Preservation of the registration plate when selling a vehicle requires the owner to submit an application to the traffic police before the conclusion of the sale transaction. The owner must apply to the registration unit with a package of documents, undergo an inspection of the car and pay the state fee for the issuance of new license plates instead of the ones stored. Only after receiving new plates and making changes to the CTC and PTS, the former owner can legally transfer the car to the buyer, retaining the right to use a “benevolent” or simply familiar number in the future.
The reservation procedure, officially called RKO (registration and design operations for preservation), regulated by the order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia No. 399 and current administrative regulations. It is important to understand that simply “remove” the room and put it in the garage for an indefinite period is now impossible – the legislation clearly limits the storage period of the assigned combination of symbols. The maximum period during which the state registration plate (GRP) will be listed for you without reference to a specific car is 360 days. After this period, the combination is automatically returned to circulation and may be issued to another applicant.
For successful passage of the procedure, it is necessary to take into account the technical requirements for the car itself and the condition of the license plates. If the plates have scuffs, cracks or damage to the lacquer coating, the inspector has the right to refuse to save them and require the manufacture of duplicates. In addition, the car must be clean so that the forensic expert can easily verify the VIN code, body numbers and chassis. Any attempt to conceal identification marks or the presence of unaccounted design changes (e.g., an installed HBO without registration) will result in the suspension of the procedure.
Regulatory framework and conditions of conservation
The legal basis for the actions of the car owner is the Federal Law "On State Registration of Vehicles" and the relevant orders of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. According to the current rules, the state registration mark assigned to a vehicle can be retained by its owner only if the transfer of ownership of this car is simultaneously registered. This means that the save mechanism is triggered at or just before the transaction, but not after the car has already left the new owner.
The key condition is the ownership of the number. You can save only the sign that was assigned to this particular car and registered to the current owner. Buy a “beautiful” number from a dealer and try to preserve it without buying a car is impossible – this scheme does not work. It is also important that the car does not have prohibitions on registration actions by bailiffs or other authorities. The presence of even a small fine, not paid on time, can block any operation in the traffic police database.
It is worth noting the difference between saving a room when selling and when disposing or stealing. In the case of a sale, we are talking about the standard RKO procedure. If the car is stolen, the number is automatically stored for the duration of the search, but this is another legal process. For a standard sale, the owner must take the initiative and submit an application. Without written by hand or through the portal of the state services of the application auto-conservation It will not happen, and the number will go with the car to the new owner.
⚠️ Note: If you plan to sell the car and keep the number yourself, do not sign a purchase agreement (PST) before the procedure is completed in the traffic police. In the PrEP in the column "State registration plate" should be specified exactly the number that remains on the machine for transfer to the buyer (new), and not the one that you take yourself.
Step-by-step instructions for the registration of RKO
The process of preserving the state registration mark requires a series of actions. An error at any stage can lead to the fact that you have to start the procedure again or pay the fees again. The first step is to prepare the vehicle: washing the body to access VIN numbers, checking the completeness of documents and the absence of external damage to the license plates themselves.
Then there is an appeal to the registration unit of the traffic police. There are two main ways to record through the Public Services portal or live queue (where it is provided). It is recommended to choose the first option, as it allows you to fill in electronic application forms in advance and avoid queues. In the application, you must select the service “Preservation of the state registration mark” or a similar wording depending on the interface of the portal.
☑️ Checklist to save number
After submitting an application and paying the fees, the car is sent to the observation deck. The inspector is checking the number units. If all the data match, and the numbers are readable, the owner will be given new plates and documents with new data. Old plates (the ones you keep) are removed and placed for safekeeping in the traffic police unit. From now on, you can sell a car with new numbers and the old ones wait their turn to install on the new car.
| Action. | Where it's done | Cost (example) |
|---|---|---|
| Application | GIBDD/Public services | Free of charge. |
| Issuance of new numbers | Reg. unit | 2000 rubles. |
| Amendments to the ITS | Reg. unit | 500 rubles. |
| Recording with the PCA | Reg. unit | 350 rubles. |
Keep receipts for payment of state duties until you receive all documents on hand. In the event of a system failure, they will serve as proof of payment.
Required documents and state duties
To design the procedure, the owner of the car will need a standard package of documents. The main document is passport of a citizen of the Russian FederationThe data of which must match the data in the database of traffic police. If the owner is a legal entity, an extract from the USRLE and a power of attorney for a representative certified by the seal of the organization will be required.
The second document required is Vehicle passport (PTS). If the PTS is electronic (EPTS), then a paper analogue is not required, all changes will be made to the electronic document management system. The third document is Certificate of registration of TC (CTC). It is in this document that changes will be made to assign a new number. The car itself must also be provided for inspection.
The financial side of the issue consists of several mandatory payments. The state charges a fee for the issuance of new state registration plates (metal plates). Also, the issuance of a new CTS and changes to the PTS are paid.
Payment of fees is usually made before a visit to the traffic police. Receipts can be formed on the website of the State Services or received at the payment terminal in the inspection building. When paying through the portal of public services, a 30% discount was often effective, but its availability must be checked up to date at the time of filing an application, since budget legislation changes periodically.
Storage periods and reserve extensions
The lawmaker has set a clear time limit for the storage of a reserved license plate. The term of the decision to maintain the GHG is 360 days (one year minus 5 days). This period begins on the day following the day of filing the application for retention. During this time, the owner can purchase a new car (or regain ownership of the old one) and install a saved number on it.
What if 360 days are over and a new car is not bought? In this case, there is a possibility of extending the storage period. To do this, you must submit a repeated application to the traffic police before the expiration of the current deadline. The procedure is similar to the original one: filing an application, checking documents and extending the deadline for another 360 days. It is important not to miss the deadline, otherwise the number will burn and go on sale.
There is an important nuance associated with the region of registration. The saved number can be installed only on the car registered in the same subject of the Russian Federation, the code of which is indicated on the license plate. If you have changed your residence permit and register a new car in another region, you will not be able to save the old number with the code of another region, alas, the rules require the compliance of the region code on the number and the region of the owner’s registration.
⚠️ Note: The 360-day period is not automatically extended. If you do not apply for an extension or set the number on the car before the expiration date, the character combination is cancelled and returned to the vacant room pool.
Technical requirements for license plates
One of the most common reasons for refusal to keep the number is the unsatisfactory condition of the plates themselves. According to GOST R 50577-2018, the state registration plate must be readable, without damage, distorting or making it difficult to read the symbols. The inspector performs visual inspection at the inspection site and if he finds defects, preservation will be refused.
Critical defects that will not allow to save the number include:
- 🚗 The presence of rust that corrodes metal or paints over symbols.
- 🚗 Cracks, dents or cracks on the plate that change the geometry of the sign.
- 🚗 Detachment of the reflective film or fading of symbols to readability.
- 🚗 The presence of extraneous stickers, frames, covering part of the symbols or the flag of the Russian Federation.
If your numbers have similar defects, but you want to keep them, the only way out is to make duplicates. However, this must be done before applying for preservation. You contact the organization that has a license to produce duplicate license plates, order a copy of your current numbers (according to documents). After receiving the perfect duplicates, you change them on the car (registering a replacement in the traffic police as a “loss” or simply changing the plates if the inspector is loyal and allows you to replace them before the inspection, which is rare) or just come to the inspection with new plates if the old ones were lost / declared unfit before.
Nuances of inspection by the inspector
The inspector may use a UV flashlight to verify the film's authenticity. If the room is painted or glued in “garage” conditions, this will immediately be visible, and the number will be seized as fake. Therefore, order duplicates only from official manufacturers with entry in the register.
Frequent mistakes and ways to avoid them
Many car owners make common mistakes that result in a waste of time and money. The most common of them is an attempt to sell the car “according to documents” with the preservation of the number without actual visits to the traffic police. Remember: while in the database of traffic police you are listed as the owner and your numbers are hanging on the car, legally your car. Selling by handwritten PrEP in this case leaves you liable for fines and taxes.
Another mistake is to ignore the regional codes. People buy a car in a neighboring region, hoping to outweigh their Moscow number, but forget that the registration in the passport must match the region's code (or be in the same subject). If you are a Moscow resident (residence permit Moscow), you can put a Moscow number on a car registered in Moscow or the region (code 77, 99, 97, 177, 199, 197, 777, 799, 797, 750, 779, 784). But if you moved and changed your residence to Kaluga, you will not be able to put a Moscow number on a new car.
There is also frequent confusion with terminology when filling out applications. You do not need to write “removal of the account for sale”. There's no such thing now. There is a “termination of registration due to sale” (by the buyer) or a “change of registration data” (by you, the seller, to change numbers). The right choice of service in a coupon or on public services is critically important.
First, we change the numbers to the old ones (get new signs on the car), then we sell the car. You can't sell a car with old plates and come pick them up.
Installation of the saved number on the new car
When a new car is purchased, the stage of exercising the retained right comes. The procedure for installing a saved GHZ on a new car is technically easier than its initial preservation, but also requires a visit to the traffic police. You arrive in a new car, provide documents for it and an application for the assignment of the saved number.
During the registration of a new vehicle, you declare your desire to use the stored GRP. The inspector checks whether the storage period (360 days) has expired and whether the region code meets the requirements. If everything is in order, you are given a new CTC with your “old-new” number and make an entry in the EPP. Metal plates you hang yourself - they will not be given to you again, as they are in your hands (you have kept them, so they are in your possession, or you ordered their production again, if the old ones were deposited - there is a nuance: when you save the old numbers often remain with the owner, but in the database they are listed as "storage". If you have handed them over physically to the traffic police, then when installing on a new machine you will need to either pick them up or, more often, make duplicates based on the decision to save.
It is worth clarifying the physical aspect: during the preservation procedure (RKO), the old plates usually remain with the owner, but their status in the database changes. You hang on the sold car new hardware, and the old ("flavor") hide in the garage. When you buy a new car, you simply hang the saved signs on it (preliminary checking that they meet the new standards if the change has occurred). If the old plates do not correspond to the new GOST (for example, size or font), it may be necessary to make duplicates of a modern sample.
Can I save the number if the car is stolen?
No, the procedure for saving the number during the theft is not carried out in the usual manner. Registration is suspended. The number is listed behind the machine until the moment of finding or decommissioning.
Do I need to drive to the traffic police to save the number?
Yes, the mandatory stage is to inspect the vehicle on the observation deck for verification of VIN numbers and checking the technical condition.
What if the new owner of the car does not register it?
This is your problem as a salesperson if you sold a car with license plates. To avoid fines, you can apply for termination of registration in connection with the sale by providing a copy of the PrEP. But then the room will go to scrap or to the new owner, it will be more difficult to save it. It is better to change the numbers before the sale.
Can I save the number through the MFC?
MFCs provide intermediary services for the reception of documents, but the inspection of the car and the issuance of license plates occur only in specialized units of the traffic police. You cannot save the number through the MFC.
How much does the number saving service cost?
The preservation service itself is free. Only new license plates (2000 rubles), a new CTS (500 rubles) and changes in the PTS (350 rubles) are paid.