Reusing old plate

[dj_rice]

I have a plate from a car I sold back in 2010 I think. I would like to use this plate on my new vehicle I'm purchasing next month. Can this be done? I don't have the bill of sale of that vehicle anymore. I want to use this plate as its a 6 digit plate, 7 digit plates are for noobs.

The plate is mine. I own the plate.

[killramos]

I thought when you get a plate its yours for life? Just bring it in to get the stickers it should be registered in your name.

Be careful about if its registered in multiple names or if the new car is in multiple names because if it is and everything isn't the same they won't let you use it.

Knew someone who got screwed over with a vanity plate over that, had it in his and his exes name and couldnt use it anymore after :rofl:

[Thaco]

Originally posted by killramos
I thought when you get a plate its yours for life? Just bring it in to get the stickers it should be registered in your name.

Be careful about if its registered in multiple names or if the new car is in multiple names because if it is and everything isn't the same they won't let you use it.

Knew someone who got screwed over with a vanity plate over that, had it in his and his exes name and couldnt use it anymore after :rofl: shawnassey registry fucked me with that, i went in and bought 3 of the troops plates, they didn't tell me i had to even purchase the plates under the names the vehicles were registered with so i bought them all under my own name, went to register them and i couldn't because 2 of the vehicles had both my wife and my names on the registration, i ended up having to (first of all go to a different registry because shawnassey didn't even suggest this solution to me, just basically told me tough shit your $$$ is down the drain) write up 2 bill of sales basically selling the cars to me, so that i wouldn't have to toss the $$$ out the window.


As for re-using your old plate, its hard to say, i think they do recycle the numbers after a period of time.

[speedog]

I doubt that 6 digit plates will be re-used.

[BokCh0y]

I asked this before at a registry as I have a bunch of old 6-digit plates. I guess it depends on who you talk to at the registry .

One chick said if it's out of the system then you can't reuse it. Whereas I've had a few tell me you can still use it as long as it's yours and you have the parties it is registered to available to sign the registration. Ie you and your partner.

I ended not bothering since the plates were all under my name only and my current plates are under my wife and I, which also matches insurance. Pretty you can though.

[SilverGS]

2 years ago I was able to reuse my old 6 digit plate for a new vehicle. I don't remember the process but I think I just took it into the registry office and they just had to check if it was already registered to anything.

I think if you don't return the plate they don't expire the number for at least quite some time as the plate I used had been sitting in my garage for years and now I am using it again

[Nufy]

I still have the first plate I got when I moved to Calgary back in 1995.

I was able to put it on my Porsche when I bought it a few years back.



Its still registered until July 2017 and will probably go on my next car.

[max_boost]

I love my old plates 808 and 828. Plan to use them even though I got a couple 8888 ones too haha

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by speedog
I doubt that 6 digit plates will be re-used.

6 digits can still be reused. I think the only ones that can't are the really old ones (pre 1984) because they forced everyone switch to the white/red ones. They aren't forcing 6 digit plate holders to renew with 7 digit ones.

[AndyL]

My mom still rocks her original what was that 83? When they changed from yellow to current design plate. I'm pretty sure you can use it as long as it's yours and legible.

Had to cut the stack of year stickers down a few years ago with a razor blade, it was getting thick.

[NoPulp]

Was also curious if I could use the 6 digits plates I inherited from my grandpa, sounds like its not worth the effort to try...
Still have my first plate, been on 3 different cars now :D

[ExtraSlow]

I don't know a way to use an old plate that was someone elses. Using your own old plate is no issue. I have a rotation of three plates that I use and often end up with them expiring and getting renewed when i buy my next beater.

Only one of my plates is a seven digit, and it pains me to have that thing, but at least the other two are OG six digit plates.

[dj_rice]

Thanks to all who replied and to the mod who made this into its own thread. You all are scholars :thumbsup:

[soloracer]

The previous owner of one of my cars had the plate "PWRTRIP" and I wanted to use it. Was told that even if he gave me both plates in existence that I could not register them in my name.

[Thaco]

Originally posted by soloracer
The previous owner of one of my cars had the plate "PWRTRIP" and I wanted to use it. Was told that even if he gave me both plates in existence that I could not register them in my name. yep, cant transfer a plate, even if its just to add your spouses name.

[rage2]

You can transfer a personalized plate to an immediate family member.

edit - interesting guidelines from the AB website: https://www.servicealberta.ca/Types-of-licence-plates.cfm


A personalized licence plate can only be transferred:
- to an immediate family member, such as mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, spouse, common-law spouse and in-laws.
- between a company and the company owner, when the person is the only owner of the company.
So if you want to transfer it to your friend, you can marry his/her daughter to make them an inlaw? :poosie:

[max_boost]

Oh interesting good to know. Thanks rage2

[jwslam]

Originally posted by soloracer
The previous owner of one of my cars had the plate "PWRTRIP" and I wanted to use it. Was told that even if he gave me both plates in existence that I could not register them in my name.
He has to start a business, sell it to his business, you buy the business, and sell the plate to yourself.

Or do what rage said and marry his daughter.

[dannie]

Originally posted by dj_rice
I have a plate from a car I sold back in 2010 I think. I would like to use this plate on my new vehicle I'm purchasing next month. Can this be done? I don't have the bill of sale of that vehicle anymore. I want to use this plate as its a 6 digit plate, 7 digit plates are for noobs.

The plate is mine. I own the plate.

You're fine to use it as long as the plate, bill of sale and insurance are in your name. Just know what the plate number is when you go in. If anyone else is listed on the bill of sale, you won't be able to use that plate.

[dannie]

Originally posted by rage2
You can transfer a personalized plate to an immediate family member.

edit - interesting guidelines from the AB website: https://www.servicealberta.ca/Types-of-licence-plates.cfm



I can't stand that they only put half the applicable information online. You do your research, try to get your ducks in a row and then you come into the registry and we blindside you with the intricacies that they don't talk about.

We become the assholes and "don't know what we're doing." It's so irritating.

What they don't tell you in that section you quoted is that to transfer to a family member, there must be a vehicle attached to that plate. So, if you have a personalized plate that is on your car and you want to give that plate to your mom - the car goes to her too. You write a bill of sale, we move the whole car and plate to her. Once that's done, she writes a bill of sale back to you, you pay me again to register the car back to you and issue plates. So instead of the $22.45 fee associated with moving the plate, you're now paying that plus an additional registration to get your car back.

But we're the assholes.

/end rant (I think I need coffee)

[Thaco]

yeah lots of bullshit unexpected rules that aren't communicated.

[dannie]

The gov stance on support plates is - the agent prints out a form. The public reads and signs the form which explicitly says (don't quote me on the wording - I'd need to look when I get to work) "I want to order this plate in the name of xxxxxx." The public signs it saying "ya I want the plate in this name."

The responsibility is on the public to read the legal document in front of them.

Same with virtually all docs that go through the offices.

Edit: Thaco - you changed your post as I replied lol. Sorry - this doesn't make a ton of sense now lol

[Thaco]

Originally posted by dannie
The gov stance on support plates is - the agent prints out a form. The public reads and signs the form which explicitly says (don't quote me on the wording - I'd need to look when I get to work) "I want to order this plate in the name of xxxxxx." The public signs it saying "ya I want the plate in this name."

The responsibility is on the public to read the legal document in front of them.

Same with virtually all docs that go through the offices.

Edit: Thaco - you changed your post as I replied lol. Sorry - this doesn't make a ton of sense now lol and in your experience people read these???? 99% of legal stuff like that the person serving the document points out any critical parts because nobody ever reads them... if they did registries would be more of a madhouse than they already are.

Most people would not assume that simply purchasing the plate would bind it to the name it was purchased under, most people would assume the first time its registered would be what secures it to that person's name.

[dannie]

Originally posted by Thaco
and in your experience people read these???? 99% of legal stuff like that the person serving the document points out any critical parts because nobody ever reads them... if they did registries would be more of a madhouse than they already are.

Most people would not assume that simply purchasing the plate would bind it to the name it was purchased under, most people would assume the first time its registered would be what secures it to that person's name.

The document for troops plates, yes. They generally get read because it's 5 lines. Drivers licence forms or registering - hell no. They're half a page of tiny writing.

As far as the purchase of a plate - take out the fact that you're talking about a troops plate. If you walk into a registry and say "hey I wanna get plates for my new Lamborghini - here's my documents and my licence," you're going to make the assumption that the clerk will register it to you. Fair?

Clerk gets a plate, scans the licence, checks the bill of sale and insurance and carries on registering your new Lamborghini to you.

During that interaction, would you ever think that the plate will belong to your kid? Wife? Husband? Etc? No. You know the plate is yours. The car is yours.

So, no. Most people assume when they leave with a plate, it's theirs.

Same goes for troops and vanity plates

[Thaco]

Originally posted by dannie


The document for troops plates, yes. They generally get read because it's 5 lines. Drivers licence forms or registering - hell no. They're half a page of tiny writing.

As far as the purchase of a plate - take out the fact that you're talking about a troops plate. If you walk into a registry and say "hey I wanna get plates for my new Lamborghini - here's my documents and my licence," you're going to make the assumption that the clerk will register it to you. Fair?

Clerk gets a plate, scans the licence, checks the bill of sale and insurance and carries on registering your new Lamborghini to you.

During that interaction, would you ever think that the plate will belong to your kid? Wife? Husband? Etc? No. You know the plate is yours. The car is yours.

So, no. Most people assume when they leave with a plate, it's theirs.

Same goes for troops and vanity plates considering when they had the current registration right in front of them that had more than one name, yeah, i'd think that maybe it would need to be registered how it currently is.... or at least brought to my attention at which time i would have stopped the current purchases and come back later with my wife to purchase it "properly"