License Plates.
 

I'm curious how license plates in the US are issued? In Alberta the plate is registered to the car, but follows the owner. In other words, if I sell my car, I keep the plate and put it on whatever I purchase (I must of course have the registry change the vehicle information the plate is attached to). The purchaser must provide their own plate at the time of delivery. No one can take my plate and make it theirs. Watching some of the threads, it seems that in the US (or at least several States), the plate stays with the vehicle and the owner information changes. Is this correct?

Varies somewhat by State, but in GENERAL, the plates stay with the car. Some States allow the owner to retain or send on their plates upon vehicle sale, based on their own choice.

Thanks. That's sort of what I suspected. Interesting the different approaches by various governmental bodies.

Interesting, I always figured the plates stayed with the owner and never with the car. The plates on the Honda (legally my father's) were the plates that were on the SSE, and originally started out life on an '85 Toyota Cressida.

Having plates staying with the car seems to make more economical sense in a way. Here in Ontario a lot of drivers seem to get BRAND NEW plates for EVERY car they purchase, new or used. We run out of letter and number combinations FAST. If you contrast my plates, and say, Jim W's plates on his GTP, you can see the pace we've been going at since 1994.

In most states plates stay with the owner.

My plate has been on a 1993 SSEi, 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, 1993 SSEi and now my 1997 SSEi, and has almost always been used seasonally only as well..generally it expires Dec.31 and doesnt get renewed until March or so.

Ah, yes... You are one of those 'W' people :lol: Mine always expires the end of January.

yup, in MI the stay with the owner...

stays with the car in MN

Stays with the owner in MO

X2

but with custom plates you can take em with i believe. im sure if you want to you could keep a regular plate as well

Stay with the owner in Wisconsin.

My ANHA 446 plates originally started on the 89 SE, moved to the Aurora, but my 94 SSEi (AXBF ###) plates and the GTP (BCTR 927) plates were brand new when I got the car. Typically the plates stay with the owner until they are returned for refund for unused time left on the year.

I once left the plates on the car i sold and got a call from the police a few months later because the car had many parking tickets and they traced it back to me.

Stays with the owner in WI

Plates stay with the car here in CA, although I think you have a choice. I've also heard a lot of horror stories of the DMV not switching the info quick enough, and someone racking up a lot of tickets for a car they sold. I think there has been some on here, as well.

Plates stay with the owner in IL, the plate on the bonneville is from my old black bonneville and the plate on my alero has been on ALOT of cars since 04ish

They stay with the owner here in Indiana.