When you buy a car and have a driver’s license, you should register your car and get a license plate. The New York license plate lookup will help you to find the information you need to know about the vehicle. To clarify, it will provide information about the car’s previous ownership. Not to forget about the features and specifications that come with the search results. You will also get to learn about the process of getting a license plate. Renewals, transfers, and associated fees are covered in the article as well.
Types Of New York License Plates
In general, the price for a standard one is $25. But for an additional fee, you can order professional, personalized, or custom plates. In addition, here are the professional tags you can have:
- I Love NY Adventure Plates
- Sports
- Military and Veterans
- Counties and Regions of NY State
- Colleges, Fraternities, Sororities
- Causes
- Professions
- Organizations
- Motorcycle Plates
The difference between standard and personalized tags is that you can choose the letters and the numbers on them.
If you want to have a special one and not follow the defined format, you may order a custom plate. There can be 2 to 6 characters on it.
But, there is also a county coding, which helps find out from which part of NY the driver is. The county coding is used in the phonetic combination of letters. For example, for the Bronx, we may have BWB, BXA-BAZ, etc., for Madison MAD, and so on.
Disabled Category
If you have disabilities, to be able to park in particular areas, you can apply for a disability plate. For that, you should fill in the application for “Persons with Severe Disabilities”. Also, you should submit a statement from your healthcare provider about your disease.
How To Use The NY License Plate Lookup
To start with, the lookup is every driver’s best friend. It makes the process of car purchase much easier. There are many reasons for that.
Firstly, the buyer gets to obtain info about the given car. It helps to avoid possible fraud and illegally modified vehicles.
Secondly, it shows ownership history. That is, indeed, a very important feature. Who wouldn’t want to know what happened to their car in the past? Maybe there were accidents or thefts.
Last but not least, it provides details about the vehicle. For example, you will get to learn about its year of manufacture, model, engine type, and other specifications.
Interesting, right? If so, don’t miss your chance to look up your vehicle as well. All you need to do is use the online search tool and get your desired information within seconds.
The same tool is available for other US states as well, for example, California, Indiana, Florida, etc.
How To Renew The New York License Plate?
Every year on April 30 the car registration expires. It means that you should renew it when it is due time. If not, you will have to pay additional fees.
The process can be completed online, by mail, or by visiting the New York DMV office.
Online
You will need to submit:
- numberplate
- registration class
- your full legal name
The renewal fee depends on many factors. So, there is no fixed price for everyone. You may see the amount you should pay in your notice.
Before you receive your new registration documents, you can use the temporary registration. It is valid for 10 days. During this time, you will receive your final documents.
By mail
If you have received a renewal notice, send the bottom part of the document to the mentioned address. But, if you have not received a notice, fill in the Vehicle Registration/Title Application and send it by mail.
Don’t forget to attach a payment check.
In-person
In this case, visit a DMV office and take your notice (if you have one). Otherwise, fill in the Vehicle Registration/Title Application form.
Before visiting the office, make an appointment online.
New York License Plate Replacement
You can replace your license plate if:
- you are going to order a personalized/custom or Excelsior plate
- the current one is damaged, stolen, or destroyed
In case of being stolen, you should notify the police. They will give you a report which you should submit to the New York DMV. It will take 10 days to get your new plates.
Note that you can find the application forms on the official website of the New York DMV.
Transferring of License Plate
If you are going to sell or give away your car, you cannot transfer your plates to another vehicle. You can only transfer the ownership.
What Color Is The New York License Plate?
Depending on the type of the NY license plate, the design may vary. However, initially, it used to be standard blue on white. Then, it was changed from blue to orange. As a background, there used to be an Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty.
The standard colors are blue, white, and orange. Nevertheless, with additional payment, you can have the photo and digits you want.
