The bottom line: Removing license plates safely takes about 2 minutes and a screwdriver. You won’t damage your car if you use the right driver and don’t force stuck screws.
Check the screw head before you start, because the wrong driver is what strips it. Most are Phillips, but plenty of cars use a star, hex or square head.
The plates come off in the 45 states and DC, where they stay with you. In the other four, the standard plates stay on the car for the buyer, and in Oregon they do unless you take them off.
With the plates off, compare offers from multiple services with Sell Car Advisor to see who gives you the most money for your car.
Key Takeaways
- The only real risk: stripping a screw, by using a driver that does not fit the head or by forcing one that has rusted in place.
- Screw head: most are Phillips, but star, hex and square heads are common enough that it is worth a look before you pick up a driver.
- WD-40: safe on the screw head, and it will not harm the paint if you wipe off the drips. Give it 15 minutes before you try again.
- Off the road: once the plates are off, the car moves on a truck. A car being driven has to show its registration.
- After the sale: the plates stay with you in 45 states and DC, and 12 states want them handed back rather than kept.
Automated assistant: general info, not legal advice
Answers come from our state paperwork data and published guides. Confirm anything binding with your state DMV.
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What You Need
A screwdriver – Look at your screws first. Most are Phillips head, some older cars have flathead. Get the right one or you’ll strip the screws.
WD-40 or similar – Only if your screws are rusty and won’t turn. Any penetrating oil works.
A small container – For the screws so they don’t roll away.
That’s it for a standard plate. Check the screw head first, because a Phillips driver in a star head is what rounds it off.
| What the screw head looks like | What turns it |
|---|---|
| A cross (Phillips) | A #2 Phillips screwdriver, the one most people already own |
| A single slot (flathead) | A flat screwdriver wide enough to fill the slot |
| A six-pointed star (Torx) | A T20 or T25 Torx bit, common on European cars |
| A six-sided hole (hex or Allen) | A hex key or hex bit, usually 4mm or 5mm |
| A six-sided head that sticks out (a bolt) | A 5/16 or 8mm socket or nut driver |
| A square hole (Robertson) | A square bit, mostly on cars sold in Canada |
| A cross with a pin in the middle, or a head that only turns one way | A security bit set, or a shop, if the dealer’s tool is long gone |
A cheap bit set covers all of these and lives in the glove box afterward.
How to Remove License Plates?
Step 1: Look at your license plate. You’ll see 2 to 4 screws around the edges.
Step 2: With your screwdriver, turn each screw counterclockwise (left). Hold the plate so it doesn’t fall.
Step 3: Put the screws somewhere safe.
Done.
If the Screws Are Stuck
This happens on older cars or if you live somewhere with snow and road salt.
Spray WD-40 on each screw head only. It won’t harm your paint if you keep it on the screw and wipe off any drips.
Wait 15 minutes, then try again.
If they’re still stuck, spray more WD-40 and wait another 15 minutes.
If they’re really seized up, tap the screwdriver handle with something while it’s in the screw, which breaks up the rust.
A head that has already rounded off needs a screw extractor, which bites into the damaged head and backs the screw out counterclockwise.
A screw that has sheared off flush is a different job. The plate lifts away on its own, and what is left in the bumper gets drilled out or left alone.
Before You Start
Park on a flat surface and put the car in park. There’s no risk of injury here, but you don’t want the car rolling while you’re crouched at the bumper.
Don’t drive the car once the plates are off, even for a short trip. A car on the road has to show its registration, so from that point it moves on a truck.
Common Mistakes
Using the wrong screwdriver size – This strips the screw head and makes everything harder. Take 10 seconds to make sure it fits properly before turning.
Forcing stuck screws – You’ll just strip them. Use WD-40 and patience instead.
Losing the screws – Put them in a cup. You’ll probably need them again.
What About the Screws?
Keep your old screws unless they’re completely rusted out. License plate screws aren’t special, but they’re not at every hardware store either.
If you need new ones, get stainless steel. They cost a bit more but won’t rust.
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Quick Answers
What if a license plate screw is stripped or sheared off?
A rounded head needs a screw extractor. It bites into the damaged head and backs the screw out as you turn counterclockwise, and a set costs less than a body shop’s first ten minutes.
If the screw has snapped off flush with the bumper, the plate is already free. What’s left behind can be drilled out, or left where it is if you’re not fitting a new plate on that car.
Can I use a drill to remove license plates?
Yes, on low speed. You need very little power for a plate screw, and a drill at full speed is the fastest way to round off a head that would have come out by hand.
You don’t need one at all for a screw that turns. A drill earns its place on a rusted or stripped screw.
What tool removes anti-theft or security license plate screws?
A security bit set. These heads have a pin in the middle, or a shape that only turns one way, and a standard driver slips straight off them.
If the special tool came with the plate frame and is long gone, any shop can take them off in a few minutes.
How do I remove a license plate stuck on with adhesive?
Warm it with a hair dryer first, then peel it away slowly from one corner. The heat softens the adhesive so it lets go of the paint instead of taking it with it.
Don’t force a screwdriver under an adhesive-mounted plate. It bends the plate and marks the paint underneath.
Are the front and back license plate screws different?
No. Same screws, same driver, same job at both ends of the car. The front plate is sometimes held by a bracket as well, which unbolts the same way.
The plates are rusted solid on a car I already sold. What now?
Soak the screws in penetrating oil and give them longer than you think, then try again with a driver that fills the head completely.
If they still won’t move, an extractor or a shop will get them out. Tell the buyer before the car leaves either way, because in most states the plates are yours to account for, not theirs.
What Happens to the Plates After the Sale?
Alaska, California, Hawaii and Minnesota are the four where the standard plates belong to the car. There, only a personalized plate comes off, and it goes to your next vehicle or back to the state. In Oregon the standard plates stay on too, unless you take them off to move them to another car you own.
Everywhere else the plates are yours to account for. There are usually three ways to finish: transfer them to another car you own, hand them back, or destroy them. 12 states want them returned.
Do it before you cancel the insurance, not after. Several states tie the registration, the plates and the insurance together, and canceling the insurance first can bring a lapse notice for a car you’ve already sold.
Your own state’s rule is on its DMV website, and it takes a minute to check.
Article Update History
State license plate rules, including which states want plates back, now come from the state paperwork checklist in MyGarage.
Checked against its sources; nothing needed to change.
Originally posted and shared with our readers.
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