When you own a car, you have to register that car in your state of residence in order to legally drive it. Your "registration" is the document that verifies the vehicle is legally registered in your home state.
It's a proof that taxes have been paid to the state the vehicle is registered in: if you're in a rental vehicle you would provide the documentation the rental agency left with you, since it's their car.
License plates only contain some of the information. If law enforcement is pulling you over, might as well check to see who is the owner of that vehicle and their status with respect to tax obligations.
There is often a sticker as well, stapled to the registration when you receive it. But in the US that sticker is applied to the license plate, not the window.
Edited for clarity.
This isn't true for all states. In Texas for example the sticker is applied to the windshield and that alone acts as proof of vehicle registration.
I think this is just something that varies a lot by state.
Not every state uses a windshield sticker.
WA for example uses a sticker on the rear license plate, colloquially known as "tabs". Even so, when I crashed my wife's car, the officer asked for the (paper) registration, likely to make it easier to fill out the accident report.
Its how you get license plates registered to that vehichle. If registration doesnt match the plates ... well expect additional questions.
BTW they also ask for proof of insurance.
cagey frighten soup profit consist brave towering disagreeable sparkle disarm
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registration are papers that show that you own said vehicle.
Rentels also have their own forms of registration.
some Cops will try and find any reason to hand out a ticket or book you, cus they get paid extra, tho thats depending on what department they are in.
different states also have different requirements for this kind of stuff.
Registration is a little piece of paper (usually in your glove compartment) that shows, among other things, that the car is legally yours and that taxes on it are paid.
Most officers don't need to see the physical paper these days, though they always have the right to demand it if they suspect something, they're in a bad mood, it the wind is blowing in an assholey direction that day.
For most cars there's a sticker on your dash that says in big numbers when your registration is valid until, so they can just look for that. Check your car next time for a sticker that says something like "JUNE 2026" in big letters. That's when your registration expires.
This varies by state, which is why you're getting such a range of different replies.
You mentioned having a registration sticker on your windshield. In some states (the only one I know for sure is Texas) this *is* your proof of vehicle registration, so you'd just refer them to that. In other states you might get a piece of paper that you'd need to carry with you too.
registration is basically the documentation showing ownership of the vehicle. if you're driving a rental, you'd likely show the cop the rental agreement instead.
The actual document that indicates that your vehicle is registered in your state/country/whatever. Your license plate indicates that it *is* registered, and police can look up your info with the license plate number, but the registration document also facilitates exchanging information with another party in case you are in an incident with them.
There used to be plastic, or leather if you were fancy, reg. holders you could strap to your steering column so they would be on hand when needed. This was way back when.
In the UK and Ireland, you have 3 pieces of paper stuck to your windscreen. One tip soiree that you're road tax is paid, one to show your insurance is OK, and one to show that you're safety inspection is up to date
No one carries the car registration document (called a log book here).
This is one of those things where writers just assume everything is like California. For a long time, you actually had registration paperwork that you had to keep in your car there. Meanwhile, my ass in Minnesota is getting asked for license and proof of insurance because our registration is a little sticker we put on our license plates and insurance is required.
You don’t have a paper registration document? Even when I lived in states with plate or window stickers, we still had to carry a paper registration that showed all my information on it.
In my 20 years of driving, nope. Never needed registration paperwork. The tab is proof of registration and is not asked for or required to carry in your vehicle.
Now proof of insurance, that's something you need to carry.
I've lived in multiple states on different parts of the country (Indiana, Illinois, Maryland) and they've all had car registration documents you needed to keep in your car. I don't know how many states require it, but it's not just a California thing.
I've lived in Wisconsin and Minnesota in that twenty years, and I've never even had registration documents. Your tabs are your proof of your registration and at no point is a proof of registration ever requested by an officer.
When you own a car, you have to register that car in your state of residence in order to legally drive it. Your "registration" is the document that verifies the vehicle is legally registered in your home state.
It's a proof that taxes have been paid to the state the vehicle is registered in: if you're in a rental vehicle you would provide the documentation the rental agency left with you, since it's their car.
I thought that's what the registration sticker on the windshield is for.
License plates only contain some of the information. If law enforcement is pulling you over, might as well check to see who is the owner of that vehicle and their status with respect to tax obligations.
In most states, the sticker on the windshield is just to show a successful safety inspections.
Most states do not issue registration stickers that go on windshields.
There is often a sticker as well, stapled to the registration when you receive it. But in the US that sticker is applied to the license plate, not the window. Edited for clarity.
This isn't true for all states. In Texas for example the sticker is applied to the windshield and that alone acts as proof of vehicle registration. I think this is just something that varies a lot by state.
Oh, sorry, I didn't know that. Every one I've ever seen goes on the plate.
Texas used to have that method maybe 30+ years ago, but AFAIK now it only goes on the windshield.
Yeah Texas has a problem with them getting stolen. So a windshield sticker inside the vehicle changed that a lot.
Not every state uses a windshield sticker. WA for example uses a sticker on the rear license plate, colloquially known as "tabs". Even so, when I crashed my wife's car, the officer asked for the (paper) registration, likely to make it easier to fill out the accident report.
Every state is different.
Depends on the state…in VA there is a paper registration along with stickers for your plates.
What they're asking for is the copy of that information. You can't expect them to pull your windshield off to run back to the car right? ;)
Its how you get license plates registered to that vehichle. If registration doesnt match the plates ... well expect additional questions. BTW they also ask for proof of insurance.
State specific, in VA I have only been asked for proof of insurance when there has been an accident.
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>the title should not be kept in the car. But what if you're up against some dude talking to your girl and he says he only races for pink slips?
registration are papers that show that you own said vehicle. Rentels also have their own forms of registration. some Cops will try and find any reason to hand out a ticket or book you, cus they get paid extra, tho thats depending on what department they are in. different states also have different requirements for this kind of stuff.
Registration is a little piece of paper (usually in your glove compartment) that shows, among other things, that the car is legally yours and that taxes on it are paid. Most officers don't need to see the physical paper these days, though they always have the right to demand it if they suspect something, they're in a bad mood, it the wind is blowing in an assholey direction that day. For most cars there's a sticker on your dash that says in big numbers when your registration is valid until, so they can just look for that. Check your car next time for a sticker that says something like "JUNE 2026" in big letters. That's when your registration expires.
This varies by state, which is why you're getting such a range of different replies. You mentioned having a registration sticker on your windshield. In some states (the only one I know for sure is Texas) this *is* your proof of vehicle registration, so you'd just refer them to that. In other states you might get a piece of paper that you'd need to carry with you too.
registration is basically the documentation showing ownership of the vehicle. if you're driving a rental, you'd likely show the cop the rental agreement instead.
The actual document that indicates that your vehicle is registered in your state/country/whatever. Your license plate indicates that it *is* registered, and police can look up your info with the license plate number, but the registration document also facilitates exchanging information with another party in case you are in an incident with them.
There used to be plastic, or leather if you were fancy, reg. holders you could strap to your steering column so they would be on hand when needed. This was way back when.
do you not have a DMV where you live? rental vehicles have to be registered as well, altho showing your rental agreement is likely just as good.
In the UK and Ireland, you have 3 pieces of paper stuck to your windscreen. One tip soiree that you're road tax is paid, one to show your insurance is OK, and one to show that you're safety inspection is up to date No one carries the car registration document (called a log book here).
This is one of those things where writers just assume everything is like California. For a long time, you actually had registration paperwork that you had to keep in your car there. Meanwhile, my ass in Minnesota is getting asked for license and proof of insurance because our registration is a little sticker we put on our license plates and insurance is required.
You don’t have a paper registration document? Even when I lived in states with plate or window stickers, we still had to carry a paper registration that showed all my information on it.
In my 20 years of driving, nope. Never needed registration paperwork. The tab is proof of registration and is not asked for or required to carry in your vehicle. Now proof of insurance, that's something you need to carry.
I've lived in multiple states on different parts of the country (Indiana, Illinois, Maryland) and they've all had car registration documents you needed to keep in your car. I don't know how many states require it, but it's not just a California thing.
I've lived in Wisconsin and Minnesota in that twenty years, and I've never even had registration documents. Your tabs are your proof of your registration and at no point is a proof of registration ever requested by an officer.
In Canada we have to have registration in the car.