Is it possible to choose license plates for a car at the traffic police: a complete guide

The question of whether it is possible to independently choose the desired combination of numbers and letters for your vehicle worries every second car owner. The dream of a “beautiful” or “thieves’” number is often shattered by the harsh reality of bureaucratic procedures and the shortage of popular series in registration departments. Many drivers drive for years with random combinations, not suspecting that the legislation provides for certain mechanisms for obtaining the desired sign.

The situation on the license plate market has changed dramatically after new regulations came into force. If previously there was a practice of unofficial payments and “gray” schemes through intermediaries, today the system strives for maximum transparency. Official number selection has become a procedure available to every citizen, but with its own strict restrictions and financial conditions. Understanding these nuances will help you avoid overpayments to scammers and act exclusively within the legal framework.

In this article we will analyze in detail the current registration rules, the cost of the service and a step-by-step algorithm for obtaining the coveted plate. You will learn how the reservation system works, what combinations are currently in short supply and why it is sometimes easier to buy a car with the desired number than to register it separately. The information is based on current orders of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and current tariffs of state duties.

Legislative framework and new registration rules

The main document regulating the process of assigning state registration marks (GRP) is Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia No. 399. It was this normative act that established the right of a citizen save number when selling a car or getting a new one if desired. Until 2019, the procedure was less formalized, which gave rise to many corruption schemes. Now all actions are strictly regulated and tied to specific region codes and series.

It is important to understand that the state does not sell numbers as a product. You pay exclusively for the administrative service of assigning a combination and issuing certificates. Legislation clearly separates the concepts of owning a license plate and owning a car. The number can now be stored in the traffic police database for up to one year, awaiting installation on the owner’s new vehicle. This is a key change that allows you to legally accumulate good combinations.

⚠️ Attention: Any offers to buy a criminal number directly from traffic police officers or through dubious companies are illegal. If it is revealed that money was transferred to an official, the license plate will be canceled, and criminal cases will be opened against the owner of the car and the official.

Modern requirements for the appearance of rooms have also become more stringent. If you receive signs from the traffic police, they must comply with the new GOST. However, if you order duplicates from a private (accredited) company, you must ensure that they fully comply with the font and size requirements. Non-compliance with GOST threatens with a fine and a ban on operating the vehicle until the malfunction is eliminated.

Official procedure for obtaining the desired number

The process of obtaining a specific combination of symbols does not involve a lottery in the usual sense. You can’t just go to the window and say: “I want A 001 AA 77.” The mechanism works differently: you must find a car that already has the number you need registered for, and make a transaction with it. Or you can try to “catch” the number during initial registration if it becomes publicly available, which happens extremely rarely for popular series.

The most common legal way is buying a donor car. You purchase an old car (often for a nominal sum) along with the number you want. After registering the purchase and sale agreement (SPA), the number goes to your personal storage in the traffic police database. Next, you write an application to preserve the license plate, pay the fees and receive new documents for this number, but without reference to the old car.

There is also the option of redoing the documents if you previously had the number and deposited it. In this case, the procedure is simplified until the application is submitted and the state fee is paid. However, if you want to obtain a number that you did not previously own, the auto-donor scheme remains the only workable option for selecting a specific combination from the existing pool.

When making transactions with cars for the sake of license plates, it is important to check the legal purity of the “donor”. The car must not be pledged, under arrest or wanted. Checking against the traffic police database and the register of pledges is required before signing any documents. Otherwise, you risk losing not only the money spent on the purchase, but also the desired number itself if the transaction is declared invalid.

Cost of service and government fees

The financial side of the issue often becomes a decisive factor. Official tariffs are established by the Tax Code of the Russian Federation and are the same for all regions, however, the cost of the actions themselves may vary depending on the need to replace documents. If you just keep the number, one set of duties, if you transfer it to a new car, another.

Below is a table with the current amounts of government fees that you will have to pay in the process of obtaining and assigning a number to yourself. Prices are current for the current year and can only be changed by federal law.

It is worth noting that the amount of 2,850 rubles for maintaining the number consists of the cost of issuing new plates for the old car (if they are needed), a new STS and making changes. If you buy a car with a number plate, you also bear the cost of execution of a purchase and sale agreement and re-registration of property rights. These costs are the responsibility of the buyer unless otherwise agreed.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the cost of the donor cars themselves. The market dictates its prices: popular series (for example, with codes 777, 999, 7777) can cost millions of rubles even on an old Moskvich or Zaporozhets. Less popular, but beautiful numbers (mirror, repeating) are valued at hundreds of thousands of rubles. Market price numbers are not regulated by the state in any way and are formed solely by supply and demand.

Validity periods and storage of numbers

After you have successfully completed the procedure for saving the number, it does not remain hanging on the old car. The number “goes” for storage in the traffic police database. This reservation is strictly limited in duration. According to the current rules, you can store the number up to 360 days. This is almost a year in which you have to decide which vehicle to install it on.

If within a year you do not submit an application to assign the saved license plate to a new car, the number will automatically expire. It will be impossible to return it; it will again go on free sale (formally, into the general pool of combinations available for issuance). Therefore, it is important to plan the purchase of a new car or the re-shipment process in advance, without waiting for the deadline.

The number is linked to your passport and driver's license. Transferring ownership of a license plate to another person is possible only in the case of inheritance or through complex legal procedures for donating a car along with a license plate, which again brings us back to the “donor car” scheme.

Risks of buying cars with “nice” license plates

Buying a car for the sake of a license plate is always a risk. In addition to the obvious financial risk of overpaying for hardware, there are also legal dangers. Often such cars have hidden defects, incorrect mileage, or a history of intensive use in taxis or car sharing. Sellers know about the value of the number and can hide the technical condition of the body and engine.

Another serious aspect - fraudulent schemes. Unscrupulous sellers may sell you a car and then report it to the police as stolen or cancel the deal in court, claiming that they were forced to sell or did not realize the value of the plate. In such cases, it can be extremely difficult to get the money back, especially if the contract is not drawn up correctly.

⚠️ Attention: Never agree to a scheme where the number is “transferred” through a general power of attorney without actual re-registration with the traffic police. The owner of the number in the database remains the same, and at any time he can block the car or revoke the power of attorney, leaving you without money and without transport.

It is also worth considering the psychological aspect. A car with series number 777 or 001 often attracts increased attention from traffic police officers. Even if you do not violate anything, the likelihood of stopping to check documents on such a machine is statistically higher. Increased interest on the part of the traffic police - this is a price for status, which is worth thinking about before purchasing.

Alternative methods and the future of numbering

In light of constant talk about the introduction of auctions for numbers, many are waiting for the official opportunity to buy a number from the state. At the moment, such auctions are not held, although bills are periodically submitted to the State Duma. So far, the only legal way is the scheme described above with the purchase of a car. However, the market also offers other, less obvious options.

Some drivers resort to installing European framework or changing the font, which is illegal. The fine for modifying license plates or installing unreadable frames is 2,000 rubles (Part 1 of Article 12.12.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses), but in case of a repeated violation or aggressive driving style, more serious sanctions may be applied, up to and including revocation of the license. This is a path that does not lead to the desired status, but only creates problems.

In the future, perhaps the system will become more flexible. The introduction of a paid service for choosing a number directly at the traffic police through terminals or online services is being discussed, similar to choosing a seat in a cinema. But for now these are just projects. To date the only guaranteed way All that remains is to search for the carrier vehicle of the required combination and re-register it with the subsequent preservation of the license plate.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)