Licence Plates - Just out of interest! - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#1 08-30-2002, 08:03 AM

As it says above, im just being a bit nosey! Here in the UK when a car is first registered, it is given a registration number, for example my old Granada's number was C947 EKX. C being the prefix letter for the 1986 model year, 947 being random numbers and EKX indicating where abouts in the UK the car was first registered. This number stays with the car for life (unless a private plate is bought of course) so it can be identified if necessary. How does it work in the states, as ive heard that plates get transferred from car to car if you buy a new one? Is that true?

G-Benz · #2 08-30-2002, 10:34 AM

Things are a bit different from state to state, but I believe for the most part, plate numbers have no meaning whatsoever and are just cranked out in some weird alphanumerical order. Some states use letters and numbers, some have letters as prefixes while others use them as suffixes. Other states actually use the letter to designate the type of vehicle, but usually, that is done by issuing a different plate altogether (different color plate, letters, title, etc).

In most cases, if you trade in a car, you surrender the plates that came with it, or you can get them transferred (I guess there is a form for this).

We in the US also have the benefit of choosing "personalized plates" for an extra fee. I did this religiously until I moved to Texas and decided it was too costly to maintain four cars with those types of plates.

I am sure there are others on this forum more familiar with the DMV process, and can give a better insight!

Gilly · #3 08-30-2002, 10:47 AM

Yes, varies alot from state to state is the key phrase.
I don't believe all states have personalized or "vanity" license plates available. Most do, I believe, but not all.
The cost of course varies from state to state also.
Typically the owner of the car "owns" the plate so to speak. The plate can be retained upon sale of the vehicle and transferred to your new car for a very nominal fee. Or if the plates are shabby looking you can obtain replacement plates (different number) also for a small fee. These are almost all renewed annually, there are small stickers which will update the expiration date. The real "cost" of the plate is the annual renewal fee, so if you buy a new car in June and the plate doesn't expire until the following March for example, the plate is still good for many months, and you wouldn't want to waste those months, so it's transferred on to the new car. The Department of Motor Vehicles will update their computer to show that the plate is now assigned to the new car.
Hope this answers your questions. This info is correct for the state I am in, Wisconsin, I don't believe the info content will vary a whole lot from state to state, maybe minor procedural differences.

Gilly

#4 08-30-2002, 10:50 AM

Thanks for this, its interesting to know how its done elsewhere. It sounds very much like your licence plates are the same as out log book, which is transferred from owner to owner.

Thanks for replying, much appreciated.

G-Benz · #5 08-30-2002, 01:06 PM

I normally don't transfer plates when I am replacing a vehicle, unless they have "vanity" plates. But yes, you can do so, and the rules do vary from state to state.

As a footnote, I have lived in several states, and registration updates vary widely. Illinois, Missouri and Kansas (and some other states) used to change the plates each year, but they wised up and figured out that they can just issue stickers, saving them gobs of $$$ in material overhead (but charge the same fee). So instead of having to deinstall and reinstall plates every year (what a pain), you just slap the new sticker onto the plate.

In Texas, license plates are install-and-forget-it. The registration sticker is a window decal affixed to the windshield (windscreen). The inspection sticker is also applied alongside. They are large decals, issued in different colors based on year, so a police officer can see from a distance whether your vehicle is in compliance...

chowpit · #6 08-30-2002, 11:04 PM

Hey Matt,
What's an "out log book"?

JCE · #7 08-31-2002, 12:07 AM

If you live in a state that has renewal stickers that paste on the license plate each year, thieves have started stealing the stickers in the last couple of years! we had stickers stolen off our cars at church and at work. The police told us that after we install the yearly sticker on the plate, run an Xacto knife blade over the sticker diagonally 5 or 6 times (especially near the edges), so thieves destroy the sticker when attempting to remove it. The knife slashes don't interfere with reading the sticker because the Xacto blades are so thin. If the entire sticker is destroyed by their attempt to remove it, at least you prevented someone from re-selling your sticker! And if enough sticker is left behind from their failed attempt, you may not have to spend the time and money getting a replacement. (In California the stickers are supposed to disintegrate when being peeled off, but apparently it isn't as effective as the blade slashes, and the thieves have found a way around the un-slashed system.)

Gilly · #8 08-31-2002, 12:57 AM

Here in Wisconsin I guess you could call out stickers "pre-slashed", have been for years. They have "S" shaped score marks, several of them. They hold together ok peeling off the backing paper, but once applied, they won't come off again in 1 piece.
The theft ring thing, that's crazy. Here, if you "lose" your stickers (fall off for some reason, like the plate was dirty when the sticker was put on, or some people just claim they "lost" it before they stuck it on) no big deal, they look up in the computer to see that it was in fact paid and give you another.
On the other hand, if you get a sticker from some other means, like say you did manage to get one off in 1 piece, or you went to a motor vehicle department and said you lost your sticker (for another car, which was renewed) and put that stick on a plate which actually isn't recorded as being renewed, then you get stopped by a cop, you can be in some big trouble over that. Much bigger fines than just renewing the registration for the year. Sounds like a fools game, especially given how likely it is that someone attempting to do this is going to get pulled over for some minor (or major) infraction of the law.

Gilly

mikemover · #9 08-31-2002, 02:09 AM

Many states, including Georgia, offer special plates for "Antique" or "Collector" or "Hobbyist" cars...Usually the requirement is that the car be 25+ years old, and of course there's an extra fee. Pretty cool for those of us with older MBs.

Mine will qualify in another year or so!

Mike

#10 08-31-2002, 11:24 AM

In Nebraksa plates are real wiered now up untill a few years ago it was like this 9-b134 (mercedes plate

) 9-being the county and after that random numbers. Now they have started XXX XXX in larger cities from what I understand.
I just transfered the plates from my 528e over to the 533i and it was of the easiest things I've done. This year the 528e is eligable for the Collector plate but since it will not have insurance it will not be getting it.
PS
Florida has something like 100 plates to choose from
Nebraska Has 2 for cars and 2 for oickuptrucks (trucks have special plates)

#11 08-31-2002, 11:54 AM

As everybody has stated, the policies are set by the states, and very tremendously between them.

In Colorado, where I used to live, When you bought a car - new or used - you picked up a new plate. When you sold that car, you removed the plate and kept it. You had the option of transferring that plate to whatever you bought to replace the car sold. You would of course be credited for the unused registration fees against the new car. You can presumably use "YOM" plates as personalized plates on a vintage car with this policy. Colorado has numerous choices for vanity plates, and they are displayed online.

http://www.mv.state.co.us/titlereg/registration/plates/index.html

With Texas, the plate is issued to the car, and stays with it for seven years. The state issues a new plate at this time. If you sell the car, the plate goes with it, unless it is a custom plate. Then the seller is responsible for getting a standard issue plate on the car prior to sale.

Texas also has a wide variety of custom plates, which are also posted online by the state.

http://www.dot.state.tx.us/insdtdot/orgchart/vtr/vtrreginfo.htm

#12 09-05-2002, 03:12 PM

Here is an interesting side bar to this discussion.

In SC, people must pay property taxes on cars. This is suppose to be done starting when the car is first registered (and plate is issued). After that, it is an annual event - you pay your taxes and get a new sticker that shows you are good for another year.

We also have a law that allows you to transfer a plate from one car to a newly acquired car. When you do that, you don't have to pay taxes until the transferred plate expires. This law was passed as a perk to people who trade their car in on one at a dealer....but....the law doesn't specifically require that the older car be disposed of so it can be retained and re-tagged at the owners option.

Quite a few people have taken advantage of this law by regularly transferring plates between cars to avoid paying taxes at all. They buy one or more old clunkers (don't even have to be operational) and tag them. Obviously, the taxes on those old ones are low. Then, just before taxes become due on their newer, more costly vehicle, they transfer the plate from the old car and vola, no taxes on the new car for another year. With a little creativity, this can be done over and over.

Amazing how smart a tax payer can be when it comes to avoiding taxes.

Nic

Thai GI · #13 09-05-2002, 04:58 PM

1. Well having experience of both worlds I can tell you it’s a better system in the states.

2. In the states we have the option of having personalized plates like mine was “THAI GI” for the 190E and “MBZ THAI” for our 260E as long as is up to or less then 7 numbers and or letters and someone else don’t have then registered already. It coast a little more but not much about $25-35 depending what state you are at and it’s same for everyone in that state. The money goes to help some of the things in that state like wild life or parks care.

3. In the UK I see your so call personalized plates but with less options as you already know. You don’t have the option to come up with your own just what it’s out already and it’s the random of number and letters that you might be lucky to find something closer to what you want. Just think in the states you could have something like “M CROOKE” and it cost the same the extra $25. For the UK you got to pay for what the company with the rights to the plates charges and it depends on the how they think it’s worth go to this page http://www.regtransfers.co.uk/ and put in “MBZ”, take a look at the prices! Remember its about 1.57 USD to 1 GBP so when they say 5000 GBP it’s 7850 USD to us! I’m not sure but the compares keep the money, no helping wild life or anything. It’s kind of like web page name stealing youall think…

Thai GI sends…