Selling a car while maintaining state license plates is a procedure that requires not only legal literacy, but also strict compliance with traffic police regulations. Many owners become attached to “beautiful” or “successful” rooms, and some simply do not want to spend time decorating new ones. However Preservation of license plates when selling a car is possible only under strict compliance with the conditions, established by Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs No. 399 of 2020.

In this article we will analyze all legal ways maintaining license plates (including temporary deregistration and re-registration for another vehicle), nuances of paperwork, the cost of the procedure in 2026 and typical mistakes that lead to refusal by the traffic police. You will also learn how to avoid fraud during a transaction and what to do if the buyer refuses to participate in the procedure.

Important: on January 1, 2023, changes to the vehicle registration rules came into force, which simplified the procedure for saving license plates, but tightened the requirements for the package of documents. If you are selling a car older than 10 years, the algorithm will be different - read about this in the section about features for retro cars.

1. Is it possible to legally retain license plates when selling a car?

Yes, but only if one of three conditions is met:

  • 📋 Temporary deregistration (for a period of up to 1 year) with subsequent assignment of license plates to a new vehicle. Suitable if you are planning to buy another car in the near future.
  • 🔄 Re-registration of numbers to another vehiclealready in your possession. For example, with Toyota Camry 2018 on Hyundai Tucson 2022.
  • 💰 Buying numbers from the state (only for “beautiful” combinations through auction). The cost starts from 50,000 ₽.

The most popular option is temporary deregistration at the request of the owner (clause 33 of Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs No. 399). In this case, the numbers remain “assigned” to you, but the car can be sold without them. The main limitation: if you do not put the numbers on another vehicle within a year, they will be cancelled.

⚠️ Attention: If you are selling a car with temporarily removed license plates, the buyer must be prepared to drive without the plates until they are reissued (maximum 10 days). Many people refuse such deals - discuss this point in advance!

Alternative way - sale of cars with transit license plates. In this case, the buyer receives a car with temporary plates (valid for 20 days), and you keep your original plates. However, this method is only suitable for interregional transactions or export of cars outside the Russian Federation.

📊 How do you plan to save the numbers?
Temporarily deregistered
I will re-register for another vehicle
I will buy a new vehicle and transfer the numbers
I haven't decided yet

2. Step-by-step instructions: how to temporarily deregister a car and save the license plates

The procedure takes 1–2 hours and consists of 5 steps. You will need:

  • 📄 Owner’s passport (original + copy).
  • 📄 PTS and STS (originals).
  • 📄 Application for temporary deregistration (the form is issued by the traffic police).
  • 💳 Receipt for payment of state duty (800 ₽ for withdrawal + 2,000 ₽ for storing numbers).

Algorithm of actions:

  1. Step 1. Pay state fees via Public services (30% discount) or at the bank. Details can be found on the website traffic police.rf.
  2. Step 2. Make an appointment at the traffic police department via Public services or by phone. Choose the branch where the car is registered.
  3. Step 3. Submit your documents to the inspector at the appointed time. He will check them for authenticity and absence of restrictions (arrests, fines).
  4. Step 4. Get it in your hands:
    • Certificate of deregistration (valid for 1 year).
    • The license plates are in a sealed bag (they cannot be used until installed on a new vehicle).
    • The act of acceptance and transfer of numbers for storage.
  • Step 5. Sell a car without license plates. In the purchase and sale agreement, indicate that the numbers are deregistered and are transferred to the buyer in a package (if agreed upon) or remain with you.

    • Paid state fees (800 + 2000 ₽)|Owner’s passport (original + copy)|PTS and STS (originals)|Application on the traffic police form (filled out on the spot)|Purchase and sale agreement (if you sell immediately after withdrawal)-->

    If you do not have time to install license plates on a new vehicle within a year, they will canceled without possibility of restoration. To avoid this, 1 month before the expiration date, submit an application for extension of storage (for another 6 months). The cost of renewal is 1,000 ₽.

    3. How to re-register license plates for another vehicle of yours

    This method is suitable if you already have another car registered in your name. The procedure takes 1 day and is cheaper than temporary deregistration.

    Procedure:

    1. Prepare documents:
      • Owner's passport.
      • PTS and STS of the car to which the numbers are transferred.
      • Vehicle registration certificate (if available).
      • Numbers in a sealed bag (if they were in storage).
      • Receipt of payment of the state fee (1,500 ₽ for transferring numbers + 500 ₽ for new STS).
  • Submit your application to the traffic police through Public services or in person. In your application please indicate:
    • Details of the vehicle from which the license plates are taken.
    • Data of the vehicle to which they are transferred.
    • Reason for transfer (for example, “sale of previous vehicle”).
    • Get examined new vehicle (if the numbers are transferred from another car). The inspector will check the VIN and vehicle title data.
    • Get new documents: STS with the same numbers, but linked to another car.

    An important nuance: if the numbers were lost or damaged, they cannot be transferred - you will have to issue new ones. It is also impossible to port numbers from motorcycle to car (and vice versa) or with cargo vehicle to passenger vehicle.

    💡

    If you are porting numbers from foreign cars on domestic car (for example, with Kia Rio on Lada Vesta), the inspector may request additional documents confirming the absence of restrictions on numbers. Check them in advance through the service traffic police.rf/check/auto

    4. Cost of the procedure in 2026: state fees and hidden costs

    Costs depend on the chosen method of storing numbers. The table below shows the current tariffs for 2026 (including a 30% discount when paying through Public services).

    Service Cost without discount (₽) Discounted price (₽) Deadlines
    Temporary deregistration 800 560 1 day
    Storage of numbers (for 1 year) 2 000 1 400 —
    Transferring numbers to another vehicle 1 500 1 050 1 day
    Extension of storage of numbers (for 6 months) 1 000 700 1 day
    Making a duplicate of the STS (when porting numbers) 500 350 1 day

    Additional costs that are often forgotten:

    • 📈 Insurance: If you deregister your car, your MTPL policy will automatically terminate. When registering a new vehicle, you will have to issue a new policy (from 3,000 ₽).
    • 🚗 Tow truck: If you sell a car without license plates, the buyer may refuse to pick it up themselves. The cost of a tow truck is from 2,000 ₽.
    • 📑 Notarization: If there are several owners in the PTS, notarized consent for deregistration will be required (from 1,500 ₽).
    ⚠️ Attention: If you sell a car with temporarily removed license plates, and the buyer does not re-register it in his name within 10 days, you may be fined for failure to register (from 1,500 to 2,000 rubles according to Article 19.22 of the Administrative Code). To avoid this, state in the purchase agreement that the responsibility for registration lies with the buyer.

    5. Common mistakes and how to avoid them

    About 30% of applications to retain numbers are rejected due to errors in documents or violation of procedures. Let's look at the most common ones:

    1. Overdue fines or unpaid taxes.

      Before submitting documents, check for debts through the service nalog.ru or traffic police.rf/check/fines. Even a fine for illegal parking of 500 ₽ can be a reason for refusal.

    2. Mismatch of data in PTS and STS.

      If the documents contain different VINs, engine numbers or car color, the inspector will send you for examination (cost from 5,000 ₽). Check your details in advance!

    3. An attempt to save license plates from a stolen or seized car.

      Check your car history through autocode.rf or traffic police.rf/check/auto. If your car has restrictions, remove them first.

    4. Selling a car without deregistration.

      If you simply hand over the numbers to the buyer on parole, he may lose or damage them. In this case, it will be impossible to restore the numbers - you will have to issue new ones.

    What to do if the traffic police refused to save the license plates?

    If you are refused, request a written justification with reference to a specific paragraph of Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs No. 399. Most often failures are associated with:

    1. Technical errors in documents (typos, unreadable stamps) - correct and resubmit.

    2. Restrictions on vehicles (arrest, hijacking) - remove restrictions through the court or bailiffs.

    3. Overdue state duties — pay again and save the receipt.

    If the refusal is illegal, file a complaint with the head of the traffic police or the prosecutor's office. The review period is 30 days.

    Another common problem is the buyer refuses to participate in the procedure. For example, he doesn’t want to go to the traffic police to temporarily deregister. In this case:

    • 📝 Compose additional agreement to the purchase and sale agreement, where you state the buyer’s obligation to appear at the traffic police.
    • 💰 Suggest discount on car (10–15 thousand rubles) for participation in the procedure.
    • 🔄 Use escrow accounts (for example, via SberBank or Tinkoff): money is transferred to the buyer only after successful deregistration.

    6. Features for retro cars (over 10 years old) and motorcycles

    If your car or motorcycle is more than 10 years old, the procedure for saving license plates has some nuances:

    For retro cars (produced before 2014):

    • 📜 Required certificate from the traffic police on the safety of license plate units (engine, body). Without it, the inspector may refuse to transfer numbers.
    • 🔧 If there was a car refurbished (for example, the color has been changed or a different engine has been installed), an expert opinion will be required (cost from 8,000 ₽).
    • 💰 The state fee for porting numbers increases to 2 500 ₽ (instead of 1,500 ₽ for new cars).

    For motorcycles and mopeds:

    • 🏍️ Numbers can only be saved when transferred to another two-wheeler (for example, with Yamaha R1 on Honda CBR). Transfer to a vehicle is prohibited.
    • 📋 To temporarily deregister you will need technical inspection report (even if the motorcycle is not older than 4 years).
    • ⏳ Number storage period is reduced to 6 months (instead of 1 year for a car).

    If your retro car has historical value (included in the register of the RF MK), you can save the numbers indefinitely. To do this, submit an application to the traffic police with the application expert opinion on cultural value (registration cost - from 20,000 ₽).

    Failure to follow the number saving procedure may result in:

    1. Fines:
      • 1,500–2,000 ₽ - for late registration of a vehicle (Article 19.22 of the Administrative Code).
      • 5,000 ₽ - for using numbers that are not registered on the vehicle (Article 12.2 of the Administrative Code).
  • Cancellation of numbers: If you do not install them on a new vehicle within a year, they will destroy without the possibility of recovery.
  • Selling problems: The buyer can challenge the transaction if it turns out that the numbers were deregistered illegally (for example, without his consent).
  • Criminal liability: If you sold a car with “clean” license plates that later turned out to be wanted, you may be charged under Art. 327 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Forgery of documents”).

    • To minimize risks:

    • 📋 Always conclude written sales contract indicating the conditions for storing numbers.
    • 📸 Do it photo/video recording procedures for deregistration with the traffic police.
    • 🔍 Check the buyer via FSSP (for debts) and Ministry of Internal Affairs (for involvement in fraud).
    ⚠️ Attention: If you sell a car with temporarily removed license plates, and the buyer gets into an accident before re-registration, the responsibility may fall on you! In the contract, write down the clause: “The buyer undertakes not to operate the vehicle until registration.”

    8. Alternative methods: buying new “beautiful” numbers

    If you couldn’t save the old numbers, you can purchase new “beautiful” combinations. Methods:

    1. Traffic police auction

    • 🔢 Numbers with repeating numbers are available (for example, A777AA), letter combinations (WWII AA) or rare regions (177 RUS).
    • 💰 Starting price is from 50,000 ₽, but popular combinations go for 500,000–1,000,000 ₽.
    • 📅 Auctions are held on the website traffic police.rf/auction once a quarter.

    2. Purchase from private individuals

    • 🤝 You can agree with the owner of the “beautiful” license plates to sell them through the traffic police (legally!).
    • 💰 Cost: from 30,000 ₽ for simple combinations to 3,000,000 ₽ for unique ones (for example, A001AA).
    • ⚠️ Risks: scammers can sell numbers that are wanted or under arrest. Check via traffic police.rf/check/auto!

    3. Ordering individual numbers

    • 🎨 You can order numbers with any design (within the framework of GOST R 50577-2018). For example, with the flag of the Russian Federation, the regional coat of arms or personal text.
    • 💰 Cost: from 15,000 ₽ for a standard set, from 50,000 ₽ for an exclusive design.
    • ⏳ Production time: 10–30 days.

    If you decide to buy new plates, remember: they cannot be transferred from your old car - only issued to a new vehicle. Also keep in mind that numbers with letters “A”, “M”, “O” and “T” are considered the most prestigious and cost more.

    💡

    Preserving old numbers is cheaper (from 1,400 ₽) than buying new “beautiful” ones (from 50,000 ₽). However, if the numbers have special value (for example, A777AA 77), it is more profitable to sell them at auction rather than preserve them.

    FAQ: Frequently asked questions about selling a car with retaining license plates

    Can I keep the plates if the car is on loan?

    No, if the car is pledged to the bank. First you need to repay the loan and remove the encumbrance from the traffic police. An exception is if the bank gives written consent to temporary deregistration (which happens extremely rarely).

    What to do if the buyer refuses to go to the traffic police to deregister?

    Options:

    1. Offer to issue general power of attorney on the seller (but this is risky - the buyer can cancel the deal).
    2. Use escrow accounts: the buyer will receive money for the car only after successful deregistration.
    3. Find another buyer willing to participate in the procedure.

    If the buyer has already transferred the money, but refuses to go to the traffic police, you can return the car for your use and terminate the contract through the court.

    Is it possible to keep the license plates if the car is scrapped?

    Yes, but only if you temporarily deregister it before disposal. After this, you will have 1 year to put the numbers on another vehicle. If the car is scrapped without being deregistered, the license plates are canceled automatically.

    How many times can I renew the storage of numbers?

    Maximum shelf life - 1 year + 6 months (one-time extension). After this, the numbers are cancelled. To avoid loss, start the process of buying a new car 1-2 months before the expiration date.

    Is it possible to keep the license plates when selling a car by proxy?

    No. According to clause 45 of Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs No. 399, temporary deregistration is possible only in the personal presence of the owner (or his legal representative by notarized power of attorney). Selling under a “simple” power of attorney does not give the right to retain the numbers.