The Town Clerk can renew a vehicle registration ONLY IF
– Your renewal is not more than 90 days overdue.
– You have the renewal form sent by the DMV and everyone named on the form has signed it.
The clerk cannot process title transfers, help you with a car whose registration expired more than 90 days prior, or process a registration without the forms the DMV sent you. Clerks DO NOT issue permanent registration stickers – you get a temporary registration just like you do if you renew online, and processing times are generally longer, since your renewal needs to get mailed to the DMV office in Montpelier and then processed there before you get the permanent sticker.
There is an additional $3 fee for processing a renewal through the clerk’s office.
Bottom line: if you have an internet connection, it is faster and cheaper to renew online at the DMV website.