Boats, Snowmobiles, ATV, ORM, ORV, & UTV

Snowmobiles and Off Road Vehicles (ATV, ORM, ORV & UTVs)

View or download the Snowmobile and Off-Road Vehicle Registration Application (PDF) to be used for new snowmobiles and ATVs, renewals, transfers, and duplications of registration, titles, and liens.

The annual registration fee is $18.50 between January 1 and December 31 of every year. The renewal period for off road vehicles begins September 1 and the deadline to renew is December 31 annually. 

You can call our office to renew or obtain a duplicate copy of your registration with our office over the phone with a credit card. You can also renew your registration using our online renewal site.

• View the current Snowmobile Reference Guide on the DNR website.
• View the current ATV/UTV/ORM/ORV Reference Guide on the DNR website.
• View the Iowa Code for off-road usage.

Snowmobile, ATV, ORM, ORV, UTV Transfers & Fees

To register, sell, or purchase an ATV, ORV, ORM, UTV, Snowmobile requires:

1. A Bill of Sale signed by the dealer or owner(s) with the date, sale price of the vehicle, trailer, and trade-in amount (if applicable), and sales tax paid (if applicable). The trailer shall be itemized separately from the vehicle and shall be registered with the Linn County Treasurer's Office.
2. Registration signed on the backside by the owner(s) and the buyer’s information
3. Title signed on the backside by the owner(s) and the buyer’s information and lien information (if the buyer is financing the vehicle)
   • Buyer will need to provide the Lienholder information if financing
4. If the vehicle is previously owned and/ or registered, but you have no documentation, bill of sale and you cannot locate the owner, Iowa law requires the buyer to go through a bonding process with the DNR prior to registering the vehicle at the County Recorder’s Office. The bonding form and information can be found on the Iowa DNR’s website on the bonding page.   
   1. If your vehicle is previously owned and has never been registered, you can register the vehicle with a bill of sale and an affidavit for unregistered or untitled all-terrain vehicles, off road motorcycles, off road utility vehicles, snowmobiles or vessels. The form can be found at Affidavit of unregistered vehicles and vessels (PDF). The affidavit must be notarized and signed by a conservation officer or peace officer after inspection of the vehicle.

•  Duplicate Registrations and Titles can be purchased by the seller at the Linn County Recorder’s Office or by telephone.  Duplicate Registration cost is $8.50. Duplicate Title cost is $13.50.  A duplicate title will require a completed application and the owner’s signature.
• If the registration has a current IOWA registration, the fee to transfer the vehicle is $18.50, title fee of $13.50, and lien fee of $11.50 (if applicable).  The transfer shall be completed within 45 days at the County Recorder’s Office in the county you reside.  
• If the registration is from another state, and not currently registered in Iowa, the vehicle shall not be operated until it is titled and registered in the purchaser’s name. 
• If the registration is expired, the cost is a $5.00 penalty fee for an expired registration, the renewal cost of $18.50, title fee of $13.50, lien fee of $13.50 (if applicable), and sales tax.
• If the vehicle was not purchased in Iowa, you will pay the $18.50 fee for a new vehicle registration, title fee of $13.50, lien fee of $13.50 (if applicable) and 6% sales tax (or the difference, if taxes have been paid out of state)
• If the vehicle was purchased in Iowa, you will pay sales tax based on the sales tax rate on the municipality where the purchase / sale occurred.

Fee Schedule

• Registration and Renewal fees - $18.50
• Iowa nonresident user permits - $18.50
• Duplicate registrations - $8.50
• Titles - $13.50
• Liens - $13.50
• Penalty Fee- $5.00