NY License Plates and Insurance After Selling a Car

Unlike many states, in New York the license plates stay with the seller, not the vehicle. Forgetting to remove your plates after selling a car in NY can leave you on the hook for tickets, tolls and even crimes committed with the vehicle until the buyer registers it.

Seller — what to do with the plates

• Remove the plates from the vehicle BEFORE the buyer drives away.
• Remove the registration sticker from the windshield.
• Surrender the plates to a NY DMV office in person, online, or by mail (depending on plate type).
• Save the plate surrender receipt — it is proof you returned the plates on a specific date.
• Use the surrender receipt to cancel your auto insurance on that vehicle. Failing to surrender plates before cancelling insurance can trigger NY DMV insurance lapse penalties.
• If you have NY transferable plates and you are buying another vehicle, you can transfer the plates to the new vehicle instead of surrendering them — speak to NY DMV about plate transfer.

Buyer — insurance before registration

• You cannot register the vehicle in New York until you have NY auto insurance.
• Buy a NY policy from a NY-licensed insurer. They will issue an NY Insurance Identification Card (the FS-20 / NYAIP card).
• Bring the NY insurance ID card to the DMV with the rest of the registration paperwork (MV-82, DTF-802, signed title, MV-912).
• If the vehicle will sit unregistered for a while, you still need to keep insurance on it once it is registered — NY suspends registrations for any insurance lapse of more than 90 days.