How to keep your license plate number: complete instructions

The situation when the owner wants to keep his license plate occurs quite often. This may be due to the desire to leave a “beautiful” combination of numbers and letters, attachment to a certain series, or simply habit. Regardless of motivation, the procedure for securing oneself state registration plate (GRZ) is regulated by law and requires the implementation of a clear algorithm of actions.

It is important to understand that a license plate is not just hardware, but an official identifier of the vehicle in the registration system. The process of preserving it has now been simplified as much as possible: legislation allows you to store hand-issued plates for a long time. The main thing is not to miss the deadlines and fill out the documents correctly at the department traffic police.

Before taking active steps, it is necessary to assess the current condition of the car and documents. If you are planning to sell your car, but want to keep the number for yourself, you need to act consistently. Ignoring the rules may result in the desired number going into the general pool, and you will receive a standard combination.

Legislative framework and new rules for 2026

The main regulatory act regulating this issue is Order No. 399 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. It is this document that establishes the procedure for registering vehicles and assigning registration plates. In recent years, the procedure has undergone significant changes, becoming more convenient for citizens.

The key innovation was the increase in the shelf life of numbers. If previously this period was only 180 days, now the legislator has allowed citizens to retain the right to use a specific GRZ for much longer. This makes it possible not to rush to install a license plate on a new car or wait for its purchase.

In addition, it is now permitted to store plates electronically in the department's database, although physical storage in the hands of the owner is also practiced and is often a more convenient option.

• 🚗 Number storage period has been increased to 360 days (previously it was 180).
• 📄 Saving is only possible for cars registered in the same region where the owner is located.
• 🔄 A repeated procedure for saving a license plate for the same car is impossible without changing the owner.

Compliance with current legal requirements is the key to successful completion of the procedure. You should not rely on the advice of friends who may have registered cars several years ago, as regulations change.

Duration and cost of the preservation procedure

One of the most important issues for car owners is the financial side of the matter and the time frame. The state has established fixed tariffs that are valid throughout the country, however, different regions may have their own peculiarities of paying state duties through different banks.

As already mentioned, the maximum period during which a number will be “reserved” for you is 360 calendar days. This period is counted from the moment the application is submitted and the car is actually deregistered (or registration data is changed). If during this time you do not install the saved number on a new car, it will burn out and go on sale.

As for the cost, it consists of several components. You will have to pay for the issuance of new license plates for the old car (since you are taking the old one for yourself) and for making changes to the documents.

Below is a table with current prices that may be required during the process:

Service type	Cost (RUB)	Comment
Issuing new license plates (to old cars)	2000	Paid upon receipt of new numbers
Making changes to the PTS	350	If the PTS is paper
Issuance of a new STS	500	Plastic card
Saving a number	0	There is no separate duty

The total amount may vary depending on whether you need to change the title or whether it is enough to make an entry to the existing one. It is also worth taking into account the bank commission when paying state fees.

⚠️ Attention: Pay state fees only through official channels (Government services, banks with a license) to avoid problems with confirming payment in the traffic police.

Step-by-step instructions: how to save your number

The procedure for saving the number requires the personal presence of the vehicle owner. You cannot send a representative by proxy to perform this particular action - the owner must be identified. The whole process can be divided into several logical stages.

First you need to prepare the car. The car must be clean, the numbers must be readable. The inspector at the inspection site will check the VIN code, engine and body number with the data in the documents. If the numbers on the body are not readable or have been changed, the procedure will be denied.

Next, you should go to the registration window with a package of documents. The traffic police officer will check for restrictions on registration actions (for example, due to fines or a ban from bailiffs). If everything is clear, you will be given an application to retain the state license.

After checking the documents and inspecting the vehicle, the old license plates are dismantled. You receive them in your hands (or they are placed in safekeeping at the traffic police, depending on the rules of a particular department), and the car is assigned new, random numbers.

• 📝 Fill out an application for maintaining the state license in the department or through the State Services portal.
• 🔍 Get your vehicle inspected at a special site.
• 💳 Pay state fees for issuing new license plates and documents.
• 🆔 Get new numbers and STS, and take the old number for yourself.

It is important to fill out the application correctly. It states that you are requesting that a specific license plate be retained for you. Errors in writing letters and numbers are unacceptable.

Necessary documents for registration

Collecting the right package of documents is 90% of success. The absence of even one certificate can lead to refusal to accept the application or loss of time in queues. The list of documents is strictly regulated and does not require additional certificates from other authorities.

First of all you will need passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation. It is against this that the registration is checked, since, we remind you, the region of registration and the region of the code on the number must match for the saving procedure. If you have changed your passport, it is better to also take a document confirming the change of surname if the data differs from those in the PTS.

The second required element is Vehicle passport (PTS). If you have an electronic PTS (EPTS), then an extract from the system or simply confirmation of the owner’s status in the database. For a paper PTS, it is important to have free space for records.

What to do if the PTS is full?

If the paper PTS runs out of space for entries, it must be replaced with a new one. To do this, you must indicate in your application a request for the issuance of a new PTS and pay the appropriate state fee (800 rubles).

You must also provide a valid Vehicle registration certificate (STS) and OSAGO policy. Although the policy is not always formally asked when submitting documents, its presence is mandatory for legal movement until deregistration, and data from it may be required.

⚠️ Attention: If the car is pledged to the bank, the written consent of the pledge holder may be required for any registration actions.

It is better to make all copies of documents in advance, although most traffic police departments have photocopying services. However, this will save you time and nerves.

Installing a saved number on a new car

After the number has been successfully saved and is in your hands (or in the database), the installation stage begins. This could be a new car, purchased at a dealership, or a used one, purchased second-hand. The algorithm of actions here also has its own characteristics.

When you purchase a new car from a dealership, you receive a set of documents from the dealer. With them, along with your passport and an application for installation of a previously saved GRZ, you contact the traffic police. The application indicates the details of the saved number.

If you bought a used car, you first need to complete a purchase and sale transaction and register the car in your name with temporary or new plates (if they were on the car), and then, as part of the same procedure or separately, initiate the replacement of the license plate with a saved one.

• 🚙Bring your new car to the inspection site.
• 📄 Submit an application asking to assign the saved number.
• 💰 Pay the state fee for issuing an STS and making changes to the PTS (no need to make new numbers).
• 🔢 Receive a new STS with the old and new number entered.

The traffic police officer will check to see if the 360-day storage period has expired. If the deadline is correct, the number is “hanged” on the car. You hang up the physical signs yourself; they are officially recorded in documents.

It is important that the vehicle you are placing the plate on is also registered in the same region as the plate code. The law does not impose any other restrictions on the make or model of the car.

Frequent errors and reasons for failure

Despite its apparent simplicity, car owners often encounter failures. Most often they are associated with banal inattention or ignorance of the intricacies of the law. You can avoid them if you study the list of potential problems in advance.

One of the most common mistakes is trying to save the number if the owner is not the owner of the car. Only those who have owned the car for at least 6 months can keep the number (although the requirement for the period of ownership in the current version of Order No. 399 has been relaxed/removed for many cases, but ownership is mandatory).

Also, a refusal will follow if the car has unpaid fines. The system simply will not let the application pass. Before visiting the traffic police, be sure to check yourself for debts through official services.

⚠️ Attention: If the number is damaged, deformed or has traces of self-repair (painted numbers, changed background), the inspector has the right to seize it and refuse to preserve it until duplicates are made.

Another mistake is filling out the application incorrectly. Scratch marks, the use of correction fluid, or illegible handwriting may be a formal reason for the return of documents. Use block letters or fill out the forms on the computer.

Don’t forget about the technical condition of the car. If the car does not pass inspection due to tinting, unlit headlights or lack of a first aid kit, the registration procedure (and saving the number) will be suspended until the faults are resolved.

Questions and answers (FAQ)

Is it possible to keep the number if I sold the car, but the number has already been removed?

No, you can save the number only at the time of registration (deregistration upon sale, disposal or travel abroad). If the car has already been sold and deregistered without saving the number, it cannot be restored.

What happens if I don’t have time to put a license plate on a new car within 360 days?

After 360 days from the date of issuance of the certificate of preservation, the license plate is automatically canceled and returned to the general pool of available traffic police numbers. It is not possible to extend this period.

Do I need to go to the traffic police in an old car to keep the license plate?

Yes, definitely. The car must be presented for inspection so that the inspector can check the serial numbers and make sure that there are no design changes before issuing new numbers and handing over the old ones to you.

Can I keep my number if I change my registration to another region?

No. Saving your number is only possible if you remain a resident of the same region whose code is indicated on the license plate. If you change your region of residence, the numbers must be replaced.

Do I need to pay tax for storing my number?

No, there is no state fee for the “preservation” service itself. You only pay for the issuance of new license plates for an old car and paperwork (STS, PTS).