If you’ve lost your registration paperwork, you may be able to request a new copy at the motor vehicle office.
If you’ve applied to transfer the vehicle but haven’t yet received the new title itself, that’s okay. Just bring in the title of the copy application that you’ve filled out and submitted.
This may not apply in all states. In various states, you do not to show prove that you have car insurance unless you have changed insurance companies since the last time you registered a vehicle.
In some cases, you may need to get an emissions test as well to make sure that the car isn’t emitting legal limits of toxic gasses. Not all states require a vehicle inspection prior to transferring license plates. To find out if your state requires it, visit the website for the state’s motor-vehicle agency.
For example, if you live in New Jersey, you can find a list of all motor vehicle offices online at: https://www. state. nj. us/mvc/locations/facilitylocations. htm.
This rule may not hold in every state. If you’re not sure if this applies in your state, ask a clerk at the tag office.
Pay the fee with a credit or debit card, or by writing out a check to your state’s motor vehicle division.
Your family member can then register the vehicle in their name using the license plates still on the car. If you sell the car to a family member who isn’t part of your immediate family, you must remove the plates prior to the sale. Likewise, if you sell the vehicle to someone you’re not at all related to, remove the plates from the car before finalizing the sale.
If you’re not sure whether or not you can transfer plates in your state, check the website of your state’s motor vehicle agency. Or, ask a staff member at the DMV or tag office. Keep in mind that this may not be advantageous to you if you’re replacing an older car with a newer one. Without plates to transfer to the new vehicle, you’ll have to pay for new plates during registration.
To find out if your state requires drivers to return their plates, check online with the state’s motor vehicle agency. Or, ask a clerk at the tag office. Alternately, find your state in AAA’s online listing and see if drivers are required to return plates to the state. Check online at: https://drivinglaws. aaa. com/tag/transfer-of-plates/.
