SellCarAdvisor is reader-supported, when you sign up through links on this post, we may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. How We Work.
The bottom line: In most states, you remove your license plates when selling your car and either transfer them to your next vehicle or return them to the DMV.
A handful of states (California, Hawaii, Minnesota, and Alaska) require standard plates to stay on the car when you sell it. And a few states like Florida and New York can suspend your driver’s license if you don’t handle plates and paperwork correctly.
Kentucky switched to an owner-keeps-plates system on January 1, 2024. Before that, plates stayed with the car in Kentucky.
Key Takeaways
- In most states, you remove your plates and either transfer them to your next car or turn them in to the DMV. Leaving them on is almost never the right move.
- California, Hawaii, Minnesota, and Alaska require standard plates to stay on the car when sold, but you still have a 5 to 10 day deadline to file a notice of sale.
- Florida and New York can suspend your driver’s license if you don’t surrender plates and file the required paperwork correctly.
- Removing plates is only half the job. Filing a release of liability or notice of sale is what actually protects you from future tickets and violations.
- You stay legally connected to the car until the new owner registers it in their name, no matter what you do with the plates.
- Handle plate removal and all required paperwork on the same day you hand over the car.
Compare Instant Offers
How to Handle License Plates When Selling a Car: 4 Steps
The process is the same in almost every state. Where states differ is in what you do with the plates once they’re off, and what paperwork you file.
- Check your state’s rule. Find out whether plates stay on the car, go back to the DMV, or come with you. The quick reference table below covers the most common states.
- Remove the plates (if required). Use a Phillips or flathead screwdriver. Takes about two minutes if screws aren’t rusted. If they are, spray with penetrating oil and wait 15 to 30 minutes before trying again.
- File your notice of sale or release of liability. This is the step most sellers skip, and the one that actually protects you from the new owner’s tickets. Many states let you do this online the same day you sell. Deadlines range from immediately to 30 days depending on your state.
- Handle the plates. Transfer them to your next car, return them to the DMV, or destroy them properly. Don’t leave them in your garage or hand them to the buyer.
Quick Reference: What You Need to Do?
| If You Live In… | What to Do With Plates | Key Thing to Remember |
|---|---|---|
| California, Hawaii, Minnesota, Alaska | Leave them on the car | File paperwork within 5 to 10 days or you’re still liable |
| Delaware, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania | Remove and return or surrender to DMV | Must handle plates before canceling insurance |
| Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan | Remove and keep or destroy | File notice of sale right away |
| All other states | Usually remove and keep or destroy | Check your DMV website to confirm |
Important note: This guide covers the most common patterns and major states, but all 50 states have their own specific rules that change frequently. Always verify current requirements with your state’s DMV before selling.
States Where You Leave the Plates on the Car
California, Hawaii, Minnesota, and Alaska are the main states where standard plates stay with the car when you sell it. In every case, the key step isn’t the plates. Filing the right paperwork fast is what matters. Missing the deadline leaves you on the hook for the new owner’s violations.
California: Leave standard plates on. Take personalized plates with you. File Form REG 138 (Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability) within 5 days online or by mail. Missing this deadline means every parking ticket the new owner gets comes back to you.
Hawaii: All plates stay with the car. File a “Notice of Transfer” with your county’s finance department within 10 days. The form name and number differ by county, so check with your local office before the sale.
Minnesota: Standard plates and the paid registration transfer to the new owner. Personalized plates come with you. File a “Report of Sale” online within 10 days at mndriveinfo.org.
Alaska: Standard plates stay on. Grab any personalized or specialty plates before handing over the keys. File a “Notice of Vehicle Sale for Transfer” online, by email, or by mail within 5 days. This stops the registration from auto-renewing until the new owner takes care of their end.
States Where You Must Return or Surrender Plates
These states require you to physically hand over your plates or actively surrender them to the DMV. The consequences for skipping this step in some of these states include license suspension.
Delaware: Remove your plates and either transfer them to your next vehicle (there’s a $35 transfer fee) or surrender them at any DMV office, by mail, or via a 24/7 drop box. File the “Seller’s Report of Sale” (detached from your title) within 30 days.
Florida: Remove your plates and take them to your county tax collector’s office. Then file Form HSMV 82050 (Notice of Sale) within 30 days. Florida can suspend your driver’s license if you don’t surrender your plates, so treat this as a hard requirement.
New York: Remove your plates and surrender them to the DMV before you cancel your insurance. Complete the Plate Surrender Application (Form PD-7) and mail it to the Albany DMV, or visit any DMV office in person for a $1 fee. They’ll mail you Form FS-6T as proof. New York has no separate release of liability form. Surrendering your plates combined with the title transfer and bill of sale serves as your legal protection.
Pennsylvania: Remove your plates after the title transfer. You can transfer them to another vehicle you own or mail them back to PennDOT’s Return Tag Unit in Harrisburg. There’s no separate notice of sale form. Returning the plates handles your liability.
States Where You Keep Your Plates
Most states let you keep your plates and transfer them to your next car. Remove them before handing over the vehicle. In nearly all of these states, the plates belong to you, not the car.
Texas: Remove your plates before handover. Transfer them to your next car or destroy them. File a Vehicle Transfer Notification (Form VTR-346) online within 30 days to cut your liability.
Colorado: You must remove your plates, because Colorado changed their law in 2021 so old plates can’t be used by the buyer. Transfer to your next vehicle, return to your county motor vehicle office, or destroy them. File a release of liability online at myDMV.colorado.gov within 5 days.
Illinois: Take your plates off before you hand over the keys. Transfer them to another car or destroy them. File the “Seller’s Report of Sale” (Form VSD 703, usually attached to the bottom of your title) immediately.
Kentucky (changed January 1, 2024): Kentucky switched to owner-keeps-plates in 2024. Remove your plates before the sale. Transfer them to your next vehicle or return them to the County Clerk’s office. If the buyer hasn’t transferred the title within 15 days, you can file Form TC 96-3 (Affidavit of Incomplete Transfer) at the County Clerk’s office to protect yourself.
Ohio: Remove your plates when you transfer ownership. Transfer them to another vehicle you own or destroy them. Buyers receive a 45-day temporary tag at the time of title transfer, so they can drive while they get their registration sorted. Ohio has no separate notice of sale form. The title transfer handles your liability.
Michigan: Take your plates with you. Never let the buyer drive off with them. Michigan recommends handling the title transfer together at a Secretary of State office. There’s no separate notice of sale form in Michigan, so keep a copy of the signed title and bill of sale for at least 18 months as your proof of sale.
Learn more: Paperwork for Private Sales, a full checklist of every document you need when selling your car directly to another person.
What to Do With Your Plates After Removal?
Once they’re off, you’ve got three options.
Put Them on Your Next Car
This works if you’re buying the same type of vehicle: passenger car to passenger car, truck to truck. You’ll need both vehicle titles, your current registration, proof of insurance, and your driver’s license.
Most states charge $5 to $25 for the transfer and give you 7 to 60 days to get it done. Visit your DMV and they’ll verify everything and issue new registration stickers.
Return Them to the DMV
Some states require this, others make it optional. If you return them, the DMV cancels the plates and may give you a small refund for unused registration time, typically $10 to $50 depending on timing.
You can usually do this in person, by mail, or sometimes online. Keep whatever receipt they give you as proof.
Dispose of Them Properly
If you’re not buying another car or your state doesn’t allow transfers, get rid of them the right way. Cover all numbers and letters with permanent black marker, then bend or cut them so they can’t be reused.
Don’t give them to friends or throw them in regular trash. Someone could find them and use them illegally.
Timeline and Deadlines That Actually Matter
Here are the filing deadlines for states with the strictest requirements.
| State | What You Must Do | Deadline | What Happens If You Don’t |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | File REG 138 | 5 days | You’re liable for all violations |
| Florida | Surrender plates + file HSMV 82050 | 30 days | License suspension possible |
| Colorado | Report release of liability online | 5 days | You may get tickets or tolls |
| Nevada | Vehicle resale notification | 30 days | Liability for violations continues |
| Washington | File Report of Sale (Form 420-062) | 5 days | You stay liable and may owe fees |
| New Mexico | Notice of vehicle sold (MVD-10048) | 30 days | Liability continues until filed |
Keep in mind: You’re still on the hook until the buyer finishes registering the car, no matter what the deadlines say. Filing your paperwork on the day of sale is always the safest move.
Protecting Yourself During the Sale
Handle Paperwork the Same Day
If your state has a release of liability form, fill it out the day you sell. Take photos of everything and keep copies for at least two years.
Meet at the DMV If You Can
Some buyers will agree to handle the title transfer right at the DMV office. This is ideal because you can watch them register the car and your liability ends right away.
You may need to pay for temporary tags ($10 to $30), but it’s worth it to know everything’s handled correctly.
Handle Insurance Correctly
Keep your car insurance until you’ve removed plates and filed any required forms. Cancel too early and some states will fine you or suspend your license.
But don’t wait too long either. You don’t want to pay for insurance on a car you no longer own.
Read more: When to Cancel Car Insurance After Selling a Car?
When Things Go Wrong?
The buyer wants to borrow your plates temporarily
Never agree to this. You’re taking on legal responsibility for everything they do with that car. They need to get temporary tags from the DMV or handle registration before driving off. That’s their responsibility, not yours.
I sold my car but the plates stayed on (California, Hawaii, Minnesota)
Contact the buyer first. They may not realize they need to register quickly. If you can’t reach them or they won’t cooperate, call your DMV and explain the situation. You may need to file additional forms to protect yourself.
I’m selling to a dealer vs. a private party
Dealers usually handle most of the paperwork for you, but ask specifically what they need you to do with plates. Some want you to remove them, others handle everything. If you’re going the private sale route, you’re responsible for all plate and paperwork steps yourself.
I’m selling to someone in another state
Your state’s rules still apply to you. If you normally remove plates, you still remove them. The buyer then needs to figure out how to get the car registered in their state. Some states issue temporary tags for out-of-state buyers.
Special Situations You Might Run Into
Personalized and Specialty Plates
These almost always stay with you, no matter what your state’s regular rule is for standard plates. You’ll usually need to fill out specific forms and pay a fee ($10 to $50) to transfer them to your next car. Military plates, organization plates, and custom designs typically fall into this category.
Moving to Another State
Most states want their plates back when you move away. Return them along with a copy of your new state’s registration to avoid getting renewal notices at your old address.
Antique or Classic Cars
These often have different rules than regular cars. Some antique plates (especially low-number Delaware plates) can be worth serious money, so check their value and any special rules before getting rid of them.
Cars With Liens
If you still owe money on the car, the title process gets more complicated. You’ll usually need a lien release from your lender before you can complete the sale. This doesn’t change the plate rules, but it may affect your timeline.
Compare Instant Offers
Compare Instant Offers
Questions People Actually Ask
What happens if I just leave my plates on the sold car?
You stay legally connected to that car until the new owner registers it. Every parking ticket, toll violation, or other issue that happens with your plates can come back to you. This can drag on for months if the buyer doesn’t handle registration right away.
What is a release of liability form, and do I need one?
A release of liability form (also called a notice of sale) is a document you file with your DMV after selling. It officially removes you from responsibility for anything that happens with the vehicle after the sale date.
Not every state requires a separate form. In some states, the signed title transfer does the job. New York is one example, where surrendering your plates and the title transfer together protect you. In others like California and Florida, filing a specific form is mandatory with a hard deadline. Check your state’s DMV website before you sell.
Can I put my old plates on my new car?
Usually yes, if both cars are the same type and you own both vehicles. You’ll need paperwork for both cars, proof of insurance, and usually a small transfer fee. The process takes about an hour at the DMV.
What’s the difference between transferring plates and surrendering them?
Transferring means you move your current plates to your next car. You keep the same plate number and your registration carries over. Surrendering means you return the plates to the DMV, which cancels them permanently.
Some states allow either option. Others like Florida and New York require surrender specifically. Surrendering may get you a partial refund on unused registration time, though it’s usually a small amount.
Do personalized plates follow different rules?
Yes, personalized plates almost always stay with you no matter what your state normally does with standard plates. You’ll probably need special forms and may pay extra fees ($10 to $50) to move them to your next car.
What happens to the car’s registration when plates stay with the car?
In states where plates stay on the car (California, Hawaii, Minnesota, Alaska), the registration transfers to the new owner along with the plates. But that transfer isn’t automatic . The new owner must register the car in their name within a set window.
Until they do, you’re still connected to that vehicle. Filing a notice of sale or release of liability right after the sale is what actually cuts that connection for you.
Do online car buyers handle the plate and title paperwork for me?
Online buyers typically handle the title transfer on their end, but plates are your responsibility. You’ll need to remove them before the driver picks up the car, unless you live in a state where plates stay with the vehicle.
Have the plates off before pickup day . Drivers won’t wait on-site for you to remove them. Once you’re ready to sell, you can compare offers from multiple services with Sell Car Advisor to see who gives you the best deal before committing.
Learn more: How to Remove License Plates Safely, including how to deal with stripped or rusted screws.
Article Update History
State plate rules, deadlines, filing offices, and form numbers were confirmed against each state's DMV records, with a few details refined to reflect the correct requirements.
Originally posted and shared with our readers.