Buying a new car or changing ownership is always stressful, but also a joyful event, which you often want to emphasize with individuality. One of the most affordable ways to make your vehicle visible on the road is choosing a beautiful license plate at the traffic police department. Many drivers mistakenly believe that it is impossible to get the desired combination of numbers and letters without connections or a lot of money, but the legislation provides for a transparent procedure.
Since 2021, a new GOST has been in force in Russia, which has changed the appearance of license plates, dividing them into types according to form factor, but the principle of assigning symbols remains the same. You have every right reserve a specific combination, if it is available in the database of a specific registration unit. It is important to understand that this process is paid and requires compliance with a certain sequence of actions, which we will describe in detail.
Before you go to the MREO, you need to clearly understand what kind of sign you want to see on the bumper. Remember: standard “mirror” or “three identical digits” (for example, 777, 999) are practically absent on the open market and often become the subject of speculation, but they can only be legally obtained through an auction or by inheritance. In this article we will look at legal ways to obtain numbers, current tariffs and technical details of installation.
Legal basis and types of license plates
The procedure for issuing state registration plates (SRP) is strictly regulated by the Administrative Regulations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. According to current rules, the driver can receive a number with the region code corresponding to the federal subject where registration takes place, or keep the old number when selling the car. Selecting a Specific Combination carried out from among those available at the time of application.
With the introduction of the new standard, the classification of signs has expanded. Now for motorcycles, cars with non-standard mounting and Japanese right-hand drive cars there are specialized formats. This means that when choosing a number, it is important to consider not only the desired numbers, but also the size that is suitable for your vehicle. An incorrectly selected plate can lead to problems when passing a technical inspection or being stopped by a traffic police inspector.
⚠️ Attention: Installing a license plate that does not comply with GOST in size or font is equivalent to the absence of a license plate and entails a fine or the removal of license plates and the car being placed in an impound lot.
In addition, the law prohibits the installation of numbers that imitate the signs of operational services (police, FSB, diplomatic corps). An attempt to purchase or make a duplicate with the symbols of special services is a criminal offense. The legal choice is limited to the civil series available in the traffic police database of your region.
Where and how to check the availability of a combination
The very first step before going to the traffic police is to check the availability of the desired combination. Unfortunately, there is currently no single online service where you can book a room from home. All checks are carried out directly at the document acceptance window or through self-service terminals in MREO buildings. However, there are indirect ways to assess the chances.
You can use aggregator services or bulletin boards where people sell cars with “nice” license plates. By analyzing the offers in your city, you can understand which series and region codes are currently being actively issued or, conversely, have ended. Often new series are beginning to be issued in certain departments, and this information can be found by calling the traffic police helpline or visiting the forums of motorists in your region.
When contacting the inspection directly, the inspector checks the database in real time. If the desired combination is free, you can declare your desire to get exactly that. It is important to be prepared for the fact that popular combinations (containing the numbers 1, 7, 9 or repeating characters) may not be available. In this case, you will have to choose from what is “here and now”, or wait for the arrival of new runs of plates.
- 🔍 Personal visit: The most reliable way is to come to the MREO and ask the operator to check a specific combination.
- 📞 Telephone information: You can try to find out which series of numbers are currently in operation through the duty department, but specific numbers are not punched over the phone.
- 💻 Online monitoring: Follow advertisements for the sale of cars with the required license plates to understand the current situation on the “numbers market”.
Come to the traffic police office at opening time or in the middle of the week (Wednesday, Thursday). During these hours there will be fewer queues and the inspector will have more time to check several combinations at your request.
Cost of service and state duties in 2026
The issue of finance is one of the most painful for drivers. Officially, the traffic police have the concept of "fee for choosing a number." You only pay state fee for issuing registration plates and registration certificates (CTC). However, if you want to be guaranteed to get the desired combination, many resort to a paid reservation service, if such an option is available in a particular region through traffic police partners or specialized companies.
The amount of the state duty is fixed and established by the Tax Code of the Russian Federation. It is important to consider that prices may vary depending on the type of license plate (motorcycle, automobile, transit) and the material of manufacture (metal or plastic for temporary ones). Below is the current tariff table.
| Service type | Duty amount (RUB) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Issuance of GRZ (metal) | 2 000 | Standard size for car |
| Issuance of state license (moto) | 1 500 | For motorcycles and ATVs |
| Issuance of state license (transit) | 1 600 | For transportation to the registration point |
| Making changes to the STS | 500 | When changing ownership or data |
It is worth noting that if you decide to use the services of intermediaries to “select” or reserve a rare number, the amount can increase tens or even hundreds of times. Officially, such services are often disguised as “consulting” or “legal”. Be prepared that for a popular combination like “o777oo” they can ask for an amount comparable to the cost of a budget car.
⚠️ Attention: Never hand over money for a room without drawing up an agreement and a receipt. In case of fraud, it will be almost impossible to prove anything, since the topic is often semi-legal in nature.
☑️ Financial preparation for obtaining a number
Step-by-step instructions: from application to receipt
The process of obtaining a number with the desired combination is not much different from standard car registration, with the exception of the stage of checking the combination. It all starts with preparing a package of documents. You will need: a passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation, a PTS (or electronic PTS), a purchase and sale agreement, a valid MTPL policy and a receipt for payment of the state duty.
The first step is to fill out an application for vehicle registration. The application contains a column where you can indicate the desired region code, but specific numbers are usually entered by the inspector on the spot or selected from those proposed. The algorithm of actions is as follows:
- Arrive at the selected traffic police department with the car (to verify VIN numbers, if required).
- Go to the document acceptance window and inform the inspector about your desire to receive a specific combination.
- Pay the state fee (you can use the terminal in the building or online).
- Wait for the database to be checked and the plates to be produced (or delivered).
If the number is produced on site (some MREOs have their own printing points), the process will take from 30 minutes to 2 hours. If the plates are imported, you may be offered to receive them within a few days or pick up temporary transit numbers. After receiving a set of plastics, check them for defects, clarity of symbols and compliance with the data in the STS.
What to do if there is a mistake in the number?
If you notice an error in the symbols on the plate or in the documents before leaving the office, notify the inspector immediately. After you sign the transfer and acceptance certificate, it will be extremely difficult to prove that the mistake was not your fault. In this case, you will have to write an application for a replacement and pay the fee again.
Saving the number when selling a car
One of the most popular requests is how to leave your “nice” number when selling a car. Legislation allows save GRZ for the owner for up to 1 year (with the possibility of extension). This is relevant if you are selling a car, but want to transfer the usual numbers to a new purchase.
To do this, you must submit an application to the traffic police to preserve the registration plates. The car must be technically sound, and the license plates must comply with GOST (not erased, readable, with the correct flags and codes). After submitting the application and paying the fee for issuing new plates (for the car being sold) and for storing the old ones, you will be given a new number and save card old
If you bought a car with a number, but have not yet registered it in your name, you first need to go through registration, get the numbers in your name, and only then (or at the same time, through complex schemes) try to save them, which is not always advisable.
- 📝 Statement: It is written in free form or according to a sample to the traffic police with a request to preserve the state license.
- 💰 Payment: The issuance of new signs for the car being sold and storage services are paid for.
- ⏳ Deadline: The number is kept for you for 1 year. If during this time you do not buy a new car, the number will go into reserve.
The saved number is not tied to a specific car, it is tied to the owner. You can install it on any car registered in your name within the same registration region (the region code must match).
Frequent problems and legal nuances
Despite the transparency of the rules, drivers often face bureaucratic obstacles. One of the common problems is refusal to issue a license plate due to the “busy” combination in the database, although visually a car with such a license plate does not drive. This may mean that the number is reserved by another applicant or is in the process of being disposed of. The issue can be resolved by submitting a written request for clarification of the reasons for the refusal.
Another nuance concerns regional codes. Since 2021, the rule has been in effect: the region code on the number must correspond to the region of registration of the owner in the passport. If you live in Moscow, but are registered in Tula, you will receive a number with code 71, even if you register the car in Moscow. It is practically impossible to legally obtain a Moscow number (777, 999) without Moscow registration, except in cases of inheritance or donation of an already registered car.
⚠️ Attention: An attempt to establish a number with someone else's region code (that does not match the passport) faces a fine under Art. 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation and sending the car to the impound lot until the violations are eliminated.It is also worth mentioning the problem of “outbid”. Often, beautiful license plates are sold together with a “donor car” - an old car on which the desired license plate is attached. By buying such a car, you risk running into a legally dirty car (in collateral, with a ban on registration). Always check the vehicle's history through official services before making a transaction.
FAQ: Frequently asked questions
Is it possible to buy a license plate officially through the traffic police website?
At the moment (2026), there is no direct function for citizens to purchase a specific number (for example, “a777aa”) through the website of the State Services or the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate. You can only apply for registration and express a preference, but there is no guarantee that a specific combination will be issued. There are paid intermediary services, but they are not government-owned.
What to do if the desired number is busy?
If the combination is busy, the inspector will offer to choose another one from the available ones. You can ask to check several options. If you really want this particular number, you can try to find a car on which it is already installed, and buy it together with the car, and then save the number through the inheritance or purchase procedure (taking into account the region code).
How long is a reserved number stored?
The period for retaining the state registration mark for the owner is 1 year from the date of filing the application. During this period you can install it on a new car. After the expiration date, if the number has not been used, it is returned to the general pool of available numbers.
Is it possible to change the area code on a number when moving?
Yes, if you change your place of residence (registration in your passport), you are required to make changes to the PTS and STS within 10 days. At the same time, you will be given new license plates with the region code of your new registration. You can try to save the old plates, but you can only put them on the car if the region code matches the new place of registration, which is impossible when moving to another region.