What to do with your license plate when selling your car
Today’s the day: you’ve finally sold your old junk car! What a relief. Who did you end up selling it to? If your car’s in good shape, you may have found a private buyer who’s interested in it. If so, congratulations on navigating the gauntlet that is the online classified universe. More often than not, we at Junk Car Traders hear from customers who tried to sell their clunker online, but eventually gave up. After months of running online ads, responding to texts, answering emails, taking late night phone calls, arranging times to show their vehicle, meeting people mid-day so they could see it, on and on…they still hadn’t managed to sell their clunker.
If you’re like the majority of junk car owners, you ended up selling your clunker to a scrap yard, junkyard, or a reputable junk car buyer like Junk Car Traders. Working with a company like us is a lot easier than trying to sell your clunker online. Plus, we pay top dollar for junk cars: we’ll pay more than anyone else in the area. And, on top of that, we can even tow your junk car free of charge.
However you’ve managed to sell your clunker, though, the important thing is that it’s finally out of your hair. There’s just one last thing you’re not sure about: what do you do with your old license plates when your sell your junker? Do you leave them on? Should you remove them? If you do remove them, what do you do with them? Read on to learn more.
What’s the deal with license plates, anyway?
When you register your vehicle in the vast majority of U.S. states, you’re given a license plate that corresponds with the registration number in the state’s computer system. Sometimes, you’ll even be given two plates for your vehicle: one for mounting on the front of your car, and the other for attaching to the rear bumper or hatch. Either way, the idea is simple: your license plate serves as a means of identifying your vehicle and associating it with a specific owner.
What do I do with my plates when I sell my car?
When you go to sell your vehicle, you don’t want to leave the plates attached. Why? Well, if the vehicle is registered in your name, it’s legally associated with you. This means that if the car is involved in an accident, or used in some sort of illegal activity, you can be held legally liable. The last thing you want is to have to deal with a huge legal headache because of something the new owner has done with your car.
Fortunately, it’s easy to avoid any potential liability. All you have to do is remove your plates when you go to sell your vehicle. Then, take them straight to the DMV, turn them in, and inform the DMV that you’ve sold your vehicle. Your registration will be canceled, and the car will no longer be associated with you in the state’s system. It’s then up to the new owner to register the vehicle themselves, in their name.
Remember: just because you’ve transferred your title, doesn’t mean you’re finished with the paperwork process. Always remove your plates and turn them into the DMV.
If you still haven’t found a buyer for your junk car, Junk Car Traders can pay you cash for it within 24 hours. Junk Car Traders has great customer service in New Jersey as well as great reviews. We’ll also answer any other questions you might have about the paperwork involved. Take a look at our website to learn more: JunkCarTraders.com.
References
https://www.dmv.org/articles/surrendering-license-plates-when-to-hand-over-your-tags/