How To Cancel Vehicle Registration Online in North Dakota in 2026
The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) administers vehicle registration cancellations statewide. North Dakota does not offer an online system for registration cancellation. Vehicle owners complete the cancellation process by removing license plates from their vehicle at the time of sale or transfer, which renders the vehicle unlicensed under state requirements.
When Registration Cancellation May Be Needed
North Dakota residents face multiple situations that require canceling vehicle registration:
- Transferring ownership through a private buyer or dealer purchase
- Gifting your vehicle to a family member or charitable entity
- Moving your primary residence outside the North Dakota boundaries
- Concluding a vehicle lease agreement and returning to the lessor
- Scrapping your vehicle at an authorized dismantler or recycling center
- Receiving total loss determination from your insurance carrier
- Filing a theft report with law enforcement without vehicle recovery
- Placing your vehicle in extended storage without insurance coverage
- Distributing vehicle through probate or estate administration
- Withdrawing your vehicle permanently from highway operation
License Plate Removal and Transfer Options
North Dakota law mandates that owners remove license plates when selling or transferring vehicle ownership. The state provides options for utilizing existing registration credit toward replacement vehicles rather than requiring physical plate surrender to motor vehicle offices.
Canceling registration terminates the vehicle's legal authority for highway operation in North Dakota. Under North Dakota Century Code § 39-04-36, vehicle owners must remove license plates whenever a vehicle is sold or ownership transfers, effectively canceling the registration and subjecting any subsequent registration to full annual fees.
Plate Removal Requirements
Remove both license plates from your vehicle before transferring ownership to any buyer. The vehicle becomes unlicensed upon plate removal, and buyers must obtain new registration, paying full annual fees, unless they apply available credits from their own previous registrations.
Required Actions:
- Physical removal of both license plates before delivery to buyer
- Retention of plates for potential credit application to replacement vehicle
- Completion of title transfer documentation as described below
- Provision of Assignment and Warranty of Title (Form SFN 2887) to buyer
- Completion of Damage/Salvage Disclosure Statement (Form SFN 18609) for vehicles less than nine model years old
Registration Fee Refund Procedures
North Dakota does not generally offer refunds for unused registration fees. Refunds are only available for errors by the NDDOT, duplicate registrations, or if the vehicle registration was improperly or incorrectly done. Instead, the state offers a credit system allowing owners to transfer unused registration time from sold vehicles to replacement vehicles as described above.
Registration Credit Transfer
Vehicle owners who removed plates at the time of sale may apply the remaining registration credit toward a replacement vehicle. The NDDOT calculates credit based on complete months remaining on the canceled registration.
Credit Application Process:
Complete Application for Certificate of Title and Registration of a Vehicle (Form SFN 2872) for your replacement vehicle. Include information about the license plates being transferred and indicate credit application. An additional $5 service fee applies to each registration involving credit transfer.
Credit Calculation Standards:
The department credits registration fees for complete calendar months remaining between the replacement vehicle acquisition date and the original plate expiration date. Partial months receive no credit. Available credit expires if not applied by the original plate expiration date, with calculation beginning the month following plate transfer.
Credit Limitations:
Credit applies only to one replacement vehicle. When available credit exceeds the replacement vehicle registration fee, the excess balance is forfeited with no refund issued. Credit offsets registration fees exclusively and cannot reduce title fees, taxes, or other charges.
Eligible Vehicle Classes:
Credit transfers between different vehicle classifications, including passenger vehicles, pickups, trucks, motor homes, motorcycles, trailers, travel trailers, unconventional vehicles, and specialized categories like house mover or well driller vehicles.
Credit System Administration
The NDDOT maintains records of license plate numbers and their expiration dates. When owners apply credit toward replacement vehicles, department staff verify eligibility and calculate available credit amounts.
Verification Requirements:
Staff confirm that:
- Plates were removed at the time of vehicle sale or transfer
- Credit application occurs before original plate expiration date
- Replacement vehicle classification qualifies for credit transfer
- Applicant owns or owned the vehicle bearing the plates being transferred
Processing Timeline:
Credit applications are processed during the same transaction as replacement vehicle registration. Applicants receive new registration cards reflecting any applied credit at the time of transaction completion.
Alternative Credit Assignment
Owners who sold vehicles and will not acquire replacements may assign their unused registration credit to immediate family members for application toward family member vehicle purchases.
Assignment Procedure:
The family member must present documentation establishing the relationship and proof that the original owner removed the plates at the vehicle sale. Complete Form SFN 2872 indicating the plate transfer and family relationship.
Governing Laws and Regulations
North Dakota vehicle registration cancellation procedures derive from state statutes and manuals:
- North Dakota Century Code § 39-04 establishes all relevant rules and regulations on motor vehicle registration
- NDDOT Motor Vehicle Registration Manual summarizes motor vehicle registration procedures, fees, credits, and penalties in North Dakota
Government Agencies
North Dakota Department of Transportation
North Dakota Department of Transportation
608 East Boulevard Avenue, Bismarck, ND 58505-0700
Phone: (701) 328-2500
Official Website: North Dakota Department of Transportation
NDDOT Motor Vehicle Offices in Major Cities
The following NDDOT motor vehicle offices throughout North Dakota process motor vehicle registrations:
Bismarck Motor Vehicle Office
608 East Boulevard Avenue, Bismarck, ND 58505
Phone: (701) 328-2725
Official Website: Bismarck Motor Vehicle Office
Fargo Motor Vehicle Office
745 45th South Suite H, Fargo, ND 58103
Phone: (701) 282-5070
Official Website: Fargo Motor Vehicle Office
Grand Forks Motor Vehicle Office
1726 S Washington St, Grand Forks, ND 58201
Phone: (701) 772-1390
Official Website: Grand Forks Motor Vehicle Office
Minot Motor Vehicle Office
1600 2nd Ave SW, Minot, ND 58701
Phone: (701) 857-8221
Official Website: Minot Motor Vehicle Office
Williston Motor Vehicle Office
206 E Broadway, Williston, ND 58801
Phone: (701) 713-3410
Official Website: Williston Motor Vehicle Office
Dickinson Motor Vehicle Office
Big Sky Shopping Center, 1173 3rd Ave W, Dickinson, ND 58601
Phone: (701) 456-5640
Official Website: Dickinson Motor Vehicle Office
Jamestown Motor Vehicle Office
120 2nd St SE, Jamestown, ND 58401
Phone: (701) 952-0852
Official Website: Jamestown Motor Vehicle Office
Devils Lake Motor Vehicle Office
208 W Highway 2, Devils Lake, ND 58301
Phone: (701) 662-8966
Official Website: Devils Lake Motor Vehicle Office
Wahpeton Motor Vehicle Office
1505 11th St N, Wahpeton, ND 58075
Phone: (701) 642-2652
Official Website: Wahpeton Motor Vehicle Office
Valley City Motor Vehicle Office
253 Central Ave N, Valley City, ND 58072
Phone: (701) 845-3812
Official Website: Valley City Motor Vehicle Office
