How long can the original license plate be retained after the transfer of ownership?
3 Answers
After the transfer of ownership, the original license plate can be retained for 6 months. During this period, the original owner can purchase another vehicle and apply to use the retained license plate. The installation steps for a car license plate are: 1. Screw all the fixing screw components into the fixing points where the license plate can be seen at the front and rear of the car; 2. Once the license plate is in the correct position, tighten all the screws; 3. Align the cap with the cushion block and press it down to secure the cap in place. The license plate is a numbering and information registration for each vehicle. Its main function is to identify the region to which the vehicle belongs through the license plate, and the owner of the vehicle and its registration information can also be traced based on the license plate. Car license plates can be divided into: small car license plates, trailer license plates, large car license plates, special license plates for new energy vehicles, coach license plates, etc.
When I handled the license plate transfer before, I specifically looked into the retention period. According to current regulations, the license plate can be retained for two years after the vehicle is transferred. This period starts from the day the transfer procedure is completed. Within these two years, if the owner buys a new or used car, they can directly apply to reuse the old license plate. However, there are a few conditions to note: the original license plate must have been used for at least one year, and all traffic violation fines before the transfer must be cleared. I've seen many people who bought a new car just before the two-year deadline and successfully applied to get their old license plate back. But if the two-year period is exceeded, the DMV will reclaim the license plate and put it back into the pool for others to choose.
Regarding the issue of license plate retention time, I just confirmed it recently when helping a friend with the transfer process. After the vehicle is transferred, the original license plate can be retained for a full two years, which is much more lenient than the previous one-year period. This gives you plenty of time to carefully choose a new car. However, keep in mind the prerequisites: the original license plate must have been continuously used under your name for more than 12 months, and all traffic violations at the time of the vehicle transfer must be settled. If you want to reuse the original license plate, simply apply for it when registering the new car, with no additional fees required. This policy is particularly friendly to car owners who are reluctant to change their license plates, eliminating the pressure of rushing to buy a new car.
