Retaining License Plate

[JohnS1111]

Hi, I placed my order for a white (or red - can't decide) premium in September, so I still got some wait time. However, I got a personalized license plate that I would like to keep on my current car and I would like to sell it probably in December already. I am trying to understand how that works and it is clear as mud.
So there is this form to "retain, reassign, or release interest" in a plate: *Special Interest License Plate Application
All good, I could fill this out and include the retention fee as a check. But then what? Will they send me new plates for the current car? Or do I just take the plates off when I sell the car and the buyer drives off plate-less?

I could go to the DMV and try to find out in person as I have already scavenged most of the DMV web site and it is still not clear to me, but I hope someone here may know.

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[HuntingPudel]

You will need to take the plates off of the car when you sell it regardless. The plates are yours until you give them up. Your decision should be whether to keep the plates for your MME, or to abandon the plates in favor of something else. If you are selling your current car before you obtain your MME and the plates are going on the MME, you need to "retain." If oyu are selling the car at the same time as you are getting your MME and keeping the plate for the MME, you need to "reassign." If you're abandoning the plates, you need to "release interest" in the plates.

 

[JohnS1111]

Thanks for the reply. So then I don’t do the “retain” and get new license plates for the existing car before I sell and that all happens WHEN I sell.
So I’m short, I sell the car, take the license plates off when the new owner picks it up, and then I file to retain the current license plates with the above form. The new owner registers the car and gets new ones. Is this correct?
Sorry, I’m from Germany living in the USA and I found it odd to let someone drive off with a car without license plates. So I thought I had to prepare all that in advance.

 

[mdolan92869]

Thanks for the reply. So then I don’t do the “retain” and get new license plates for the existing car before I sell and that all happens WHEN I sell.
So I’m short, I sell the car, take the license plates off when the new owner picks it up, and then I file to retain the current license plates with the above form. The new owner registers the car and gets new ones. Is this correct?
Sorry, I’m from Germany living in the USA and I found it odd to let someone drive off with a car without license plates. So I thought I had to prepare all that in advance.

The dealer will put temporary paper license plates on the car. They are good until you get the new plates from the DMV for the new car. At that point, you can then transfer the personalized plates to the new car. It's what I had to do with mine, but I took the form, the check and both sets of plates to AAA to do the swap. They took possession of the new ones the DMV sent me, assigned mine to the new car and gave me new registration stickers for them.

Like you, I'm shocked I can't just buy the new car and have them transfer the plates to the new car right there and drive out with them on. That's one thing the dealer warned me, DO NOT put those personalized plates on the new car until the plates from the DMV show up and you do the transfer.

 

[mdolan92869]

I posted better details in this thread from right after I did it months ago
https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/transferring-custom-plates-pending-renewal.2964/post-154995

 

[HuntingPudel]

Heh, the thing is that my wait for my personalized license plates is going to be longer than the wait for my car since placing the order. I ordered them at the same time and figured I'd be driving around with them on my Fusion for a while. The joke's on me! California DMV is suffering a chip delay. Gotta wait until they put the computerized subassembly in my license plates before they can ship them. ??

 

[JohnS1111]

It’s a bit different as I sell the car a few months before receiving the new car. I was just wondering if a private buyer buys my current car and I take the plates off… well he has to drive off without any plates - that seemed wrong to me.
But alright, I think I got it. Take the plates when I sell it and fill out the retain formright afyer, new plates for the car aren’t my concern.

 

[HuntingPudel]

It’s a bit different as I sell the car a few months before receiving the new car. I was just wondering if a private buyer buys my current car and I take the plates off… well he has to drive off without any plates - that seemed wrong to me.
But alright, I think I got it. Take the plates when I sell it and fill out the retain formright afyer, new plates for the car aren’t my concern.

The buyer will be OK as long as you have filled out the transfer paperwork and he/she has signed the transfer of liabiliy.

 

[TheSeg]

I posted better details in this thread from right after I did it months ago
https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/transferring-custom-plates-pending-renewal.2964/post-154995

Came here to mention my old thread!

The only difference my case was from yours is that I sold my old car to the dealer and happened to be same day. Doesn't mater if it's a dealer or private sale, it's still the same situation.

Also: You'll need to wait till you make the transfer to the custom plates before filling out the HOV lane paperwork. I did this at my local AAA, and could mail in the HOV paperwork that same day.

 

[JohnS1111]

Came here to mention my old thread!

The only difference my case was from yours is that I sold my old car to the dealer and happened to be same day. Doesn't mater if it's a dealer or private sale, it's still the same situation.

Also: You'll need to wait till you make the transfer to the custom plates before filling out the HOV lane paperwork. I did this at my local AAA, and could mail in the HOV paperwork that same day.

Thanks, I didn't even think about the HOV lanes yet. Another perk coming, lol!

 

[krafty81]

Here is what I did. When I received my metal plates from the DMV that dealer requested, I sent them back to DMV along with the form to keep my specialty plates. They sent me back a registration for my MME and my old specialty plate, along w a sticker that was one year from when I sent in my paperwork. No trip to DMV required!

 

[JohnS1111]

Just reviving this once more. I did sell my car to Carvana and kept my license plates. But as it is unknown to when I get the Mach-E, I sent the following form via mail to the DMV along with a check for $38:
Special Interest License Plate Application
(form)

Appendix 1F - Fees - California DMV
(1960 legacy plate retention fee)

Then a few weeks later, I got a letter back from some special handling DMV department that stated that my plates are safely mine until end of October 2022.

 

[Chuck]

This shouldn't be complicated. When I sold my Edge I just took off the plates before the buyer took the car. I didn't file any paperwork, I just took the plates. They're mine, not the car's. Then, when the state issued plates came for my Mustang I took them along with my vanity plates to the Auto club and they took the new state issued plates from me and completed the paperwork. I went home and put the vanity plates on my Mustang.

 

[JohnS1111]

There is a retention procedure if the plates are not attached to a car for a while. I posted the links above.
Happy to say, I got them back now registered to the Mach-E. I had a trainee at the DMV who did not know how to do it, so I was smiling and being patient.

 

[kosminski]

I just did this in CA today actually... sold my Jeep two days before my Mach E arrived to CarMax and they gave me my California 60s legacy plates back when I sold it. I purchased my Mach E and waited for my new plates to arrive from the DMV then filled out the Special Interest License plate form (sections 1/4/5/6) and took it into the DMV to return the plates and pay the $50ish transfer fee... couldn't have been easier.

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