No More Registration Stickers in PA!

Pennsylvania is embracing technology and stepping into the 21st century when it comes to car registrations. After the last day of this year, the state will no longer be issuing registration stickers for vehicle license plates as proof of registration. The Keystone State is doing away with the stickers in lieu of an electronic registry that will provide law enforcement and other agencies with up-to-date information about who has paid for their annual car registration, a change that will save taxpayers an estimated million dollars every year. The last registration stickers in Pennsylvania will be printed on December 31st, 2016.

There will be no more need for registration stickers in Pennsylvania after the last day of the year.

The change is coming about thanks to the enforcement of Act 89, which was passed in November 2013. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, “The move will also allow our customers to pay online from home or a mobile device, print and sign a permanent registration credential and go about their business, without waiting for delivery by mail of their registration card.” This means that your registration (which you still need to pay for every year, of course) will be active from the time you pay for and sign it, which is convenient for those who, for whatever reason, wait until the last minute to renew their registration.

The move to eliminate stickers was not merely one of cost-saving and convenience. According to a DOT press release, the use of more advanced technology in auto registrations is a harbinger of what’s to come. “The elimination of the registration sticker helps pave the way for PennDOT to leverage technology to make vehicle registration more convenient for our customers with future improvements such as allowing a customer who renews their vehicle registration online to print a permanent registration card at home and eventually allowing customers to upload the registration credential to their smart device.”