Moving to Minnesota: Your Checklist for License, Registration, Insurance and Voting

Minnesota gives new residents the same window for the two big car tasks: 60 days to get a Minnesota driver’s license and 60 days to register your vehicle [1][3]. Insurance has to be in place first, and Minnesota’s required coverage includes no-fault PIP on top of liability [4][5].

1. Insure the car

Minnesota requires these minimum coverages:

• Liability: $30,000 for injury to one person, $60,000 for injury to two or more people in one accident, and $10,000 for property damage [4].
• Uninsured and underinsured motorist: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident [4].
• Personal injury protection (PIP): $20,000 for medical expenses and $20,000 for income loss, replacement services and funeral costs, for $40,000 per person [5].

You’ll need your insurance company’s name, policy number and expiration date to register [3].

2. Register your vehicle within 60 days

You have 60 days after moving to register a passenger vehicle, motorcycle, utility trailer or house trailer [3]. Register immediately if your out-of-state registration has expired, or if the vehicle is a commercial trailer or truck [3].

Go to a deputy registrar office, or mail a completed application to Driver and Vehicle Services with the fees [3]. Bring [3]:

• your current out-of-state title (a Minnesota title is issued only when the most current out-of-state title is turned in),
• names and addresses of any lienholders,
• the current odometer reading,
• your driver’s license or other ID, and
• your insurance information.

3. Get your Minnesota driver’s license within 60 days

A new resident with a valid license from another state can drive on it for no more than 60 days after becoming a Minnesota resident. For a commercial license, the limit is 30 days [1].

If you’re over 21 and have a valid, unexpired, non-commercial license from a listed U.S. state, territory or Canada, you don’t need a written or road test to transfer it [2]. You will need a vision check [2]. Drivers under 21, or with a license that has expired, must pass the written test; if it’s been expired more than a year, the road test too [2].

You can choose a standard license, a REAL ID or an enhanced license; each has its own document list [2].

4. Register to vote

To vote in Minnesota you must be 18, a U.S. citizen, and have lived in Minnesota for 20 days before the election [6].

Pre-registration closes in the 20 days before a regularly scheduled election [7]:

• in person or by mail: received by 5 p.m. on the 21st day before the election,
• online: received by 11:59 p.m. on the 21st day before. You need an email address and a Minnesota driver’s license or ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number.

Election Day registration. Missed the deadline? You can register at your precinct’s polling place on Election Day [7]. Bring proof of residence, such as a Minnesota driver’s license or ID card with your current address. A registered voter from your precinct can also vouch for you under oath [7].

Quick checklist

• Buy Minnesota auto insurance with liability, uninsured/underinsured and PIP coverage.
• Register your vehicle at a deputy registrar within 60 days.
• Transfer your driver’s license within 60 days (30 for a CDL).
• Decide whether you want a REAL ID or enhanced license and gather the documents.
• Register to vote online at least 21 days before the next election, or bring proof of residence to the polls.