NeedTags is a highly reputable and reliable online platform that specializes in providing vehicle registration services for California vehicle owners. With a strong track record of customer satisfaction, NeedTags has established itself as a trusted source for individuals and businesses seeking efficient and hassle-free vehicle registration solutions.
NeedTags (needtags.com) has 324 customer reviews on Five Star Index, with an average rating of 3.2 out of 5.
Also known as
needtags.com
Website
needtags.com
Category
Motorcycle & Powersports
Listed on Five Star Index
2026
About these reviews
Replies
The company replied to 47% of reviews.
Latest
Most recent review: October 2026.
Edits
Reviews are shown as their authors wrote them. The company can reply, but cannot edit them.
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Total ripoff. They don't do anything online thatthe DMV can't do. It's a scam.
Response from NeedTagsJul 24, 2026
Thank you for your review Jonathan. We are a delegated provider for the California Department of Motor Vehicles. With us, your registration renewal is processed instantly, your DMV fees are paid immediately, and your registration is updated in real time. Every completed renewal includes a FREE e-card emailed to you instantly, providing valid proof of registration while you wait for your physical copy to arrive. If your registration is lost, stolen, or misdelivered by USPS, we'll provide a free replacement at no extra cost. Unlike standard DMV online renewals, we also offer next-day shipping to any address in the U.S, instant access to your renewed registration, and responsive customer support every step of the way.
Please contact our customer care department if we can be of any further assistance.
TG
Tom G.
Needtags is a scam - use the real DMV website instead
Needtags.com purchases Google Search keywords for DMV keywords, so when I searched for the DMV website, I accidentally went to the Needtags website and paid for my vehicle registration, including fees which totaled $74.21 over and above what DMV would have charged me for my vehicle's registration. Renewing a vehicle registration on the DMV website is actually lower friction than doing so on Needtags.
I feel that I was duped into giving this company money. I emailed their customer service requesting a refund and received an email back threatening legal consequences. I imagine they were trying to intimidate me into dropping the matter but instead it had the opposite effect.
Response from NeedTagsJul 23, 2026
Thank you for your review Tom. We appreciate your time. NeedTags strives to provide full transparency. We are not the DMV and make absolutely no claims to that effect. NeedTags is in fact a delegated provider for the California Department of Motor Vehicles. On the header of every page of our website we display the following text, as per California Business Partner Automation requirements, “NOTICE: NeedTags has been officially licensed by the California Department of Motor Vehicles to provide DMV services on their behalf. NeedTags is not owned or operated by any government agency and charges fees for value-add DMV services pursuant to CVC Section 1685. Standard service may be obtained from the DMV at no cost.” As for the benefits of utilizing our service, although the registration renewal interface (portal) for our users is online, the real work is done behind-the-scenes, by our awesome employees, and we're doing our very best to keep our offices staffed and continue offering our valued customers the expedited DMV services they've come to expect from us, including our super speedy next-day shipping, instant download of your renewed registration card, and our above par customer support. Please contact our customer care department if we can be of any further assistance.
JT
John T.
BUYER BEWARE Well they responded to my review. NO RECORD OF MY ATTEMPT TO MAKE CONNECTION BY PHONE, Email or VMail! FUNNY YOUR RESPONSE TO MY REVIEW IMPLIES THAT IT IS MY ISSUE! OWN IT!!!! YOU AND YOUR COMPANY CONTINUE TO FAIL! PATHETIC! !
Need tags IS NOT CA DMV, they are a third party.
My mistake using them. They charged me 16% in fees to process which CA DMV does not charge.
I called them 8 times, emailed 5 times, voice mail 3 times! NO RESPONSE! The service they provide in pathetic.
Terrible experience!
Response from NeedTagsJul 10, 2026
Thank you for your review John. After reviewing our records, we were unable to find any attempts on your behalf to contact our customer service team regarding your concerns. We always encourage customers to reach out directly so we have the opportunity to address any issues and provide assistance. Our records also show that all of the services you requested were completed as agreed. We want to advise that we are not the DMV and make absolutely no claims to that effect. NeedTags is in fact a delegated provider for the California Department of Motor Vehicles. On the header of every page of our website we display the following text, as per California Business Partner Automation requirements, “NOTICE: NeedTags has been officially licensed by the California Department of Motor Vehicles to provide DMV services on their behalf. NeedTags is not owned or operated by any government agency and charges fees for value-add DMV services pursuant to CVC Section 1685. Standard service may be obtained from the DMV at no cost.”
ML
Mark L.
These guys are terrible
These guys are terrible. They are fraudulently portray their site as the DMV. Very deceitful. They charge $80 above what the DMV would charge me. I cannot cancel because they don't allow it. Stay well away from these jerks, they are only out for your money. Terrible.
Response from NeedTagsJun 22, 2026
Thank you for your review Mark. We appreciate your time. NeedTags strives to provide full transparency. We are not the DMV and make absolutely no claims to that effect. NeedTags is in fact a delegated provider for the California Department of Motor Vehicles. On the header of every page of our website we display the following text, as per California Business Partner Automation requirements, “NOTICE: NeedTags has been officially licensed by the California Department of Motor Vehicles to provide DMV services on their behalf. NeedTags is not owned or operated by any government agency and charges fees for value-add DMV services pursuant to CVC Section 1685. Standard service may be obtained from the DMV at no cost.” As for the benefits of utilizing our service, although the registration renewal interface (portal) for our users is online, the real work is done behind-the-scenes, by our awesome employees, and we're doing our very best to keep our offices staffed and continue offering our valued customers the expedited DMV services they've come to expect from us, including our super speedy next-day shipping, instant download of your renewed registration card, and our above par customer support. Please contact our customer care department if we can be of any further assistance.
JK
Josh K.
AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!!
I am filing this review/complaint to warn others about the predatory and unethical operations of this business. The company utilizes deceptive look-alike websites to capture consumer traffic meant for official state registration services. They obscure their steep private service fees until the transaction is virtually complete, which constitutes a deceptive business practice. Furthermore, their staff exhibits highly unprofessional conduct when consumers request cancellations or fee transparency. This entity engages in shady, bad-faith business dealings and predatory consumer exploitation
Response from NeedTagsJun 13, 2026
The statements contained in this review are demonstrably inaccurate and unsupported by the facts.
First, NeedTags does not operate a "look-alike" website. The website is clearly branded as NeedTags, displays its own company name throughout the transaction process, and does not represent itself as the California DMV. NeedTags is an authorized California DMV Business Partner operating under the DMV's Business Partner Automation (BPA) program and is legally authorized to process vehicle registration transactions on behalf of California motorists.
Second, the claim that service fees are "obscured" is false. NeedTags discloses its service fees prior to payment, and customers are presented with a transaction summary before submitting their order. Customers voluntarily proceed with the transaction after reviewing the applicable fees and charges.
Third, the allegation of "predatory" or "deceptive" business practices is entirely unsupported. NeedTags provides a legitimate expedited registration service that more than half a million Californians use each year for convenience, speed, and immediate processing. The company fulfills the services purchased and provides customers with the ability to review transaction details before payment.
Finally, broad accusations regarding "unprofessional conduct," "bad-faith dealings," and "consumer exploitation" are subjective opinions. Such conclusory statements do not accurately reflect the company's operations, policies, or customer service practices.
This review contains multiple false and misleading factual assertions regarding the nature of the business, fee disclosures, and regulatory authorization status. It is an absolute inaccurate representation of NeedTags and its services.
PC
Peter C.
Dishonest Forced Upsells Inventing DMV Policies
Paid for rushed overnight handling for a duplicate title in order to be able to sell my car. My registration is valid for more than another month. They are requiring me to reregister the car with the CA DMV for a future period I won't even own the car in. There are no DMV regulations requiring you register the car at all for a title, let along for future periods when you have a valid current registration. They are unable to cite the regulation they say exists and they have slowed down the order so much that it would have been way better to do this myself.
With regards to their reply it was never disclosed anywhere that I would have to register my car for a future period if I had a current registration. And they had possession of a copy of my registration to let me know so if it was so important.
Also they presented the registration upsell as a DMV requirement when I called the DMV and it isn’t. They’re misrepresenting DMV policy in order to force absurd upsells.
And while they say they refunded me, they failed to refund me the UPS 3 day delivery $60 charge to send them the docs for a duplicate title which I sent before having the capacity to know that my order would include a necessary upsell of registering a car I am selling for a period during which I won’t even have ownership of the car.
How anyone could imagine you would have such an absurd upsell policy for duplicate title when they have a current registration is beyond me.
The honest thing to do is to get your upsell before charging. But it’s clear you’re a dishonest company. The trust pilot consensus isn’t a one-off accident or a misunderstanding.
Response from NeedTagsJun 12, 2026
Thank you for your review Peter Carboni. NeedTags strives to provide transparency throughout the customer journey. In regards to our Duplicate Transfer services, we provide a comprehensive disclosure and detailed explanation of the required documents needed prior to checkout, along with a thorough overview of the entire process. Although, certain transactions may require additional information to be provided by the customer which may not be known at the time of order. The customer in this case was issued a full refund after cancellation. Please contact our customer care department if we can be of any further assistance.
DG
D G.
they are not DMV
they are not DMV. They charge a $150 extra fee over DMV registration
Response from NeedTagsJun 1, 2026
Thank you for your review. We appreciate your time. NeedTags strives to provide full transparency. We are not the DMV and make absolutely no claims to that effect. NeedTags is in fact a delegated provider for the California Department of Motor Vehicles. On the header of every page of our website we display the following text, as per California Business Partner Automation requirements, “NOTICE: NeedTags has been officially licensed by the California Department of Motor Vehicles to provide DMV services on their behalf. NeedTags is not owned or operated by any government agency and charges fees for value-add DMV services pursuant to CVC Section 1685. Standard service may be obtained from the DMV at no cost.” As for the benefits of utilizing our service, although the registration renewal interface (portal) for our users is online, the real work is done behind-the-scenes, by our awesome employees, and we're doing our very best to keep our offices staffed and continue offering our valued customers the expedited DMV services they've come to expect from us, including our super speedy next-day shipping, instant download of your renewed registration card, and our above par customer support. Please contact our customer care department if we can be of any further assistance.
AS
Audrey S.
I have repeatedly tried to contact your…
I have repeatedly tried to contact your customer service and get no response! Your claims are false and you do not honor your statements. You send responses that are clearly AI generated.Why haven’t any of my emails been responded to?? Your positive reviews are from false people or from people who didn’t look at the amount they actually owed. Your company rips people off!
Response from NeedTagsJun 1, 2026
Thank you for your review Audrey. We appreciate your time. NeedTags is in fact a delegated provider for the California Department of Motor Vehicles. On the header of every page of our website we display the following text, as per California Business Partner Automation requirements, “NOTICE: NeedTags has been officially licensed by the California Department of Motor Vehicles to provide DMV services on their behalf. NeedTags is not owned or operated by any government agency and charges fees for value-add DMV services pursuant to CVC Section 1685. Standard service may be obtained from the DMV at no cost.” Our website displays to all customers, before they are asked for any payment information, all fees due, including DMV fees, our service fees, and a detailed explanation of the processes required for order completion. Please contact our customer care department if we can be of any further assistance.
