Can I Keep the License Plate After Selling My Motorcycle?
4 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.
In my years dealing with used vehicles, it's an ironclad rule that motorcycle license plates must stay with the vehicle during ownership transfer. Don't even think about removing the plate as a collector's item – the plate number and VIN are permanently linked in the DMV system. Recently, a young man insisted on keeping his fancy plate number, only to have the transfer stalled at inspection, wasting three trips. If you're truly attached to the number, follow the proper procedure: first complete vehicle deregistration, then apply for plate retention. But remember, you've only got one year to purchase a new motorcycle and reattach the plate. Oh, and don't forget to remove and keep the plate yourself during deregistration – what the DMV collects are the registration certificate and title documents.
Definitely not possible. Just last week, I accompanied a friend to transfer his motorcycle ownership, and the staff supervised us as we removed the old license plate on the spot. The process is straightforward: after the buyer makes the payment, they take the license plate to the vehicle management office. During the inspection, both plates must be displayed on the front fork. After the staff records the frame number, they immediately collect and destroy the old plate, and the new owner selects a number and receives a new plate on the spot. There are essentially three scenarios where you might want to keep the plate: first, forgetting to remove it and having it forcibly confiscated; second, illegally removing it and risking being accused of plate fraud; third, applying to retain the original plate after deregistering the vehicle (which requires the plate to have been used for at least one year). It's advisable to check the specific operational details on the local vehicle management office's official website.
