Can You Ship a Car with Expired Registration?

While it is always a good idea to be prepared with documentation if you are planning to have your car shipped, it should also be noted that it is not required to show proof of title or registration before or after delivery of your vehicle. The only thing that is mandatory is to provide the VIN number of your vehicle and fill out the shipping paperwork. This means, it is permitted to ship a vehicle with expired registration or no registration paperwork at all. 

Why don’t shipping companies require title and registration?

You may be wondering how a company can transport your vehicle without these important documents. Better yet, how does the shipping company ensure they are shipping the right vehicle? To make sure they are handling the right vehicle, they will ask you for the VIN number. Since no two vehicles have the same VIN number, this lets the company know they are transporting the correct one. 

The reason auto transport companies do not require title and registration is because people and businesses ship vehicles for a number of different reasons and they are not always in a position to produce these documents. For example, cars are often shipped by junkyards who do not possess these documents and intend to use the vehicles for parts only. Likewise, if someone purchases a car from someone across the country, they may not possess the title yet and they may be waiting to register the vehicle until it arrives. 

While it is acceptable to ship a vehicle that has an expired registration, you should never attempt to drive a vehicle without proper title and registration. If you happened to get pulled over, you could get fined for not having up-to-date registration. In this case, shipping is the safest and most responsible way to transport your vehicle. 

Shipping a vehicle with expired registration is a fairly simple process. Remember that these documents are not required for shipment. If you have any questions about shipping your vehicle, be sure to ask the auto transport company for clarification.