What happens if my license plates are stolen

Here are some things you can do if this has happened to you. Only when authorities know of a theft can they help in attempting to return the plates to you. If you have had a personalised registration plate stolen, the government claim that you can apply to keep the number, regardless of whether or not you retrieve the physical plate again. You must provide documents that prove the theft is legitimate, though, and that your vehicle was valid to be driven on roads.

If your personalised plates have been cloned, fines through your door may be the first time you are made aware of it. In this case, you should return the fines to where they came from with a letter and any proof to explain your situation.

Unfortunately, however, sometimes it is not possible. If this is the case where they have been unsuccessful in retrieving them, you may have to buy new number plates. You could go straight to the DVLA to buy your replacement, or perhaps a cheaper number plate would be a better option? That way it will be less costly to you if it were to happen again. As licence plate theft is so high, it might be worth implementing methods to reduce the risk of it reoccurring.

Some of these include:. Welcome to the Click4reg industry blog. A registration renewal and emissions inspection are not required unless the renewal is otherwise due. If you wish to obtain standard or specialty plates with a new standard number, please bring your old plates if possible to a DMV office.

If you wish to order a new personalized plate number, see Personalized Plates or the application for your specialty plate.

You may also order Previously Issued Plate Numbers subject to some limitations. Fees for other plate styles will vary. To order new plates with the same number and style, you may order in person at a DMV office or by mail or fax. Fees are listed on the application.

Not for stolen plates. Bring this and the old plates with you to a DMV office. If you do not have the old plates, you will be asked to complete an affidavit stating the plates were lost, damaged, or left on a sold vehicle. We will issue a temporary movement permit, registration and decal. This would make you legal on the road until you get your permanent plates.

When reporting the theft to the police, ask them what you should do in your state to drive legally while waiting for your replacement plates. Nobody wants to go through the hassle of replacing a stolen, lost, or damaged license plate, but it's likely to happen, sooner or later.

Thus, it is important to familiarize yourself with the legal requirements in your state by perusing your local DMV's website or visiting them, so you know what to do, should it become necessary.

Hopefully, uur tips and advice on what to do and how the process works should help put your mind at ease. Some states do allow for this, but others don't, so be sure to check with your local DMV. Just keep in mind that having multiple sets of the same plates driving around may lead to you being charged with traffic violations that weren't even your fault.

However, you can hang onto your license plate when you sell your car , in most cases, so long as you follow these steps. If you had two license plates and only one was stolen, you still have to surrender any remaining plates to the DMV.

This is simply part of the replacement process and helps to avoid confusion. This is true even in states that allow you to only have a single license plate showing, such as Florida, the Carolinas, Oklahoma, and Kentucky. This rule also lends itself to cars that look better without a front plate, such as the Tesla Model 3 or Chevrolet Corvette.

While this is different in every state, the good news is that this should cost no more than what you would have paid for your plates when you first registered your vehicle. In fact, the fee might be lower than the initial fee. In Virginia, the replacement fee is waived if you request your replacement plates at the same time as your registration renewal. Of course, theft cannot be timed, so this option is only usually applicable if you want to replace worn or damaged plates.

The best solution is to buy special screws that require a matching security wrench to remove them and cannot be removed by any standard wrench or screwdriver. Secure your license plates with these screws and it will be virtually impossible to steal it without destroying it, which would render it useless to the thief anyway.

Enquire about this at your local car-parts or hardware store. Replacing a license plate can be a hassle, so here are some tips to help you through the process Read in this article:. Someone Stole My License Plate Having your license plate stolen is always frustrating, because not only do you have to deal with the fact that you've been a victim of crime, but you have to go through the trouble and expense to replace the stolen license plate.

If you're enquiring about replacing stolen car-registration plates, ask them the following while you're on the line with them: Method of submission. Ask whether you can mail or email your application or whether you must submit it in person.