Johnson County Department of Motor Vehicles

Kansas law requires that you carry liability on any vehicle except a motorized bicycle so that, in case of an accident, the other vehicle and its passengers are protected.

Everyone will be required to show proof of insurance on all motor vehicle transactions. Renewals done by mail will need to include a COPY of the proof of insurance on each vehicle along with the renewal notice. K.S.A. 8-173.

State law requires that each vehicle carry an insurance card with the following elements as proof of insurance:

Name of insurer
Name of insured
Policy number
Effective date and expiration date to include current date.
Vehicle description including Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)

Below the vehicle description you will find the Property Tax due and Registration/Qtr Fees due. In the highlighted area you will find the Total Amount Due which may be paid by cash, one check or money order. Payment may be made by Discover Card if you pay in person and are willing to pay a $3 to $25 transaction fee.

If the property tax is not listed, you can get the amount by calling the Appraiser's Office at 913-829-9500 and provide the year, make and ID number of all vehicles to obtain the amount due, or you may use the Internet calculator located at Motor Vehicle Tax Info.

If you are renewing the license plates on more than one vehicle, you may combine all the property taxes and the renewal fees in one payment.

You can process your renewal Monday through Friday (except holidays) at either of two Motor Vehicle Department offices.

One is located in the Johnson County Offices (Northeast Building), 6000 Lamar, Mission, KS 66202. The other office is located in the Twin Trails Shopping Center on Santa Fe, about one block west of its intersection with I-35 in Olathe. Hours of operation are 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at both locations.

Because of the customer volume in the last few days of the month, the best time to renew your license is in the middle of the week and during the first half of the month.

For convenience, you may wish to mail your renewal, or put it in a drop box in either office or in the drop box in the parking lot at the Johnson County Offices (Northeast Building). In either case, remember to add 50 cents per vehicle to cover handling costs. If you want to write two checks, add the 50 cents per vehicle to the Registration Fees.

If you have questions or need more information about the renewal process, the phone number for the Johnson County Motor Vehicle office is 913-826-1800.

In most cases, renewing your license in Johnson County takes only a few steps.

Fill out your paperwork completely
Take, drop off or mail your renewal form to one of the Motor Vehicle offices
Affix your plate/decal to your vehicle as soon as you receive it and retain your registration receipt

If you follow those steps, getting your license renewed by the Johnson County Treasurer's Motor Vehicle Departments should be as easy as 1,2,3.

To make renewing your license plate as quick and easy as possible, take the following steps:

1. Fill out the paperwork completely.

Be sure to include or bring a COPY of the proof of insurance on each vehicle along with the renewal notice.

Check the rest of the form to make sure the information on it is correct. If your address has changed within Johnson County, cross out your old address and print your new address clearly on the bottom of the form. If any other information is incorrect, call or visit either Motor Vehicle Department office for assistance.

If you have moved to Johnson County from another Kansas county, you can still use your old license plate until your annual registration month. Correct the address on your renewal form. Then call the Appraiser's Office at 829-9500 to see if your property tax amount has changed because of the move. Provide the year, make and VIN of all vehicles to obtain the amount due. If you do not get a new renewal form by the first of the month in which your current registration expires, bring last year's vehicle registration(s) to one of the Johnson County Motor Vehicle Department offices to process your annual renewal.

If you plan to use a check or money order to pay for any renewals, make them payable to the Johnson County Treasurer.

The person signing the check must provide a driver's license number and daytime phone number.

NOTE: If you delay in renewing your registration until after it expires, you are charged a $1-a-month penalty per vehicle on your state registration fee and a prorated 11 % annual penalty on your property taxes. You can get the amount of penalties due by calling or visiting a Motor Vehicle Department office.

2. Take or mail all the paperwork to one of the Motor Vehicle Department Offices.

If you take your forms in, go directly to the renewal counter at either Motor Vehicle office so that your paperwork can be processed as quickly as possible. Your paperwork will be checked and, after the fees have been paid, you will receive your renewal registration and plate/decal.

If there is a line and you choose not to wait, you can leave the paperwork in a lobby drop box in either office, in the parking lot drop box at the Mission Motor Vehicle office, or mail it to the County Treasurer, P. O. Box 29192, Shawnee Mission, KS 66201-9192. Remember to add 50 cents per vehicle to cover handling costs. The registration and plate/decal will be mailed to you.

Please allow up to10 working days to receive them by mail. You are not charged a late fee for a renewal if it is dropped off or postmarked before your current registration expires. However, you may be subject to a traffic fine if you drive with an expired registration.

3. Install the license plate/decal on your vehicle and retain the registration form.

The plate/decal should be affixed to your vehicle as soon as you receive it. If it is not a plate reissue year, the decal has instructions on the back. Be sure to keep your registration receipt.