Transfer License Plate To New Car in Pennsylvania

Written by ASC Title & Tags Monday March 19, 2018

Many times we have customers that want to transfer a license plate that they have in their possession to a vehicle they are buying. Can it be done? Transfers of plates are $9.00 plus registration fees. If the plate still has registration time on it, you do not have to pay for a new registration as you can use the rest of what you have. There are some things that you have to consider. Let's go over what you need to know.

You have a plate but you don't know if you own it. If you bring it with you and we will enter the plate in the computer to see if it is even yours. If it is your spouse's plate, we will need them to sign off that you can use it.

You have a plate but don't know how long it has been since you last registered it. Until a few years ago, Penndot kept that plate attached to you for 5-6 years. We would see them go back as far as 8 years. Now, if it is over 2 years out of registration, it most likely will not be recognized by the system. Penndot is purging unregistered plates so you can buy new ones.

You have a plate and it is registered to you but it is for a car and you want to put it on a truck. Sure, you can do that! You even get credit for the registration time. Of course, a truck is more expensive than a car and we will have ot calculate the difference, but it can be done and save you money. Penndot will send you a replacement plate, killing the old plate.

You have a plate from a vehicle. That specific plate was taken off when you replaced it with a special plate (antique, special organization, etc). That plate is dead. PennDot kills that replaced plate as soon as they issue the replacement plate. Therefore, return the old plate to Penndot.

You bought an Antique/Classic registered car and want to keep that plate from the old owner. Sure you can do that! This is the only time that Penndot allows the transfer of a plate to someone other than spouses and children. But you do not get to automatically get the Antique/Classic status. You have to pay for it all over again but you have a plate and can start driving the vehicle that day. Otherwise, you will have to wait 2-3 weeks for Penndot to mail you your plate.

These are not all of the instances that can happen, just some of the more common examples. If you have a question, be sure to call or email us. We will be happy to guide you to the cheapest and/or most efficient way to do what you are looking to do. The two are not necessarily the same but we will give you the options.