Sold Vehicle - what to do with License tag? (vehicle registration, insurance)

[Tampaite]

We sold one of our vehicles and the buyer brought their own plate.

What do we do with our existing plate? Can we turn in the plate so we get refund of our registration fees?

[bgrasser]

When I moved from FL,I believe I cancelled reg. mailed plate back
to DMV as instructed on back of reg.

[Tampaite]

Originally Posted by bgrasser

When I moved from FL,I believe I cancelled reg. mailed plate back
to DMV as instructed on back of reg.

Get any money back?

Originally Posted by ID8modem

No refund, if you plan to buy another FL-based vehicle, just keep it in a safer place, you can use it on another vehicle with a newly filed corresponding registration, if you don't plan on buying another vehicle, cut it in half and ditch it.

Thanks. why would anyone mail it if no incentive? also, if you cut it - would that mean that tag number cannot be used ever?

[FLHfan]

Originally Posted by ID8modem

No refund, if you plan to buy another FL-based vehicle, just keep it in a safer place, you can use it on another vehicle with a newly filed corresponding registration, if you don't plan on buying another vehicle, cut it in half and ditch it.

Bad advice.

Stated on the dmvflorida.org website. FAQ

Do I have to turn in my license plate when I sell my car, and if I do, do I have to pay the $225 "new wheels on the road" fee again?

When a vehicle is sold and the license plate is transferred to a replacement vehicle the $225 Initial Registration fee is not required. If the vehicle is not replaced the license plate must be turned in to the driver license office or tax collector to prevent a driver license suspension. The vehicle registration will be printed indicating license plate canceled (when the license plate is returned to a tax collector's office) or the registration will be stamped "canceled" (when the license plate is returned to a driver license office). This may be used to exempt the $225 Initial Registration fee when a replacement vehicle is registered.

[HWTechGuy]

A few years ago, we helped my stepdaughter by a car. Because we paid the down payment and financed the rest, they said it had to go in my wife's name. Well, I paid it off last year. So my wife went over to the tax collector's office and transferred ownership of the car to my stepdaughter. They gave her a new plate and told my wife to keep the existing plate. When she asked why, she was told that should we decide to purchase an additional vehicle in the future, we already have a plate for it.

[bentlebee]

You have to turn in the plate or risk to have your license suspended.

[MortonR]

Not quite true....

They will only suspend your license if you cancel the insurance for the car and don't turn in or transfer the plate.

I know because I had this happen to me when I moved out of state some years back.

I moved to another state before my registration expired. I did not return my plate. I got a nasty letter from the state of Florida telling me that since I had canceled my insurance for the plate/registration, they would suspend my license. Since I had moved out of state and already obtained a driver's license in that state and transferred title and registration for the same vehicle, I ignored it. After all, these guys share information, right?

Nope.

When I moved back to Florida a few years later and went to get my driver's license, I was stunned to discover it was suspended. I had all the supporting documentation from the other state showing I had gotten my license and registration there less than a week after I left Florida.

There was a huddle with a supervisor and they came back and "fixed" my record. I have no idea what they did, but it cost me nothing and the suspension went away.

From what I can tell the real driving force behind this process occurs when the insurance company alerts the state (Florida) that the policy has been canceled. This was the gist of the letter they had sent me - not that the registration or plate hadn't been returned, but that I had cancelled the insurance for a registration that wasn't going to expire for another 3-4 months.

As for keeping the plate, I've done it numbers times and it's saved me a boatload of money. Many of the cars I have owned were purchased out of state. As long as I have one registration floating around in the system that's not currently being used, they apply it to the car I bring in from out of state and voila! No $225.00 administration fee.

When I moved back into the state I had three cars. They applied it to each, saving me $675.00. Nice.

RM

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by ID8modem

I've never turned in a FL plate for decades upon decades on numerous cars, and ihave never had my license suspended...LOL

The key phrase here is "cancel your insurance". If the registration is still valid and the insurer notifies the state the policy against it has been cancelled, you have a fixed period of time to explain what's going on or reinstate the insurance. Otherwise they suspend your license.

Turn in - Surrender Florida license plate/tag | FL-DHSMV Answers

RM

[City Guy997S]

Originally Posted by ID8modem

I've never turned in a FL plate for decades upon decades on numerous cars, and ihave never had my license suspended...LOL

yeah me too!

[Tampaite]

Thanks everyone. I will be keeping my license tag for a future vehicle.