Selling a car is always stressful, associated with bureaucracy and finding a buyer, but for many owners, the fate of a beautiful or simply familiar car becomes an equally important issue. state registration plate. Drivers often drive for years with “thieves” or simply lucky combinations of numbers, and the thought that after the transaction they will go to another person causes discomfort. Fortunately, the current legislation of the Russian Federation allows the owner reserve license plate for yourself so that you can later install it on a new car.
This procedure has become much simpler with the introduction of electronic queues and the ability to submit applications through Public services, however, it still requires strict adherence to regulations and time frames. If you plan to part with your current vehicle, but want to reserve the right to use the current “plates,” you need to prepare documents in advance and clearly understand the algorithm of actions in the registration and examination department. Ignoring deadlines may result in the desired code going into the general pool or being assigned to another vehicle.
In this article, we will analyze in detail all stages of the procedure, from submitting an application to receiving the license plates in hand, and also discuss the financial aspects and typical mistakes that car owners make. You will learn how long you can keep the sign, how to fill out the application correctly, and what to do if technical difficulties arise at the traffic police. The validity period of the decision to retain the registration plate is exactly 360 days, and missing this period means losing the right to the combination without the possibility of recovery.
Legal Basis for Retaining a License Plate
The right of the car owner to retain the state registration number is enshrined in the administrative regulations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. According to the current rules, the owner of the vehicle can write a statement about saving license plates at any time prior to sale or deregistration. This means that you don't have to wait until the actual day of the sale - you can prepare everything in advance so that there are no hiccups on the day of the sale.
The key point here is that the number is assigned specifically to owner, and not for a specific car. After you submit the appropriate application to the traffic police, your old license plates will be removed from the car and placed in special storage in the inspection department. In exchange for the car, new registration plates with a different combination of numbers and letters will be issued, with which you will sell the vehicle.
It is important to understand that the procedure is not automatic. Just like that, after the sale, the numbers will not be “linked” to your name in the database. The personal presence of the owner (or his representative with a notarized power of attorney) and the submission of a written statements. Without this document, the inspector does not have the right to seize the license plates for storage, and they will go along with the sold car to the new owner.
⚠️ Warning: If you sell the car without first applying to retain the plates, it will be almost impossible to get that particular combination back. It will go to the buyer, and he will be able to dispose of it at his own discretion, up to and including re-registration in his name.
The legislation also clearly regulates the deadlines. As mentioned earlier, a retention decision is valid for 360 days. During this year, you can buy a new car (or even change cars several times) and at any time contact the traffic police to set up a saved number. If you do not use this right within a year, the numbers will be transferred to the reserve for random issuance to other citizens.
Preparation of documents and requirements for the car
Before going to the registration department of the traffic police, you must carefully prepare a package of documents. The absence of even one certificate or incorrect completion of the application may result in refusal of admission or loss of time in line. The main document is owner's passport vehicle. If a representative undergoes the procedure, he will need an original passport and a notarized power of attorney, which clearly states the right to perform registration actions and preserve license plates.
You should also have documents for the car itself: PTS (vehicle passport) and STS (certificate of registration). If the PTS is electronic, you must have an extract from the system with you or provide access to the data through the State Services portal, although paper copies are still often required for the archive. Particular attention should be paid to the condition of the license plates themselves.
The rooms you plan to keep should be in perfect or near perfect condition. During the inspection, the inspector will check them for compliance with GOST. If the hardware has dents, scuffs, peeling reflective film, or unreadable symbols, you will be denied the right to keep these particular physical plates. In this case, you will have to make duplicates first.
- 🚗 Passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation (owner or representative).
- 📄 Vehicle Passport (PTS) in the original or an extract from the EPTS.
- 📝 Vehicle Registration Certificate (CTC).
- 🔧 The license plates themselves are in readable condition (both plates).
- 💰 Receipt for payment of state duty for issuing new signs and STS.
It is worth noting that the car must be clean before submitting the application. Dirt that obscures the VIN or engine number can be a formal reason for refusing an inspection. Make sure that the body inspection (if required by the database) has already been completed and does not have active orders.
Before going to the traffic police station, wipe the license plates with a soft cloth. Even a small scratch on the reflective film can cause a failure, since the inspector is obliged to ensure compliance of the signs with GOST R 50577-2018.
Step-by-step instructions: submitting an application to the traffic police
The application process begins with submitting an application. Today there are two main ways: a personal visit to the traffic police department or using the portal Public services. The second option is often more convenient, as it allows you to avoid queues and first check that the data is filled out correctly, however, in some regions, the function of submitting an application specifically to save your number online may work with restrictions or require personal presence for inspection.
If you choose a personal visit, you need to drive your car to any convenient traffic police department that registers vehicles. It is not necessary to go exactly to the department where the car was registered. Approach the document collection window or the inspector at the inspection site. Please indicate your desire to keep your state registration plate. You will be given an application form or told where to download and fill it out.
In the application, you must indicate the owner’s details, information about the car and, most importantly, put a tick or make a note about your desire save registration plates. After checking the documents, the inspector will send you for inspection. The police officer will check the VIN code, engine and body number with the data in the PTS, and also visually assess the condition of the license plates.
☑️ Checklist before going to the traffic police
After a successful inspection, you return to the MREO building for final processing. The inspector accepts the old numbers, enters them into the database as “in storage”, and issues you an acceptance certificate. This act must be kept until the license plates are installed on a new car - this is your main document confirming ownership of the combination.
Financial costs: state fees and expenses
Many car owners mistakenly believe that the license plate retention service is free. This is not entirely true. Although there is no separate fee specifically for “reserving” a combination, the procedure inevitably entails the cost of issuing new documents and plates for the current car from which you are removing license plates.
Since you are storing old plates, new ones must be issued for the car. Therefore, you will have to pay to have a new set of metal signs made. The Vehicle Registration Certificate (VRC) will also need to be replaced, as new data will be entered into it. A corresponding note will also be made in the PTS.
Below is a table with current tariffs for government services that you will have to pay during the registration process:
| Type of service | Cost (RUB) | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Issuance of new license plates | 2 000 | Paid when returning old numbers |
| Issuance of a new STS | 1 500 | Plastic card or paper format |
| Making changes to the PTS | 350 | If the PTS is paper (in EPTS it is free) |
| Total minimum expenses | 3 850 | Excluding the cost of duplicates in case of damage |
It is important to consider that if your old license plates are damaged and the inspector did not accept them, you will have to additionally pay for the production of duplicates in a specialized company before submitting them to the traffic police. Prices for duplicates vary from 500 to 2000 rubles depending on the region and type of number (standard, American format, motorcycle).
⚠️ Attention: Saving the number is possible only if you pay the state fee for issuing new plates for the current car. Refusal to pay for new hardware will make the preservation procedure impossible.
Storage periods and installation on a new car
As already mentioned, the maximum period during which a license plate can be stored in the traffic police is 360 days. The countdown begins from the day the application is submitted and the marks are actually withdrawn. This period is the same for all regions of Russia and cannot be extended for valid reasons (illness, vacation, delay in delivery of a new car).
What to do if you bought a new car? The procedure for setting up a saved number is similar to regular registration, but with one important difference. When submitting documents to register a new (or used) car, you must immediately declare your desire to use the saved number. To do this, in the registration application, in the appropriate field, indicate what you want to assign saved registration plate.
You will need to provide the same certificate that you received when renting out your rooms. The inspector will check the database and make sure that the number is registered with you and its validity period has not expired. After this, the same “old” license plates will be issued to your new car, and the saved combination will be entered into the STS and PTS.
- 📅 The solution is valid for 1 year (360 days).
- 🔄 It is impossible to extend the storage period, only to re-record (which is impossible without a car).
- 🚗 Can be installed on any car belonging to the same owner.
- 📄 When registering a new car, be sure to indicate the requirement to assign a saved number.
If within a year you have not purchased a new car or have not registered it, the number will automatically expire. It is returned to the general pool of available license plates and can be issued to any other citizen upon registration of his vehicle. It will be impossible to return it back.
What happens if you don’t make it in 360 days?
If you do not install the saved number on a new car within 360 days, it will be canceled in the traffic police database. The combination of symbols will become free. It will be possible to restore the right to this number only in a general manner if you accidentally get it during a new registration, but there are no guarantees of this.
Typical mistakes and difficult situations
Despite its apparent simplicity, car owners often encounter problems. One of the most common mistakes is trying to save a number that does not match regional code owner's registration. According to the new rules, the region code on the number must match the region code of the owner’s registration in the passport. If you live in Moscow (code 77, 799, etc.) and want to keep a number with code 150 (Moscow region), you will be refused if you do not have temporary or permanent registration in the corresponding region.
Another common problem arises when selling a car at general power of attorney. In this case, the owner formally remains the one who issued the power of attorney. Only he can save the number. If a car is sold by a person acting under a power of attorney, he cannot take the license plates for himself unless the text of the power of attorney explicitly states the right to retain registration plates for the principal or for the authorized person himself (which is rare and depends on the interpretation of the inspector).
You should also be careful when selling a car that is in pledge or under arrest. If the car has restrictions on registration actions, you will not be able to save the license plates until these restrictions are lifted. First you need to resolve legal issues with debts or bailiffs.
⚠️ Attention: The region code on the saved number must match the region of your registration in your passport. If you have changed your registration, but the number remains the same code, when re-registering for a new car, you may be refused to assign this number if the codes do not match.
The main condition for the successful preservation of the number is that the region code on the sign matches the region of registration of the owner and the absence of damage to the license plates themselves.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Can I keep the number if I sell the car to another region?
Yes, you can sell a car to a buyer from another region, but keep the number for yourself. However, in order to take this number for storage, you (the owner) must have registration in the same region that is indicated on the license plate. If the region codes do not match your registration, you will not be able to save this number.
Do I need to go to the traffic police department with the buyer?
No, not necessarily. You can deposit the numbers and receive new ones in advance, before the buyer arrives. Then you will sell the car with new license plates, and the old ones will be in the traffic police department. Or you can do it in one day, but the buyer must be prepared to wait while you complete the paperwork, or arrive with a car that has already been weighed (which is risky for him).
What to do if one of the numbers is lost or stolen?
You can save a set of numbers only in its entirety. If one plate is missing, you will first have to make a duplicate of the lost number in a specialized organization, and only after that hand over the complete set to the traffic police for storage.
Is it possible to save the number if the car is deregistered (for example, for disposal)?
If the car is deregistered, the plates are already considered surrendered or invalid. You can save the number only from a registered vehicle. If you are planning disposal, the plates are usually surrendered, and the procedure for preserving them becomes meaningless, since the vehicle ceases to exist legally.
How many times can you save the same number?
The number of attempts is not limited by law, but each time the procedure requires the vehicle to be registered. You can save the number, set it, drive, then remove and save again. The main thing is to comply with the deadlines (360 days) and pay state fees each time for issuing new documents and signs to replace the ones handed over.