I lived in florida for 2 years back in 2005 and 2006. we moved back to long Island because my now X-wife missed her mom and family. we drove back and when I went to register our cars in NY and they would not take the florida plates ( might still have them). Im planning to move back to florida at the end of the year or beginning of next. my question is do you think I will have a problem registering a car being I never turned in the florida plates years ago? I dont know how far back there records go. hopefully not that far back.
Call the DMV or check here:
3 Likes
You mean they wouldn’t throw them in the garbage for you? Why would a NY license agency want old FL license plates?
I live on the west coast but I can’t possibly see any issue with registering your car in Florida now. Who cares what happened to old license plates? Just buy new ones.
1 Like
here in NY if you dont turn in your old plates they will suspend your new registration and your license. thats why I was asking about florida
That’s odd. Every state I have lived in the license plates stay on the car. Buy a car, renew the license if needed and you’re good to go.
Now that I think of it Montana lets you keep the license plates when you sell your car and put them on the new one.
That probably only applies to New York plates . If they did not want your Florida plates like Asemaster says , who cares . When you get to Florida you will get new plates anyway .
yes in ny you can transfer your plates to another vehicle. but if you sell your car and dont get another vehicle you have to turn them in. when i moved to florida back then i sold my vehicle and bought a new one in florida. it was time for a new one.
In Florida the plates stay with the owner. Technically you should turn them in but Indon’t think they are crazy about it. You will have to pay a $200 new registration fee plus a title fee when you register your car back in FL.
Did you mail the New York license plates to the NY DMV?
In Florida-you get new plates every five years-because the manufacture (3M) of the reflective coating breaks down-something that should be done here in the northeast-I’ve seen plates where it was peeling off in one piece!
hey nevada, before I moved to florida I sold my vehicle, returned the plates and bought a new vehicle down there.
No, that is wrong. I have had the same plates for 8 years. It is my choice to replace them, not the state’s.
PA too. When we traded in the Odyssey for my Camry we just transferred the plates.
In most states that also applies.
2 Likes
In New York, the plate belongs to the owner of the registered vehicle, and can only be used on that particular vehicle. If you sell the car and cancel the insurance, you turn in the plates. Those plates are not legal to use by a different owner on that, or any other car.
This is different than in other states.
In my state the tags belongs to the owner if you sell the car you either transfer the tag to the new car if you did not replace the car you turn them in for a prorated refund But from what we are seeing here every state is different you just have have to check with the DMV in whatever state you are in.
What , ask the people who have the answer ? What kind of nonsense is that ?
3 Likes
Sorry I must be slipping to come up with that nonsense. 
The OP is in New York, I wouldn’t trust the New York DMV to answer a question about Florida license plates. Also, I wouldn’t enjoy waiting for hours on the phone for bad information from a Florida DMV worker.
Not true. Plates can be transferred to another vehicle in the same class.