Since 2021, the legislation of the Russian Federation has undergone dramatic changes in the field of vehicle registration, completely abolishing the concept of direct “transfer” of license plates. Now, if you want your relative to drive a car with your “nice” or just familiar numbers, you will have to go through the procedure of retaining the registration plates of the previous owner. This process is not free and requires strict adherence to bureaucratic procedures established By Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs No. 399.
The essence of the new scheme is that the license plate is first “removed” from the car and placed in special storage at the traffic police department, where it can remain for up to one year. The owner receives a paper certificate of preservation of the code, which acts as a kind of voucher. It is this document that subsequently allows you to assign a reserved code to another vehicle, even if another person is listed as its owner.
It is important to understand that it is no longer possible to simply rewrite the numbers in the PTS in a purchase and sale transaction between relatives. The interaction mechanism is now built through the state registry and the re-assignment procedure. Any attempt to sell a car with license plates "by agreement" without a formal preservation process will result in the new owner receiving standard random plates and your desired combinations going into the general pool or being destroyed.
Legislative framework and essence of changes
The basis for all actions with registration plates during the current period is the updated Federal Law “On State Registration of Vehicles”. A key innovation that is often overlooked is the linking of the number not to a person, but to a specific car at the time of registration. However, the law provides for a “retention” mechanism, which actually allows for the transfer of code between people, although legally this looks like two separate operations: removal and installation.
The previously existing practice, when you could keep the plates when selling a car and immediately put them on a new car, has been transformed. Now, if you are selling a car to a relative and want them to use your number, you must first state that you want to keep the code for yourself. Only after the number is stored by the traffic police can it be activated on any other car, including the one you just sold to your brother or spouse.
Particular attention should be paid to the validity period of saved codes. According to current regulations, shelf life is exactly 365 days from the date of application. If during this year you or your relative do not have time to register the car using the saved code, it will be automatically canceled and returned to the general database for random issuance. This creates a strict time frame for transactions between relatives.
⚠️ Attention: A retained state registration plate can only be assigned to one vehicle. It is impossible to create a “reserve” of several numbers for subsequent transfer to different family members.
An important aspect is that the procedure for saving the number is available only to the owner of the vehicle. If the car is registered in your name, you are the one who initiates the process. If the car has already been sold, but you have not saved the number, it will be impossible to return it. Therefore, planning a transaction with relatives should begin long before signing the purchase and sale agreement.
Step-by-step instructions for saving your number
The process of preparing a license plate for transfer to a relative begins with your visit to the registration department of the traffic police. You need to apply to retain the state registration plate for the previous owner. This action can be performed either when deregistering a car (for example, when selling it), or separately, just for the sake of reserving numbers.
To successfully complete the procedure, you will need to collect a package of documents. It includes a passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation, a vehicle passport (PTS), a registration certificate (STS) and the car itself for inspection. The inspector will check the compliance of the unit numbers and the condition of the plates themselves. If the numbers are damaged, corroded or unreadable, you will be denied storage and will be issued new ones, making further transfer impossible.
☑️ Documents for saving your number
After checking the documents and inspecting the car, the inspector will seize your license plates and issue a certificate of their deposit. At the same time, you will receive a certificate of preservation of the state registration plate. This document is key: it is what you will give to a relative (or you will use it yourself) to register another car with these numbers.
It is worth noting that there is no state fee for maintaining the license plate, but you pay for the issuance of new plates for the old car (if you still have it) or simply the procedure for changing the data. If the car is sold and the plates are archived, then the new owner will still have to receive new random plates or put on his saved ones.
| Action | Cost (RUB) | Due date | Required document |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preservation of GRZ | Free | 1 hour | Application, PTS, STS |
| Issuance of new signs (replacement) | 2000 | 1 hour | Payment receipt |
| Making changes to the STS | 500 | At the time of contact | Statement |
| Making changes to the PTS | 350 | At the time of contact | Statement |
After receiving the certificate of preservation, the old license plate code is registered with you in the traffic police database. You can dispose of it as you wish throughout the year: put it on your new car, sell it (formally through a scheme for donating a car with a number) or, most relevant to our topic, give it to a relative for installation on his vehicle.
Procedure for transferring the code to a relative
The most common scenario for transferring a number between close people is as follows. A relative (for example, a son or spouse) buys a car from you with a “nice” license plate or just his own car, on which he wants to put your saved code. Since the number is already stored in the traffic police, the procedure for installing it is greatly simplified.
The owner of the car on which you plan to install the license plate (your relative) contacts any registration department. He does not have to go to the same MREO where the number was deposited, since the database is uniform throughout the country. When submitting an application for registration actions, in the “State registration plate” column, indicate the code that you saved.
Is it possible to transfer the number without selling the car?
Yes, if the relative already has his own car. You save the number from your car, and a relative registers his car, requesting the assignment of this particular saved code. Selling a car between you is not necessary for this, the fact of storing the number is enough.
It is important that at the time of contacting your relative there are no restrictions on registration actions. Also, the car must be technically sound and ready for inspection. The inspector will check the presence of a certificate of preservation of the state registration rights (it can be in electronic form or on paper, the data is already in the database) and will issue new plates with the necessary numbers.
If you want to transfer the number along with the car, the scheme changes slightly. You are selling a car to a relative, but before the transaction you remove the license plates for storage. The relative receives a car without license plates (or with temporary ones, if this is provided for by the procedure in a particular region, although new random ones are usually issued immediately). Then he immediately, within the framework of one trip to the traffic police or sequentially, submits an application for assignment of the code you saved.
The key point here is that legally the number is not transferred from person to person, but is “unfrozen” from the archive at the request of the new owner of the car. Your participation as the seller of the number ends when you receive a certificate of preservation; then the initiative passes to the relative.
Financial costs and state duties
Although the idea of “saving” a number is free, the process of transferring digits to a relative inevitably comes with financial costs. The main cost is the production of new physical signs. Since the old plate is being archived, new metal plates with the same symbols will be issued for the relative's car. The cost of making a pair of signs is 2000 rubles.
In addition, you must pay for changes to registration documents. Issuing a new STS costs 500 rubles (or 1,500 rubles for a new-generation plastic one, if such an option is available and selected). Making an entry in a paper PTS will cost 350 rubles. If the PTS runs out of space for records, the document itself will need to be replaced, which costs 800 rubles.
If the transaction is formalized through a contract of gift or sale of a car, additional tax consequences may arise. Although gift tax is not paid between close relatives (spouses, parents, children, full and half siblings), a 3-NDFL declaration may still be required (indicating the benefit). If a buy-sell arrangement is used, the seller must consider potential income tax if he has owned the car for less than three years.
Pay state fees through the State Services portal with a 30% discount. This applies only to those services that are paid online before visiting the traffic police, but in practice, in 2026, many departments switched to paying with terminals on the spot without discounts.
It is also worth considering indirect costs: compulsory motor liability insurance. When changing state registration plates, it is necessary to make changes to the MTPL policy. This can be done remotely through the insurance company's website and is usually free, but if you decide to renew, the cost may change depending on current rates and the new owner's driving history.
Shelf life and common mistakes
The most critical mistake that owners make when trying to transfer a number is ignoring deadlines. As already mentioned, the number is stored in the traffic police database for exactly one year. Many people think that this period can be extended by renting out the number again and again, but the legislation prohibits repeated extension of the shelf life of the same combination of characters. Once a year has passed, the number expires.
The second common mistake is damage to the plates during removal. If you plan to keep the number, treat the metal plates with care. If the inspector sees that the paint has worn off, there are dents or corrosion, he has every right to seize the signs as not complying with GOST and send them for disposal. In return, you will be given new, random ones, and you won’t be able to save the “beautiful” combination.
The third error is an attempt to transmit a number that is wanted or has restrictions. It is also impossible to save the number if the car on which it is installed is pledged to the bank without the permission of the pledge holder, although technically the traffic police can skip the application, problems may arise later in transactions.
Don't forget about the human factor. Transferring a number to a relative is often complicated by family disagreements. Remember that legally, a number is property that may be the subject of a dispute during division of property or inheritance. If the number was “purchased” from resellers through a car donation scheme, the chain of ownership must be clear.
⚠️ Attention: Do not try to circumvent the law through fictitious sales contracts with third parties. The traffic police carefully monitors the chain of resales of cars with “thieves” license plates and can cancel the registration if it suspects fraud.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Is it possible to transfer the number to a relative if he lives in another region?
Yes, it's possible. Since 2020, the principle of “one code - the whole country” has been in effect in Russia. You can keep the number in Moscow, and your relative will be able to assign it to their car, registered, for example, in Novosibirsk. He will simply be given plates with your region code, and he will be able to legally drive with them in his region of registration.
What to do if a relative has not yet bought a car, but you need to save the number?
You need to keep the number for yourself (as the previous owner) for a year. You don't have to install it on any machine right away. As soon as a relative purchases a car, he (or you, if the car is registered in your name and then re-written) will be able to use the saved code. The main thing is to keep it within 365 days.
Do both relatives need to be present at the traffic police?
No, it's not necessary. The owner of the number (you) applies for retention. After this, the number is listed in the database. The owner of the car (relative) submits an application for assignment of this number. Your personal presence on one day or in one place is not required; a valid certificate of preservation or entry in the database is sufficient.
Is it possible to keep the number if the car is stolen?
No, it is impossible to save the state registration plate from a stolen car. The procedure requires the provision of the vehicle itself for inspection and verification of license plate units. Without a car, your application will not be accepted.
How many times can you send the same number?
In theory, the number of transmissions is unlimited as long as the procedure is followed. You saved the number -> a relative put it on his car -> sold it -> the new owner kept the number -> passed it on to someone else. But each cycle requires the sale/donation of a car or the availability of the car from the current owner of the license plate to carry out the preservation procedure.
To summarize, it should be said that transferring a state number to a relative in 2026 is a completely regulated, albeit bureaucratic, process. It requires attention to detail, especially the condition of the plaques and the expiration date of the conservation certificate. Compliance with all formalities will allow your family to enjoy the desired numbers on the road without the risk of fines or cancellation of registration.
The successful transfer of the number does not depend on family ties, but on the correct execution of the certificate of preservation of the state registration license and compliance with its one-year validity period.