When the law takes effect on September 1, 2024:

• Dealers and those participating in private vehicle sales will have two business days from the date of sale to submit pre-registration information.
• A Service Oklahoma licensed operator (selected during pre-registration) will then send a metal license plate and two pre-registration decals to the customer within ten days of the sale. 
• The customer must replace the paper tag with the metal plate and pre-registration decals within ten days of vehicle purchase.
• The pre-registration process applies to all vehicles (new or used) purchased in the state of Oklahoma on or after September 1, 2024, regardless of whether the vehicle will be fully registered in another state, jurisdiction or with a tribe. 
• Vehicles purchased in Oklahoma prior to September 1, 2024 do not have to be pre-registered and their temporary paper tags will remain valid for two months rather than ten days. The buyers of those vehicles must still complete full registration within two months of purchase.

The dealer will handle pre-registration. All the customer has to do is affix the metal plate with the pre-registration decals onto their newly-purchased vehicle within ten days of the sale.

To go into more detail: 

• The dealer will have two business days from the date of sale to submit pre-registration information to Service Oklahoma. The dealer selects the licensed operator that will process the information.
• The customer will then receive an email confirming that the dealer submitted the pre-registration.
• Next, the selected licensed operator will mail a metal license plate with two pre-registration decals attached, to the customer.
• All the customer has to do is affix the metal license plate onto their vehicle within ten days of the purchase date, replacing the temporary paper tag.

If the customer chooses to transfer their current metal license plate to their newly purchased vehicle, the licensed operator will only send the pre-registration decals. The customer will then attach the decals onto their existing metal license plate. This must be done within ten days of buying the car.

• The buyer and the private seller decide who submits the pre-registration information on the OkCARS website. The submission must be completed within two business days from the date of sale. 
• If the private seller submits the pre-registration information, the buyer will receive an email asking them to confirm the info. But if the buyer submits the pre-registration information, no additional confirmation will be necessary. 
• During online pre-registration, the submitter will be asked to pick a licensed operator, who will mail a metal license plate and two pre-registration decals to the buyer once the information is processed. If the buyer is transferring a metal license plate, they will recive only the pre-registration decals in the mail.
• Alternatively, the buyer can complete pre-registration in person at a licensed operator location within two business days from the date of sale. Taking this route means the buyer will also receive the metal license plate and pre-registration decals in person rather than through the mail.
• The buyer will then have ten days from the date of sale to affix the metal license plate and pre-registration decals onto their newly-purchased vehicle, replacing the temporary paper tag. The ten-day window remains the same regardless of whether the pre-registration was completed online or in person.

Yes. The pre-registration process applies to all vehicles (new or used) purchased in the state of Oklahoma on or after September 1, 2024, regardless of whether the vehicle will be fully registered in another state, jurisdiction or with a tribe. 

Vehicles purchased in Oklahoma prior to September 1, 2024 do not have to be pre-registered and their temporary paper tags will remain valid for two months rather than ten days.

• During a private sale, the buyer and the private seller decide who submits the pre-registration information on the OkCARS website. The submission must be completed within two business days from the date of sale.
• If the private seller submits the pre-registration information, the buyer will receive an email asking them to confirm the info. But if the buyer submits the pre-registration information, no additional confirmation will be necessary.
• During online pre-registration, the submitter will be asked to pick a licensed operator, who will mail a metal license plate and two pre-registration decals to the buyer once the information is processed.

Pre-registration decals indicate that vehicle sale information has been sent to the state, but the vehicle is not fully registered. Buyers must get a metal license plate and pre-registration decals on their vehicle within ten days of the date of purchase and will then have two months from the date of purchase to complete full registration.

Buyers will receive two pre-registration decals: one that shows the month the decals expire (two months from the date of vehicle purchase) and another decal that says, “TEMPORARY.” The month decal should be placed on the top left corner of the metal license plate while the “TEMPORARY” decal should be placed on the top right corner.

Once the buyer completes registration, they will receive the standard month and year decals to place over the pre-registration decals on the metal license plate.

Instead of getting a new metal license plate during the pre-registration process, the buyer can transfer their current plate to their newly-purchased vehicle. The existing plate information will be submitted to Service Oklahoma and the buyer will only receive the two pre-registration decals, which must be affixed to the buyer’s existing metal plate within ten days of the vehicle purchase.

Oklahomans will still have two months from the date of purchase to complete their vehicle registration and will then replace the pre-registration decals with the standard month and year decals.

Yes. A customer can skip pre-registration and immediately register their vehicle by visiting a licensed operator or Service Oklahoma’s headquarters at 6015 N. Classen Blvd. in Oklahoma City. Because the temporary paper tag that comes with a newly-purchased vehicle is only good for ten days, anyone who chooses to skip pre-registration must fully register their vehicle within ten days of purchase.

Yes, Oklahomans are free to choose their preferred licensed operator for each transaction.

All vehicles purchased in Oklahoma before September 1, 2024, will not have to be pre-registered because their temporary paper tags will still be valid for two months rather than ten days. This means that someone who bought a car in Oklahoma on August 31 will not have to get a metal license plate and pre-registration decals in ten days. However, that person must still complete full registration within two months of purchase.

Out-of-state sales are not required to undergo the pre-registration process. Visit our Vehicle Registration page for steps on how to register a vehicle in Oklahoma after buying it from another state.

No, a vehicle buyer does not pay anything during pre-registration. Only once they fully register their vehicles within two months from the date of purchase will they have to pay the tag, title and tax.

Yes, there is a fee for mailing the metal plate and pre-registration decals to customers. That fee will not be collected during pre-registration. Rather, customers will pay the mailing fee when they fully register their vehicles within two months from date of purchase.

For decals, the mail fee is $1.66 and for plates, the mail fee is $6.15.

Customers in private vehicle sales can also choose to submit their pre-registration information in person at a licensed operator. That will allow them to pick up their plate and pre-registration decals in person without having to pay a mail fee.

Once the law takes effect on September 1, 2024, failure to affix a metal plate and pre-registration decals within ten days of the vehicle purchase may result in citations, fines, and/or penalties at the discretion of law enforcement.

Vehicles purchased in Oklahoma prior to September 1, 2024 do not have to be pre-registered and their temporary paper tags will remain valid for two months rather than ten days. The buyers of those vehicles must still complete full registration within two months of purchase.

SB2035, also known as the Mason Treat Act, signifies a fundamental shift in the way license plates are issued in the state. Starting on September 1, 2024. This new legislation will limit the amount of time temporary paper tags are on vehicles, with the goal of improving road safety and compliance.

The law is named after Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat’s son, who was critically injured in January 2024 during a routine traffic stop. Canadian County Deputy Jose Tayahua-Mendoza was also seriously hurt.  

Under this law, a temporary paper tag will only be good for ten days after the purchase of a vehicle in Oklahoma. Within that time frame, buyers must get a metal license plate and two temporary decals through a new pre-registration process.

After the pre-registration is completed, buyers will still have two months from the date of purchase to fully register their vehicles. Only then will they be required to pay the tag, title and tax.