Federal & State Regulations | Vehicle Registration Exemptions - Oklahoma

Every motor vehicle is required to be registered and a license tag displayed on the rear bumper, except:

Salvage and junked vehicles,
Vehicles on used car dealer’s lots for sale, and
Vehicles assigned to charitable organizations licensed through the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s office.

A “motor vehicle” is:

Any vehicle which is self-propelled; or
Any vehicle propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires but not operated on rails.

The term “motor vehicle” does not include:

Implements of husbandry, as defined in Section 1-125;
Electric personal assistive mobility devices as defined in Section 1-114A;
Motorized wheelchairs, as defined in Section 1-136.3; Vehicles moved solely by human or animal power; or
Electric-assisted bicycles as defined in Section 1-104.

An “implement of husbandry” includes every device, whether it is self-propelled, designed and adapted to be used exclusively for agricultural, horticultural or livestock-raising operations or for lifting or carrying an implement of husbandry. The following devices are included in this definition:

Farm wagon type tank trailers of not over 1,200 gallons capacity, used during the liquid fertilizer season as field storage “nurse tanks” supplying the fertilizer to a field applicator and moved on highways only for bringing the fertilizer from a local source of supply to farms or field or from one farm or field to another.
Trailers or semitrailers owned by a person engaged in farming and used exclusively to transport farm products to market or to transport to the farm material or things to be used thereon. But not including any truck or semitrailer with an axle weight of 20,000 pounds or more, used to haul manure and operated on the public roads or highways.
Utility-type, all-terrain vehicles with a maximum curb weight of 1,500 pounds which are equipped with metal front or rear carrying racks when used for agricultural, horticultural or livestock-raising operations.

Additionally, the following vehicles are exempt from state vehicle registration requirements.

All-terrain vehicles, motorcycles, and utility vehicles

All-terrain vehicles or motorcycles used exclusively off road and purchased before July 1, 2005, are exempt from registration but may be registered at the owner's option.

Utility vehicles used exclusively off road and purchased before July 1, 2008, are exempt from registration but may be registered at the owner's option.

All-terrain vehicles, utility vehicles or motorcycles used exclusively off road owned or purchased by a person that possesses an agricultural exemption pursuant to Section 1358.1 of Title 68 of the Oklahoma Statutes may be registered but do not require registration.

Vehicles meeting the specifications and description of a street-legal utility vehicle as described in Section 1-171.1 will be required to receive a certificate of registration, license plate and yearly decal before operation on the streets, county roads and state highways.

Vehicles owned by members of the armed services or their spouses for personal use

All vehicles owned by members of the Armed Forces of the United States, the Reserve Corps of the Armed Forces of the United States, and the Oklahoma National Guard or their spouses assigned to duty in Oklahoma or owned by the spouse, who resides in Oklahoma, or a member of the Armed Forces of the United States serving in a foreign country, which vehicles ARE NOT being used in a trade or business or for any commercial purpose, are hereby classified specially for vehicle license and registration purposes.

Any such vehicle which is not registered and licensed for the current year in the state of residence or domicile of the service member, Guardsman, or Reservist or of the spouse owning the vehicle must be registered for the current year in Oklahoma, except that any such vehicle which has been licensed in some other state by such service member, Guardsman, Reservist, or spouse while the service member, Guardsman, or Reservist was stationed in the other state may be operated in this state for the remainder of the year or period for which it is licensed.

If such vehicle currently is registered with the Armed Forces of the United States rather than being registered in a state and the service member, Guardsman, or Reservist is transferred to a duty station within Oklahoma pursuant to military orders, the service member, Guardsman, Reservist, or spouse owning the vehicle will not be required to register the vehicle Oklahoma for a period of 30 days after the date the service member, Guardsman, or Reservist is required to report for duty.

Vehicle owned by nonresident employed in Oklahoma

If the owner of a vehicle becomes employed in Oklahoma, they have 30 days to register the vehicle. However, the owner of the vehicle who is employed in Oklahoma and commutes daily from an adjoining state is exempt from registration.

Vehicle owned by a nonresident full-time-equivalent student

Any nonresident student certified as a full-time-equivalent student by an institution of higher learning in Oklahoma will not be required to purchase an Oklahoma license plate, provided that the state of residence of such student affords a similar exemption to Oklahoma students attending institutions of higher learning in such state. This exception does not apply when a student registers to vote as a resident in Oklahoma.

Any vehicle owned by a visiting nonresident

Any vehicle, including a manufactured home, other than a commercial truck which is owned by a visiting nonresident and is properly registered in its native state for the current year and remains in Oklahoma for any period more than 60 days must be registered.

Former military vehicles

Former military vehicles are exempt from the provisions of the Oklahoma Vehicle License and Registration Act if:

The former military vehicle is used only for exhibitions, club activities, parades, and other functions of public interest and will not be used for regular transportation; and
The owner of the former military vehicle files with Service Oklahoma or a licensed operator files a sworn affidavit, signed by the owner, stating that the vehicle will only be used for said purposes.

A “former military vehicle” means a vehicle which has been, but no longer is, used by the Armed Forces of a national government and which displays markings indicating it was a military vehicle.

Citations

O.A.C. 710:60-3-10 General registration information
47 Okl. St. 1-134 Motor vehicle
47 Okl. St. 1-125 Implement of husbandry
47 Okl. St. 1115.3 Registration of All-terrain Vehicles, Motorcycles and Utility Vehicles Used Exclusively Off Road
47 Okl. St. 1127 Vehicles Owned by Members of Armed Services or Spouses -- Registration
47 Okl. St. 1125 Owner of Vehicle Employed in State Subject to Tax—Exemptions—Penalty for Failure to Register—Students—Vehicle Other than Commercial Truck Owned by Visisting Nonresident
47 Okl. St. 1136.2 Exemption from Oklahoma Vehicle License and Registration Act for Former Military Vehicle

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Vehicle Registration Exemptions - Oklahoma