What do I need to renew my tag in Mississippi? A checklist

The short answer

For a routine renewal of a passenger vehicle, have three things ready: your renewal notice or current certificate of registration (or at least your tag number), payment for the full renewal amount, and a correct mailing address on file with your county tax collector. Proof of insurance and an emissions test are not part of a Mississippi renewal, according to the Department of Revenue. Renewals run through your county tax collector, not a state DMV, so that office has the final word on what it wants to see.

1. Something that identifies the vehicle

The Department of Revenue says the renewal notice is only a courtesy from your county tax collector. If it never arrives, you are still responsible for renewing on time, and the Department's advice is to contact the tax collector to find out what renewal options are available. So the notice is helpful, not required.

What counties ask for varies a little. Lafayette County's page says that in person you need your renewal notice or your current certificate of registration and a form of payment, and that by mail you send the renewal notice with payment. Online systems need enough to find your record: Jackson County's portal has you search by your name and then asks for your tag number. Tate County says notices go out on the last working day of the month before the renewal date, so if yours has not arrived early in your renewal month, do not wait for it. Write your tag number down somewhere other than the notice.

2. The money, and what it is made of

The Department's FAQ lists what a renewal charges: privilege tax, registration fees, ad valorem taxes, and sales or use tax if applicable. The registration fee is $12.75 for a renewal. The rest depends on the type and value of the vehicle and on your city and county. Our ad valorem tax page explains how the ad valorem tax is figured, and the renewal bill walkthrough shows the pieces adding up. The Department's online renewal page also links to a tool to calculate a car tag renewal online.

Electric or hybrid vehicle? The Department says its electric and hybrid fees are due at renewal as well as at first registration, and that the fees change every year on July 1. We are not quoting an amount for that reason; ask your tax collector for the current figure.

How you pay. Online portals add card fees set by the payment vendor, not the state. Jackson County lists 2.95% for credit (minimum $2.95), 1.15% for debit (minimum $1.00) and a flat $1.50 for e-check; DeSoto County lists a 3% service fee. Accepted payment at the counter and by mail differs by county, so check before you go.

3. An address the county can mail to

If you renew online, the decal comes by mail. Jackson County says the tag or decal is mailed to the address on record the following day, and that if your address has changed you must contact the office to update it before renewing. The Department of Revenue says address changes go through your county tax collector.

What you do not need

• Proof of insurance. The Department's FAQ says Mississippi requires liability insurance but that "this is not enforced through vehicle registration," and that an insurance card must be kept in the vehicle. A 2026 bill to bring back an insurance check at registration, House Bill 676, died in committee on February 3, 2026, according to the Legislature's bill status record. Our insurance and renewal post covers the background.
• An emissions test. The Department says Mississippi does not require emissions testing as a condition of registration.
• The notice itself. As above, it is a courtesy.

Situations that add to the list

• You moved to another Mississippi county. The Department says a vehicle should be registered in the county where it is domiciled or parked overnight. Jackson County recommends waiting until renewal time, then going to the tax collector's office with your new location to receive a new tag. If you want the new county's tag sooner, Jackson describes bringing in your current tag and paying a sub-tag fee, with your renewal month staying the same. Other counties may handle this differently, so call first.
• You have a disabled plate or placard. The Department says a new application (Form 79-104) is required every 5 years, when the license plate image is changed, and that the doctor's statement must be dated within 90 days of the renewal application.
• You qualify as a disabled veteran. The Department says qualifying veterans may register up to two vehicles and one motorcycle exempt from ad valorem and privilege taxes, at $1.00 per plate, with verification from the Veterans Affairs Board. Ask the tax collector whether you need to show that verification again.
• It is a different vehicle or a different owner. That is not a renewal. The Department says a Mississippi tag is registered to both the vehicle and the owner, and if either changes the old tag is surrendered. See our guide to registering after a purchase or move.
• You are a new resident whose title is still with a lienholder or another state. The Department says that if the title is not surrendered, the application will not be processed and you cannot renew your license plate.

When the renewal window is open

Tate County says you have until the 15th day of the month after your renewal month to renew without penalty, and the Department's FAQ says the penalty starts on the 16th day of the month following expiration. Online renewal can be narrower: DeSoto County says tags may only be renewed online during the month due or during the 15-day grace period after expiration. That grace period only delays the late fee; it does not make an expired tag legal to drive on, which our late renewal penalties page explains.

A short checklist

• Renewal notice or current registration certificate, and your tag number written down.
• Payment for the full amount, plus any card fee if you renew online.
• Your address confirmed with the tax collector before you renew online.
• For an electric or hybrid vehicle, the current fee confirmed.
• Moved counties, a disabled plate, a new vehicle or owner, or a title held elsewhere: call the tax collector first.

This is general information based on published Department of Revenue and county material, not advice for your situation. Your county tax collector is the authority on what your office requires and charges today.