The issue of temporarily abandoning the use of automobile registration plates is becoming increasingly relevant for vehicle owners planning long-term storage of equipment or its sale without installing new plates. Modern legislation of the Russian Federation has undergone significant changes, which affected not only the registration procedure, but also the administration of the license plates themselves. Now they can be assigned to a specific owner, rather than to a car, which has given rise to the practice of archiving them for later use.
Many car enthusiasts are still mistaken, believing that the shelf life is limited to one year, as was previously the case. In fact, current regulations allow this period to be significantly extended while ensuring the safety of the vehicle ID. Maximum shelf life currently up to 360 days, however, there are important nuances regarding the extension procedure and payment of the state fee.
In this article, we will analyze in detail how long numbers can be stored, how to properly complete the procedure, and what to do if you missed the set dates. Understanding these rules will help you avoid penalties and loss of the desired symbol combination, which may be important to the owner for personal reasons.
Legislative framework and current deadlines
The issue of storing license plates is regulated by an order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, which clearly regulates the actions of employees of registration departments. According to the current rules, when selling a car, the owner has the right to keep the numbers for himself by handing them over to safekeeping at the traffic police department. Initially, this period was 180 days, which was approximately six months.
However, the legislator has provided for the possibility of a one-time extension of this period. This means that, theoretically and practically, marks can be archived for up to 360 days. It is important to understand that there is no automatic renewal - the owner must personally appear at the unit and write the appropriate application before the expiration of the initial period.
⚠️ Please note: If you do not apply for a storage extension before the 180 days have passed, your license plates will be automatically discarded and cannot be returned.
It should be noted that this procedure is paid. There is no state duty charged for the fact of storage, but a fee will need to be paid for extending the period. The fee is fixed and amounts to 2,000 rubles for renewal for an additional period. This is an important financial aspect to consider when planning your budget.
The procedure for submitting numbers to the archive
In order for the numbers to be accepted for storage, a number of sequential actions must be performed. First, the vehicle owner must deregister the car or complete a sales transaction in which the license plates remain with the seller. In the process of registering the transfer of ownership or deregistration, an application for preservation of registration marks is submitted.
A traffic police officer checks documents and license plates themselves. Plates must be in readable condition, without severe damage, corrosion or deterioration of symbols. If the appearance of the numbers does not comply with GOST, acceptance for storage may be refused, and they will have to be changed by obtaining duplicates.
☑️ Checklist for renting out rooms
After verification, data on reserved signs is entered into a unified information system. The owner is issued a document confirming the fact that the numbers have been accepted for storage, although often the data is simply recorded in the database. From this moment the countdown begins 180 day period, during which you must decide the fate of the signs: either install them on another car, or extend storage.
Save a copy of the application for depositing the numbers with a note of acceptance - this is your main document in case of disputes with the database.
Extending shelf life: step-by-step instructions
If at the end of the 180 days you still do not have a vehicle to install the retained decals on, you must initiate the renewal process. This must be done in advance, preferably 10-15 days before the expiration date, in order to avoid bureaucratic delays and the risk of accidental disposal.
The renewal process requires the owner's personal presence. The storage extension functionality through the State Services portal has not yet been fully implemented, so most often you have to visit the registration department in person. An application is written there to extend the shelf life of registration plates.
The key step is paying the state fee. A receipt for payment must be submitted along with the application. Renewal is not possible without confirmation of payment. After processing the application, the storage period increases by another 180 days, reaching a total value of 360 days.
| Action | Due date | Cost (RUB) | Required documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renting numbers for storage | 1 day | 0 (no duty) | Passport, PTS, STS, license plates |
| Extension of storage | 1 day | 2000 | Passport, receipt, application |
| Installation on a car | 1 day | 850 (amendments to STS) | Passport, PTS, STS, numbers, OSAGO policy |
Restoring numbers after expiration
What happens if 360 days have passed and the car has not been purchased or registered? In this case, registration plates that were in storage are subject to recycling. It will no longer be possible to return this particular combination of letters and numbers, since it is released and can be issued to another applicant in the general queue or through an auction (if the numbers belong to the “beautiful” series).
However, there is a nuance associated with the so-called “grace period” or technical delays in the database, but you absolutely cannot rely on this. The legislation is strict: expiration of the storage period leads to loss of rights to a specific identifier. The only option in this situation is to try to register a car with new, randomly drawn numbers or participate in an auction if your combination goes there.
⚠️ Attention: After recycling the saved numbers, an attempt to obtain the same combination through standard registration is impossible. You will lose the right to a “thieves” or just your favorite number forever.
Some owners are trying to appeal the disposal in court, citing the fact that they did not receive notification. However, judicial practice shows that the responsibility to monitor deadlines lies entirely with the owner of the vehicle. The absence of reminders from the traffic police is not a basis for restoring rights to signs.
Cost and financial aspects
The financial side of the issue of storing numbers consists of several components. The archiving service itself, as mentioned earlier, is free. You pay only when completing registration actions. However, if you extend the period, you pay a state fee for the extension. This is the only direct cost associated specifically with the fact that the numbers are in the archive.
It is also worth considering indirect costs. For example, if you sell a car and leave the plates, you will in any case have to get new plates for selling the car (if it didn’t have others) in order to hand it over to the buyer “in transit” or with new plates. These are the costs of making duplicates or obtaining new signs from the traffic police, which costs 2,000 rubles per set.
Is it possible to store numbers indefinitely?
No, the legislation of the Russian Federation does not provide for indefinite storage of numbers. The maximum period, including extension, is 360 days. After this, the signs are disposed of.
It is also important to keep in mind the cost of insurance. If the car on which you plan to put saved numbers is registered but not used, you are still required to have a valid MTPL policy if the car is not officially deregistered. This creates additional financial obligations during the storage period of the numbers.
Frequent errors and risks during storage
One of the most common mistakes is confusion between the validity period of the MTPL policy and the storage period for the numbers. Owners often think that if the car is insured, then the license plates are “safe.” This is wrong. These terms are in no way legally related to each other.
Another mistake is damaging license plates before surrender. Many people try to clean rust or straighten out bends on their own, using aggressive chemicals or a hammer. This leads to the fact that traffic police officers refuse to accept such signs for storage, requiring the production of duplicates, which entails additional costs and loss of time.
⚠️ Attention: Do not try to restore the numbers yourself before putting them into the archive. It is better to officially make a duplicate from an accredited manufacturer than to be refused by the traffic police.
There is also a risk of losing documents for a car during the period when the license plates have already been returned and a new car has not yet been purchased. Without PTS and STS (which remain in the hands of the seller when the license plates are handed over, but the car data is marked in the database), difficulties may arise during the subsequent registration of new equipment if errors are found in the documents.
The main storage risk is the human factor: forgetting the end date of 180 days means losing the numbers forever. Set reminders!
Questions and answers (FAQ)
Is it possible to extend the storage of numbers more than once?
No, current legislation allows extension of the storage period only once. The total period cannot exceed 360 days. After this, the signs must be disposed of.
What should I do if I bought the car before the expiration date?
You can contact the traffic police at any time before the expiration of 180 (or 360) days to install the saved numbers on a new car. The procedure is carried out in the usual manner for making changes to registration data.
Do I need to pay tax for storing numbers?
No, there is no separate tax on storage. Only the state duty is paid in case of extension of the storage period or for the subsequent installation of signs on the car.
Is it possible to deposit license plates if there are fines on the car?
The presence of unpaid fines may become an obstacle to any registration actions. It is recommended to pay off all debts before visiting the traffic police department to hand over your license plates.
Where are the numbers physically stored?
License plates are stored in a special archive (room) of the specific registration unit of the traffic police where they were deposited. Only authorized employees have access to them.