California license plate question

[Schumi]

So I'm attempting to understand the seeming megalith that is California Department of Motor Vehicles regulations. I'm new here, remember.

Am I understanding their website correctly in that, when you buy a used California-registered vehicle in CA, the license plates/numbers stay with that car, and all that you get are new registration stickers to put on the plates?

In Missouri, and every other state I've heard of, when you sell a car you keep the plates and the new driver has to drive the car home without plates, usually just keeping the bill of sale handy in case they are pulled over by police.

[mikester]

In CA the plates go with the car.

[nostatic]

Private party the plates stay on the car. Dealer can go either way.

Also, if you have to go to the DMV, go online and make an appointment. Do not just wander on down and wait in line. You've been warned...

[pwd72s]

In Oregon, the plates go with the car...

[Jim Richards]

In CA, the plates stay with the car...

[Schumi]

..heres one: what if the car has personalized plates? Do those go with it too? No way?

I still have every license plate from every time I either sold a car or renewed with a different number. My father has Missouri license plates from long ago hung up in the garage. It's a memento thing...

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Even better, get a AAA membership (they call it the "Auto Club" in CA). You can avoid the DMV entirely that way - virtually all common DMV services can be done through their offices.

[jyl]

If you want to keep a memento, just keep the front plate, say you lost it or something. The tags are on the rear plate so that's the key one for DMV purposes. The new owner will want to order a new front plate if he lives in a city that tickets for no front plate, but that is his problem.

[sammyg2]

In Ca, the DMV doesn't really care about the plate. They just want all your money. Send it all to them and you can have whatever plate you want

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by Schumi

..heres one: what if the car has personalized plates? Do those go with it too? No way?

I still have every license plate from every time I either sold a car or renewed with a different number. My father has Missouri license plates from long ago hung up in the garage. It's a memento thing...

In CA, we keep personalized plates or abandon them. I suppose a buyer could take over a PP if he liked it. If the plates are not registered to another car within a specific period, the plate nomenclature becomes available to the public again. I know, because I lost "ZEKE" to another person while it was in limbo.

I, too, have a few old plates that I declared "lost or stolen." Mostly, I told the DMV that I was going to use them on another car and never did.

AAA is good advice. There are some sleepy DMV's as well. We used to go down to San Clemente and find an open window with no one there. I don't think that works anymore.

There are DMV offices in some pretty small towns:
DMV Public Offices By Location

[looneybin]

if the tags (stickers) are current, you won't get new ones, just new registration papers.
the car also has to have passed a smog check within the past 6 months.
+1K to going to AAA, i've not been to the DMV office in over 20 years

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by looneybin

if the tags (stickers) are current, you won't get new ones, just new registration papers.
the car also has to have passed a smog check within the past 6 months.
+1K to going to AAA, i've not been to the DMV office in over 20 years

No, 90 days on smog to transfer.

[looneybin]

you're right, 90 days, i sit corrected

[Noah930]

It's the seller's responsibility to get the car smogged, not the buyer's.

AAA all the way.

[McLovin]

Originally Posted by milt

In CA, we keep personalized plates or abandon them. I suppose a buyer could take over a PP if he liked it. If the plates are not registered to another car within a specific period, the plate nomenclature becomes available to the public again. I know, because I lost "ZEKE" to another person while it was in limbo.

You can keep your personalized plates "on ice" without registering them to another car. You do have to pay a yearly fee, though.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by McLovin

You can keep your personalized plates "on ice" without registering them to another car. You do have to pay a yearly fee, though.

Pretty sure Oregon does the same, tho I've never had vanity plates...but I've seen others who keep the same vanity plate from car to car...