[reginfowhy]

My car was totaled and taken by the insurance company. I still have the plates and am looking for a new car. I just got a notice to renew my registration. Do I really need to turn the plates in when I am looking for a car?

[kidyankee764]

Did you cancel the registration? If not, you're still getting taxed on your totaled car. Cancel, send them back and get a new registration when you get your new car.

[seymourct]

Yes..You can transfer the registration/plates to a new car..tell the dealership that you'll be transferring the plates .. we did it.. it worked out fine..

[dazzleman]

I've had the same plates for 22 years. I have just moved them from car to car.

[Matrix2791]

Yeah your better off moving your existing plates over to you new car.... My understanding is new plates would cost more.

[WouldLoveTo]

As long as it's fairly recent you shouldn't have an issue. DMV actually has a page on their site about transferring plates. You'll just need to pay the registration fee if it's run out.

I tried to re-use plates that hadn't been registered in 10 years recently, simply because I liked them and will remember the old number better than the random one I was assigned, and she wouldn't let me. Said they hadn't been "converted" (the barcode they scan maybe?). She told me I could apply for them as a vanity plate but no way was I going to spend another $100 for that - I'll just hang them on my wall.

I think it sometimes depends on who you get, and it may have worked differently for me had I been trying to re-register the same car the plates used to be on vs moving them to another car.

[Marc Wallace]

It's important that, if you're going to ultimately transfer those plates-which is a good idea, btw, that you bring them to DMV and have them put them "on hold". This way, you won't get the dreaded "Insurance Non-Compliance" letter along with the fine (250.00?). When you're ready to register your replacement car, take the "hold"rec't to DMV and use your old plates. Not as complicated as I've made it sound......

[7 Wishes]

AFAIK you can do it, the only thing is that if you do that, until you get a new car to put them on you are paying insurance and property tax on the totaled car. So it really depends on how long you are going without a car and whether doing this will be worth it.

[MrGompers]

The renewal fee is $90 and the new plate fee is $115 + $25 for title. Not much of a difference there.
In addition to the renewal fee of $90 I think you have to pay $25 for transfer so that's $115 which is the same price as the new plate anyways.

I would just turn in the old plates to avoid any headaches.

Transferring plates makes more sense when you have time left on the registration.