shall be double the registration fee for the maximum weight
at which the vehicle could have been registered in this Commonwealth.
(July 22, 1983, P.L.122, No.32, eff. imd.; Mar. 29, 1984, P.L.155, No.30, eff. 60
days; July 10, 1984, P.L.679, No.146, eff. 60 days; July 8, 1986, P.L.432, No.90,
eff. imd.; Dec. 21, 1998, P.L.1126, No.151, eff. 60 days; Dec. 9, 2002, P.L.1278,
No.152, eff. 60 days; Dec. 1, 2004, P.L.1767, No.228, eff. Jan. 1, 2007)
2004 Amendment. Act 228 added subsec. (c.2).
2002 Amendment. Act 152 added subsec. (c.1).
1998 Amendment. Act 151 amended subsecs. (a) and (d).
Cross References. Section 1301 is referred to in sections 1311, 4107, 6309, 6309.1 of this title.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in
81
cases (
27 in the last 5 years), 1977–2026 · leading case:
Pennsylvania v. Mimms, 434 U.S. 106 (1977).
Pennsylvania v. Mimms, 434 U.S. 106 (1977).
· cites it 2× “This offense now appears to be covered by 75 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. §§ 1301, 1302 (Purdon 1977).”
Commonwealth v. Rogers, 849 A.2d 1185 (Pa. 2004).
· cites it 2× “[8] 75 Pa.C.S. §§ 1301 and 3362(a)(2), respectively.”
Com. v. Westlake, C., 295 A.3d 1281 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2023).
· cites it 2× “In a separate bench trial at this docket, Appellant was also convicted of the summary offense of driving an unregistered vehicle in violation of 75 Pa.C.S. § 1301(a). J-A06016-23 State Police (“PSP”) while driving his vehicle in North Buffalo Township, Armstrong County.”
Off. of Disciplinary Couns. v. Diangelus, 907 A.2d 452 (Pa. 2006).
· cites it 8× “At the hearing, the Commonwealth agreed to withdraw the charge of violation of Section 1786 in exchange for Dubolino pleading guilty to the lesser charge of violation of Section 1301 of the Code, 75 Pa.C.S. § 1301 (driving unregistered vehicle prohibited).”
Commonwealth v. Eliason, 509 A.2d 1296 (Pa. 1986).
· cites it 4× “§ 1543(b), and driving an unregistered vehicle, 75 Pa.C.S. § 1301, as a result of operating a three-wheeled vehicle on a public highway for *323 approximately ten seconds.”
Ins. Fed'n of Pa v. Dept. of Ins., 889 A.2d 550 (Pa. 2005).
· cites it 2× “In order to register a vehicle, an applicant must file a "self-certification of financial responsibility," including the name of the insurance company and the applicant's insurance policy number. Id., § 1305(d).”
Com., Dept. of Transp. v. Lear, 616 A.2d 185 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 1992).
· cites it 4× “The investigating Pennsylvania State Trooper issued Lear a citation for violating Section 1301 of the Vehicle Code 1 (Code), 75 Pa.C.S. § 1301, for driving upon the highway a vehicle which was not registered.”
In the Int. of: A.A., a Minor Appeal of: A.A., 195 A.3d 896 (Pa. 2018).
· cites it 2× “§3309(1), and 75 Pa.C.S. §1301(a), respectively. [J-17-2018] - 3 court found the DUI - Impaired Ability, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Disregard of Traffic Lanes allegations to be substantiated.”
Commonwealth v. Springbrook Transp., Inc., 568 A.2d 667 (Pa. 1990).
· cites it 3× “The Commonwealth raises one issue for our consideration: whether the trial court erred as a matter of law in finding Springbrook exempt from the registration requirements of 75 Pa.C.S. § 1301. In response, Springbrook argues that: (1) the Commonwealth’s appeal should be quashed…”
Commonwealth v. Eichelberger, 528 A.2d 230 (Pa. 1987).
· cites it 2× “The trial judge, therefore, erred in granting appellee's motion in arrest of judgment based on his re-evaluation of the evidence, rather than ascertaining that the evidence adduced at trial was insufficient to support the vehicular homicide conviction.”
Kmonk-Sullivan v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins., 746 A.2d 1118 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1999).
“75 Pa.C.S. §§ 1301 & 1302 (requires registration for motor vehicles except certain types of motor vehicles that are exempt from this requirement).”
— 75 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 1301(a) — 53 cases
Com. v. Westlake, C., 295 A.3d 1281 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2023).
“In a separate bench trial at this docket, Appellant was also convicted of the summary offense of driving an unregistered vehicle in violation of 75 Pa.C.S. § 1301(a). J-A06016-23 State Police (“PSP”) while driving his vehicle in North Buffalo Township, Armstrong County.”
Ins. Fed'n of Pa v. Dept. of Ins., 889 A.2d 550 (Pa. 2005).
“In order to register a vehicle, an applicant must file a "self-certification of financial responsibility," including the name of the insurance company and the applicant's insurance policy number. Id., § 1305(d).”
In the Int. of: A.A., a Minor Appeal of: A.A., 195 A.3d 896 (Pa. 2018).
“§3309(1), and 75 Pa.C.S. §1301(a), respectively. [J-17-2018] - 3 court found the DUI - Impaired Ability, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Disregard of Traffic Lanes allegations to be substantiated.”
Off. of Disciplinary Couns. v. Diangelus, 907 A.2d 452 (Pa. 2006).
“At the hearing, the Commonwealth agreed to withdraw the charge of violation of Section 1786 in exchange for Dubolino pleading guilty to the lesser charge of violation of Section 1301 of the Code, 75 Pa.C.S. § 1301 (driving unregistered vehicle prohibited).”
Commonwealth v. Eliason, 509 A.2d 1296 (Pa. 1986).
“§ 1543(b), and driving an unregistered vehicle, 75 Pa.C.S. § 1301, as a result of operating a three-wheeled vehicle on a public highway for *323 approximately ten seconds.”
— 75 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 1301(b) — 1 case
— 75 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 1301(c) — 1 case
— 75 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 1301(d) — 3 cases
Com., Dept. of Transp. v. Lear, 616 A.2d 185 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 1992).
“The investigating Pennsylvania State Trooper issued Lear a citation for violating Section 1301 of the Vehicle Code 1 (Code), 75 Pa.C.S. § 1301, for driving upon the highway a vehicle which was not registered.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the
Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and
treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.