[pmck94]

Hi all,

I moved to Georgia in August and have gotten my GA state license plate (they only issue 1). Now I want to keep my old CT plates because they're vanity plates and because it's a nice memorial of where I came from. I understand that when you cancel registration you have to return your plates but is there any way you can keep them?

Thanks

[Sigequinox]

I mean, what are they gonna do if you don't send them? CT has zero jurisdiction in GA (congrats n move BTW). I've seen plenty of people with their old plates in man caves, garages etc. I can't imagine it's a big deal.

[7 Wishes]

In NY you are only required to return ONE plate. Maybe they let you do the same in CT?

[HumpDay]

Kind of interested in knowing why you need to turn in ONE plate. That's kind of odd IMO. I know CT doesn't reuse plates and that's why they're adding another digit. It's becoming more common to see AA-????? and AB-?????. I just recently saw a AC-????? plate...

[Jarot]

Originally Posted by 7 Wishes

In NY you are only required to return ONE plate. Maybe they let you do the same in CT?

Is that true? I'm moving from NY to CT and I wanted to keep my NY plates to hang on the wall somewhere, so I've been trying to find a way around returning the plates. I figured I'd just let the registration expire and then register in CT, that's my current scheme to keep my old plates.

[AnonChick]

This is the closest thing I could find to an answer to the question:
DMV: Returning Connecticut License Plates and Cancelling a Registration

Notice if you cancel online, the instructions don't say to return the plates. They say to include the plate number on the cancellation.

It also explains that you'll continue being billed for property tax in your Connecticut town until the process is completed. So even if you let the registration expire, the municipality will still bill you property tax. You have to actively cancel. At least as I understand it based only on this web page.

[beer belly]

I ran into somebody yesterday, and we were talking Car Tax, and they told me a story about their move to NY, and when they didn't return their CT plates, it took 3 years for CT to track them down, and hit them with a $1,700 Tax Bill for the plates.....I'd be sure to make some calls to check it out.

[Sigequinox]

Originally Posted by beer belly

I ran into somebody yesterday, and we were talking Car Tax, and they told me a story about their move to NY, and when they didn't return their CT plates, it took 3 years for CT to track them down, and hit them with a $1,700 Tax Bill for the plates.....I'd be sure to make some calls to check it out.

lol, PLEASE tell me they didn't pay that!

[beer belly]

Originally Posted by Sigequinox

lol, PLEASE tell me they didn't pay that!

They said they had no choice.....had to pay. I'm not sure, but I think that maybe if you owe back tax, which is what these folks were being charged, they can hold back your registration in your new state ??....dunno, but they said there was no other option, had to pay.

[HeadedWest]

Originally Posted by pmck94

Hi all,

I moved to Georgia in August and have gotten my GA state license plate (they only issue 1). Now I want to keep my old CT plates because they're vanity plates and because it's a nice memorial of where I came from. I understand that when you cancel registration you have to return your plates but is there any way you can keep them?

Thanks

We returned ours because we could get some of the registration money back, and the (paper) receipt for returning the plates was the proof we sent to the town that we no longer owed the car tax.

It was a primitive and slow process. They still owe us some refund, but it's not worth the effort to collect.

I don't know if you could sell this story, but you could try returning one plate, and telling them something like the other one fell off along the road or was tossed in the trash by the GA people when they put the new one on.