# KRS § 186A.035: 186A.035 Motor vehicle registration by birth month of owner -- Alternative schedule for certain vehicles -- Joint tenancy with right of survivorship for motor vehicle jointly owned by married couple -- Clerk's fee -- Renewal of registration > Kentucky · Statutes · In force URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KY_TXVI_C186A_S186A.035 ## Section - **Citation:** KRS § 186A.035 - **Heading:** 186A.035 Motor vehicle registration by birth month of owner -- Alternative schedule for certain vehicles -- Joint tenancy with right of survivorship for motor vehicle jointly owned by married couple -- Clerk's fee -- Renewal of registration - **Jurisdiction:** Kentucky - **Kind:** Statutes - **Status:** In force - **Text as of:** August 14, 2026 - **Source:** Compiled text - **Location:** KY Code / Title XVI / Chapter 186A / Section 186A.035 ## Text 186A.035 Motor vehicle registration by birth month of owner -- Alternative schedule for certain vehicles -- Joint tenancy with right of survivorship for motor vehicle 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 registration 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 by spouses under 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 the 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 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 shall transfer to the surviving spouse free from payment of any state-required transfer fees. The surviving spouse shall include a copy of the death certificate with the application for a new title. (d) A certificate of title: 1. May bear the connector "AND" to designate joint 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) owner 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 state 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 registration 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. , 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 registration 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 during 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 the 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 registration 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 by mail or email 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 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 month 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 upon the corresponding license plate by the owner in the manner required by administrative regulations of the Department of Vehicle Regulation. ## Nearby sections - [KRS § 186A.005 186A.005 Definitions for chapter](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KY_TXVI_C186A_S186A.005.md) - [KRS § 186A.010 186A.010 Automated motor vehicle and trailer registration and titling -- Transportation Cabinet to develop system](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KY_TXVI_C186A_S186A.010.md) - [KRS § 186A.015 186A.015 Automated motorboat registration and titling -- Agencies to implement system](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KY_TXVI_C186A_S186A.015.md) - [KRS § 186A.017 186A.017 Electronic title application and registration system -- Application by approved entity -- Contracts with third parties -- Fees -- Administrative regulations](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KY_TXVI_C186A_S186A.017.md) - [KRS § 186A.020 186A.020 Cabinet authorized to promulgate administrative regulations and institute programs](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KY_TXVI_C186A_S186A.020.md) - [KRS § 186A.025 186A.025 Responsibility and authority for administration and support of system](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KY_TXVI_C186A_S186A.025.md) - [KRS § 186A.030 186A.030 Computation and collection of motor vehicle and trailer ad valorem taxes](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KY_TXVI_C186A_S186A.030.md) - [KRS § 186A.035 186A.035 Motor vehicle registration by birth month of owner -- Alternative schedule for certain vehicles -- Joint tenancy with right of survivorship for motor vehicle jointly owned by married couple -- Clerk's fee -- Renewal of registration](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KY_TXVI_C186A_S186A.035.md) - [KRS § 186A.040 186A.040 Accessible online insurance verification system -- Definitions -- Administrative regulations -- Technical advisory committee -- Notification of cancellation, nonrenewal of policy, or absence of vehicle identification number to insured -- Revocation of license -- Information not subject to Kentucky Open Records Act](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KY_TXVI_C186A_S186A.040.md) - [KRS § 186A.042 186A.042 Prohibition against licensing of personal motor vehicle without listing of vehicle identification number as insured vehicle -- Exceptions -- Submission of paper or electronic proof of insurance card to county clerk. (Effective January 1, 2027)](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KY_TXVI_C186A_S186A.042.md) - [KRS § 186A.045 186A.045 Video telecommunication equipment in all counties](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KY_TXVI_C186A_S186A.045.md) - [KRS § 186A.050 186A.050 Conditions and characteristics of certificate of title and computer generated forms](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KY_TXVI_C186A_S186A.050.md) - [KRS § 186A.055 186A.055 System to withhold title until vehicle identification number compared](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KY_TXVI_C186A_S186A.055.md) - [KRS § 186A.060 186A.060 Department of Vehicle Regulation to develop forms -- Reduction of paperwork required -- Identification numbers used -- False or erroneous information](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KY_TXVI_C186A_S186A.060.md) --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KY_TXVI_C186A_S186A.035. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.