THE LICENSE PLATE STAYS WITH THE INDIVIDUAL BEGINNING JULY 1, 2019
Licenses plates on all Oklahoma vehicles when sold, traded, or transferred shall be removed and retained by the individual owner beginning July 1, 2019. All of the license plates on vehicles in a dealer=s inventory on July 1, 2019 should be removed. Those license plates need to be delivered to your tag agent or the OTC.
Beginning July 1, 2019, when a vehicle is purchased by a dealer, if the seller has left their license plate on the vehicle, it should be removed. If it is an Oklahoma license plate, it should be returned to the owner, if possible. If not, it should be turned in to a Tag Agent or the OTC. If it is an out of state or a tribal license plate, it should be destroyed.
Because no vehicle in inventory will have a license plate on it, when a vehicle is driven on the street, whether for a test drive, or to take it to a mechanic, or for any purpose, a dealer=s license plate should be placed on the vehicle. Temporary license plates still may not be used for that purpose. Dealers will need more dealer=s plates. If you think you will need more dealer plates, you should order them immediately. Dealer plates may still only be used for demonstrating, transporting, or normal business use.
Beginning July 1, 2019 when a vehicle is sold by a dealer, the dealer should first verify that there is no license plate on the vehicle. A temporary license plate (temp tag) shall be placed on the vehicle. The Dealer is not authorized to place the purchaser=s old license plate on the new vehicle, nor is the purchaser authorized to place the license plate he removed from his trade in on it, or any license plate he may have from a previous vehicle, until he registers the vehicle purchased. The purchaser is then authorized by the Tag Agent to place his license plate on the vehicle. Do not do the purchaser a favor and put his old license plate on his purchased vehicle. Until the purchaser is authorized to place the license plate on the vehicle, the purchaser, when stopped by law enforcement, could be cited for displaying an illegal or unauthorized license plate.
Transactions which occur between individuals have different rules. There will be no temporary tag involved in that transaction. The seller removes his license plate and retains it. The purchaser must keep a notarized dated bill of sale in the vehicle until he transfers the title to the vehicle into his own name. The purchaser is allowed to drive without a license plate on the vehicle for five (5) days from the date of purchase. The purchaser could be cited for failure to display a proper license plate after that five (5) day period. The purchaser still has thirty (30) days to transfer the title to the vehicle.
It is important to emphasize to your purchasers that with the change in law, the owner of the vehicle must keep a copy of the vehicle registration in the vehicle at all times.
