Plate Surrender in Kentucky

Certain scenarios―moving out of the state, title transfers with personalized plates― require surrendering your Kentucky license plates.

Moving to Kentucky

After settling into your new home, you have 10 days to register your car with your county clerk. At this time you do not have to surrender your old plates, unless required by your former state’s DMV.

When it comes time to register, keep in mind that Kentucky’s Motor Vehicle Licensing Division offers a wide variety of specialized plates to choose from.

For more on Kentucky, check out our relocation guide.

Moving from KY

After establishing residency in your new state and registering your vehicle, you’ll need to surrender your Kentucky license plates, along with a copy of your title or registration certificate, to your former county clerk.

For relocation guidance, visit our Moving Out of Kentucky page.

Selling a Used Car in Kentucky

The plate remains with the car, unless it’s a specialized license plate. In this case, you must remove the plate and surrender it to your county clerk. The clerk may then re-issue you the plate provided it’s for the same vehicle type under your name.

For more on selling your vehicle, jump over to Title Transfers page.

Buying a Used Car in KY

The plate, provided it’s a standard license plate, remains with the vehicle. Specialized plates will be removed by the seller and surrendered to the county clerk. Either way, you’ll still need to register the car at your earliest convenience.

Visit our Vehicle Title Transfers page for additional insight on buying a used vehicle.

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