KRS 186A.035: Motor vehicle registration by birth month of owner -- Alternative

schedule for certain vehicles -- Joint tenancy with right of survivorship for

motor vehicle or manufactured home jointly owned by married couple --

Clerk's fee -- Renewal of registration.

(1) (a) Except for vehicles described in paragraph (b) of this subsection, all motor

vehicles, including motorcycles, with a gross vehicular weight of ten thousand

(10,000) pounds or less, first registered, or for which the registratio n is

renewed, shall be placed in a system of year-round registration based upon the

birth date of the owner, in order to distribute the work of registering motor

vehicles as uniformly as practicable throughout the twelve (12) months of the

year.

(b) Owners of the following motor vehicles may elect to register these vehicles on

an annual registration schedule of April 1 to March 31:

1. Farm vehicles registered under KRS 186.050(4); or

2. Motor vehicles with a gross vehicular weight of ten thousand (10,000)

pounds or less that are owned by a business.

(2) (a) If the owner of a motor vehicle is other than an individual, the month in which

the owning entity came into being shall be used for purposes of this section.

(b) Except for motor vehicles jointly owned un der paragraph (c) of this

subsection, if a motor vehicle is jointly owned:

1. One (1) of the owners, who is a resident of Kentucky, shall be identified

as the designated owner;

2. The designated owner shall indicate to the county clerk his or her birth

date to be used for purposes of this section; and

3. If the circumstances of ownership change and the designated owner is

no longer an owner of the motor vehicle or no longer a resident of

Kentucky, another owner may title the motor vehicle in his or her name

if that owner is a resident of Kentucky. If none of th e remaining owners

are a resident of Kentucky, one (1) of the owners shall title the vehicle

in that owner's state of residence.

(c) If a motor vehicle or manufactured home is jointly owned by a married

couple, the ownership shall exist as a joint tenancy with right of survivorship,

unless the registration expressly states to the contrary and gives an alternative

specific status. One (1) of the owners shall indicate to the county clerk his or

her birth date to be used for purposes of this section. Upon the death of one

(1) of the spouses, the jointly -owned vehicle or manufactured home shall

transfer to the surviving spouse free from payment of a title application fee.

The surviving spouse shall include a copy of the death certificate with the

application for a new title. If the surviving spouse wishes to obtain a printed

copy of the title, the owner shall apply to the county clerk and pay the fee for

a printed title in KRS 186A.130.

(d) A certificate of title:

1. May bear the connector "AND" to designate join t ownership. If the

"AND" connector is used, the signatures of all owners shall be required

to transfer the certificate of title;

2. May bear the connector "OR" to designate joint ownership. If the "OR"

connector is used, the signature of only one (1) owne r shall be required

to transfer the certificate of title; and

3. Shall not bear the connector "AND/OR" to designate joint ownership. If

a title produced prior to June 27, 2025, bears the connector "AND/OR,"

the cabinet and the county clerk shall follow the procedures in

subparagraph 1. of this paragraph in transferring the certificate of title,

unless directed otherwise by a court.

(3) The certificate of registration and license plate issued for a motor vehicle first

registered, renewed, or titled in this s tate shall be valid until the expiration date on

the registration receipt, unless revoked in accordance with KRS 186A.040 or

canceled by the cabinet in accordance with KRS Chapter 186 or this chapter. Any

transaction relating to registration or registratio n renewal which would cause an

unexpired Kentucky motor vehicle license plate to be surrendered shall have that

unexpired fee prorated or credited against any additional fee required by a

subsequent registration.

(4) Except for vehicles registered under subsection (1)(b) of this section, KRS 186.041,

186.042, and 186.162 that have a specified, universal expiration date, after a motor

vehicle has been initially placed in the system of year -round registration, the owner

shall renew the registration annually d uring the owner's birth month, either by

making application to the county clerk or on the cabinet's website, and paying the

fee required for twelve (12) consecutive months of registration, which shall take

effect on the first day of the month succeeding th e owner's birth month and shall

expire on the last day of the owner's next birth month. The county clerk shall collect

the fees set forth in KRS 186.040(1) and (6) for each renewal.

(5) At least forty-five (45) days prior to the expiration of the registrat ion of any motor

vehicle previously registered in the Commonwealth as provided by subsection (1)

of this section, the owner of the vehicle shall be notified on the same notice

required by KRS 134.805(5) of the date of expiration. Nonreceipt of the notice

required by this subsection shall not constitute a defense to any registration -related

offense.

(6) Any owner who fails to renew the registration of a motor vehicle during the month

in which the previous registration expired shall, if he or she applies for renewal of

the registration in some later month, pay the same fees that would have been

required if the registration had been renewed in the month which the previous

registration expired, and, if applicable, the reinstatement fee for a cancelled

registration required under KRS 186.040.

(7) Fees which must be prorated in carrying out the intent of this section shall be

prorated on the basis of twelfths of the annual registration fee. Any vehicle or

manufactured home which is registered at any time during a month shall pay the fee

required for that whole month plus any additional months of registration purchased

consistent with the intent of the section.

(8) The county clerk shall ensure that the certificate of registration issued to an owner

displays the mont h and year in which the registration period begins and the month

and year of its expiration, and shall issue to the owner a decal or decals

corresponding to the month and year of expiration shown in the certificate of

registration which shall be placed upo n the corresponding license plate by the

owner in the manner required by administrative regulations of the Department of

Vehicle Regulation.