A situation where a car owner plans to sell his vehicle, but wants to keep the current license plates, occurs quite often. This may be due to an emotional attachment to a “beautiful” or “memorable” number plate, as well as a desire to transfer it to a new car without unnecessary bureaucracy. The legislation of the Russian Federation provides such an opportunity, but the process requires strict adherence to certain procedural norms and time frames.
It is important to understand that you cannot simply pick up the numbers and leave - they must be officially handed over to storage to the registration and examination department of the traffic police. If you ignore this step, the marks will remain on the sold car, and the new owner will receive them along with the car. That is why the question of how to correctly and legally save a number in the traffic police is critically important for those who value their combination of symbols.
Next, we will analyze in detail all the stages of the procedure, the necessary documents, the cost of services and, most importantly, the time frame during which the number will wait for its owner. Compliance with these rules will allow you to avoid losing the desired combination and calmly make transactions with real estate or other cars.
Regulatory framework and redundancy options
The main document regulating the process of vehicle registration and circulation of license plates is Order No. 399 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. It is this regulatory act that secured the right of citizens to deposit license plates when making purchase and sale transactions. Before these changes were introduced, the procedure was much more complicated and often required intermediate registrations.
Room reservation is an administrative service that allows you to remove registration plates from circulation of a particular vehicle and place them in the archives of the traffic police department. State Traffic Inspectorate guarantees the safety of signs for the period established by law. During this period, the symbol combination cannot be issued to another applicant or used to register another vehicle.
It should be noted that saving the number is only possible if the signs themselves correspond current GOST. If your plates are damaged, scuffed or are of an old standard (for example, old-style square Japanese plates if they are not replaced with new ones), the traffic police may refuse to accept them for storage. In this case, it will be necessary to make duplicates.
⚠️ Attention: License plates must be in perfect condition. If the metal has corrosion, creases, or the paint has worn off, the inspector has every right not to accept them for storage and demand replacement.
The procedure is available for all categories of vehicles, be it a car, motorcycle or truck. The main condition is that the owner must be the owner of the car at the time of filing the application. Renters or persons driving a car under a power of attorney cannot initiate the process of maintaining the number without the presence of the owner.
Before going to the traffic police, be sure to wipe the license plates and check them for deep scratches. Even a small defect can cause a refusal to accept signs for storage.
Step-by-step instructions: how to deposit numbers for storage
The process of depositing license plates in 2026-2026 has become significantly easier thanks to the digitalization of services. However, physical presence at the branch is still required to hand over the plaques themselves. The car owner's algorithm of actions must be built sequentially to avoid repeated visits and loss of time.
The first step is to collect the necessary package of documents. You will need a Russian citizen passport, PTS (vehicle passport), vehicle registration certificate (STS) and a valid MTPL policy. It is also necessary to fill out an application in the prescribed form, in which you should indicate a request for the issuance of license plates for storage in connection with the sale of the car.
Next, you need to make an appointment at any convenient traffic police department. This can be done through the portal Public services or by phone. Having arrived at the appointed time, you go through the vehicle inspection procedure (if required) or go straight to the document acceptance window. After checking the papers and the condition of the signs, they are confiscated and you are given a corresponding certificate.
☑️ Checklist for depositing numbers
After successfully handing over the signs, you will be given a document confirming the fact of storage. This document should be treasured as the apple of your eye, since it is exactly what you will need to retrieval (receive) the numbers back. Without this certificate or if it is lost, the restoration procedure may be significantly complicated or impossible without additional examinations.
| Document | Necessity | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Russian passport | Required | Original |
| PTS / EPTS | Required | Extract from EPTS in electronic format |
| STS | Required | For rent at the traffic police department |
| License plates | Required | In pure form, without damage |
Storage periods and time restrictions
One of the most important issues for owners is the length of the period during which the room will be “reserved” for them. According to the current rules, the storage period for license plates in the traffic police is 360 days (one year). This period is counted from the day following the date of submission of the application and actual delivery of the marks.
During this year, you can make purchase and sale transactions of any cars, register them and receive new license plates, but your “favorite” combination will be waiting for you in the archive. If you do not request your saved marks within 360 days, they will be automatically disposed of and returned to circulation for issue to other citizens.
What happens to the number after 360 days have passed?
After the expiration of the established storage period, if the owner has not applied for the numbers, they are written off from the balance of the unit. It will no longer be possible to restore them - the combination will go into the general database and can be issued to any other applicant when registering a new car.
It is important to note that extension of the storage period is not provided for by law. If you realize that you will not have time to buy a new car or register it within a year, you will have to withdraw the plates (if such an option is available in your situation) and, possibly, return them again if conditions allow, or simply accept the loss. Therefore, plan your purchase of a new vehicle in advance.
There is a nuance with calculating the period in case of holidays or weekends. If the last day of the deadline falls on a non-working day, it is transferred to the next working day. However, you shouldn’t take risks and wait until the last minute - the system may not miss the entry, and there is usually no waiting list at the traffic police at the end of the year.
Financial aspects: state fees and cost of duplicates
Many drivers mistakenly believe that the license plate storage service is free. In fact, although there is no separate line “for storage” in the price list, the procedure for surrendering and subsequent receipt of signs is associated with mandatory government fees. In particular, when you hand over your plates, you receive a new STS (without numbers) and make changes to the PTS.
The cost of services is regulated by the Tax Code of the Russian Federation. You will have to pay for the issuance of a new vehicle registration certificate (VRC) when you hand over your license plates. 500 rubles (or 1,500 rubles for a new type of plastic, if it is issued in your region). For making changes to the PTS (if it is paper), a fee of 350 rubles.
A separate cost item may be the production of duplicate license plates. As mentioned earlier, if your current plates do not comply with GOST or are damaged, the traffic police will require them to be replaced before depositing them. The cost of producing duplicates in specialized organizations varies from 1,500 to 3,000 rubles per set, depending on the region and type of number.
When you get the plates back (in a year or earlier, when you buy a new car), you will again have to pay state fees: 2,000 rubles for issuing signs (if they are issued in the form of new plates, although more often a code is simply assigned) and 500/1,500 rubles for a new STS. However, if you simply “activate” a stored plate on a new car, you pay the standard set of fees for registering a new car with a stored plate assigned.
Procedure for installing a saved number on a new car
When you have purchased a new car and it is time to “dress” it with the saved license plates, the procedure follows the standard vehicle registration mode, but with an important clarification. When submitting documents to register a new (or used) car, you must declare your desire to assign saved registration plates.
To do this, in the registration application, in the appropriate field, a note is made about the assignment of previously saved numbers. The inspector will check the database, make sure that the storage period has not expired, and issue you an appropriation order. After paying the state fees, you will receive new documents where your “old-new” numbers will be indicated.
The physical installation of license plates on the car is done by you yourself. The traffic police issues only documents and, in some cases, the plates themselves (if they were stored in a different format or were replaced). Most often, you receive a code by which you need to contact the duplicate production point at the traffic police or make them yourself at a licensed organization, since old plates may be recycled or their format may not be suitable for a new car.
⚠️ Attention: Make sure that the body type and model of the new car matches the format of the saved license plates. For example, square license plates from a motorcycle cannot be installed on a passenger car without changing the design or documents.
After receiving new documents and license plates, do not forget to update the data in the policy OSAGO. Although the AIS RSA database is updated automatically, having a current policy with the correct numbers (or change mark) will save you from problems when checking documents on the road and when an insured event occurs.
Frequent mistakes and risks when saving numbers
Despite the apparent simplicity of the procedure, car enthusiasts often make mistakes that cost them money and nerves. One of the most common problems is trying to hand over numbers that are wanted or have registration restrictions. Before going to the traffic police, be sure to check the car’s history and license plate status through online services.
Another common mistake is late application. Many people wait for the last day of the shelf life (the 360th), hoping that “maybe they will make it in time.” However, if on that day there is a technical failure, a queue or no forms at the branch, the number will be burned out. Plan your visit at least two weeks before the expiration date.
The risk of fraud is also worth mentioning. By transferring your numbers to resellers or intermediaries with the promise to “keep them without presence,” you risk losing them forever. The procedure requires the personal presence of the owner or his officially certified representative with a notarized power of attorney, which clearly states the right to deposit the numbers.
Key point: The number is stored by the person, not the machine. Selling a car is the ideal time for this procedure, but you cannot forget about the 1-year deadline.
Questions and answers (FAQ)
Is it possible to keep the number if I’m not selling the car, but just want it?
No, the legislation provides for the deposit of license plates only when performing registration actions related to the alienation (sale) of a car, or when deregistering it for export abroad. It is impossible to simply hand over the rooms “in reserve” at will without changing the owner.
What should I do if I sold a car with license plates and then decided to return them?
If you sold the car along with the license plates, then the buyer became the new owner. You can return the plates only if the buyer himself agrees to deregister the car and hand over the plates for storage, transferring them to you. You will no longer be able to do anything on your own, since you have ceased to be the owner.
Is it possible to save a number through State Services without a visit to the traffic police?
You can submit an application and pay the fees through State Services, but you will have to physically hand over the license plates and receive a certificate of storage in person at the traffic police department. Remote transmission of metal plates is not provided for by the regulations.
How much is the state fee for maintaining a number?
There is no separate fee for “storage”. You pay a standard set: 350 rubles. for making changes to the PTS and 500 (or 1500) rubles. for issuing a new STS. Total about 850-1850 rubles, plus the possible cost of duplicate numbers.