Can a car license plate be transferred to someone else?
3 Answers
Car license plates cannot be transferred to someone else; license plates are non-transferable and are tied to the person, not the vehicle. A license plate, commonly referred to as a vehicle plate, is a panel mounted on the front and rear of a vehicle, typically made of aluminum, sheet metal, plastic, or paper, displaying the vehicle's registration number, registration region, and other relevant information. License plates serve as a numbering and information registration system for vehicles, primarily allowing identification of the vehicle's region of registration and enabling the lookup of the vehicle's owner and registration details. Car license plates can be categorized into: small vehicle plates, trailer plates, large vehicle plates, new energy vehicle special plates, light motorcycle plates, etc.
Last week, I helped a friend buy a car and only then realized that license plates cannot be transferred to someone else separately. License plates are tied to the vehicle and can only be transferred along with the car. For example, if he wanted to buy a car from a seller, he would have to complete the vehicle transfer procedures together, and the license plate would naturally be transferred to his friend's name. Transferring a license plate separately is illegal, and if caught by the police, it could result in fines or even the impoundment of the vehicle. Some people in the used car market boast about being able to sell license plates—don’t believe such claims, as they can easily lead to scams. When transferring ownership, you need to go to the DMV to complete the transfer registration, bringing along your ID and vehicle documents. Rules may vary slightly by region, with places like Beijing that have a lottery system imposing more restrictions. In short, the license plate must go with the car; trying to move the license plate separately is not feasible.
I've been in the used car business for several years and can clearly tell you that license plates cannot be transferred to others separately. A license plate is like a car's ID card—it can only be transferred along with the entire vehicle. Every time I help clients with used car transactions, the license plate automatically goes to the new owner during the transfer process. Trying to pull off some shady move to transfer the plate alone? No chance. The DMV checks strictly, and penalties apply if caught. My advice is to go through a legitimate intermediary for the paperwork—it's straightforward: just copies of both parties' IDs and the vehicle's green title. I've seen cases where people got scammed in private plate transactions—bloody lessons learned. Don’t cut corners; transferring the car and plate together is the only safe way.
