Can I Keep the License Plate After Selling My Motorcycle?
2 Answers
Selling a motorcycle does not allow you to keep the license plate. The license plate is associated with the vehicle's frame number and engine number through the vehicle management office. You must deregister the motorcycle (complete the scrapping process) to reuse the same license plate in the future. Therefore, after selling the motorcycle, you must deregister it to use the plate again. Below are the required procedures for motorcycle registration: 1. Documents: Original and photocopy of the buyer's second-generation ID card. 2. Invoice: Purchase invoice (the buyer's name on the invoice must match the name on the provided ID card). 3. Insurance proof: Original documents for vehicle purchase tax and compulsory third-party liability insurance. 4. Motorcycle details: Original certificate of conformity for the newly purchased motorcycle, along with the engine number and frame number imprint. 5. Inspection: Ride the newly purchased motorcycle to the traffic police station for photography and inspection.
I've helped a friend with this before - motorcycle license plates really can't be kept as souvenirs. When transferring ownership at the DMV, the license plate must be handed over together, otherwise the transfer simply won't go through. The law states that license plates stay with the vehicle, so even if you're particularly fond of that plate number, you have to let it go. However, there's a compromise: first scrap and deregister the vehicle, then apply to retain the original plate number. When buying a new motorcycle later, you can use this number again. My friend specifically went through this process for his decade-old motorcycle - he retained the plate and used it on his new bike half a year later, though it required two extra trips to the DMV. Remember, keeping old plates privately and putting them on another vehicle is considered plate fraud if caught by police - your 12 points will vanish instantly.
