How to sell a car: Surrendering your license plates

So you finally sold your car – congratulations! Whether you’re upgrading to something new or looking forward to being vehicle-free, it’s definitely a weight off your shoulders to sell your ride. However, even though you know how to sell a car up to the part where the other person signs the dotted line, do you know what to do after the sale is complete? Today we’re talking about how to sell a car after the fact – specifically, how to surrender license plates.  Check out this Toyota of Orlando guide!

How do I surrender my license plate in Florida?

The most important thing to keep in mind is that the process of dealing with your license plates after you sell your Orlando Toyota varies from state to state. If you’re reading this, you should be asking yourself “How do I surrender my license plates in Florida?” If you don’t live in Florida, you should definitely do a little research to see what your particular state requires. That being said, here’s how to surrender license plates if you live in the Sunshine State.

Note: It’s important to remember that your license plates belong to the state – they’re not really yours. So if the decal is unexpired and you’re not keeping insurance current for that plate, you need to turn it back into the state. Here are two options for how to surrender license plates:

1. In person. You can physically drop your car’s license plates off at your local DMV and hand them over in person.

2. By mail. Did you know that you can actually mail your license plates to your local DMV? This cuts out the step of having to go in person and spend time there. Just be sure that when you mail them, you include a request to cancel and recycle the plate.

How to surrender license plates that are lost or stolen

What if your license plates get stolen, or you lose them? What if they’re destroyed in a car accident? In these instances, there’s not much you can do. However, you do need to let the DMV know what happened. You should contact them immediately – they can provide you with an affidavit saying that your plates were lost, destroyed, or stolen that you fill out, sign, and return.

Now you know how to sell a car and what to do with the plates afterward. But what if you don’t get around to surrendering your plates? Here are some of the serious consequences of not taking care of your Orlando Toyota’s plates after the sale of your car.

• Your plates could be stolen and attached to another car. This could lead to thieves using your plates to go through tolls, run red lights, or even commit crimes… and the plates are still attached to your name and address, which can lead to a big headache for you.
• You could be ticketed or have other financial sanctions if your license plate is still active but your insurance is dropped from your car. Further, if you fail to surrender your plate when your insurance is cancelled your driver’s license can be suspended.

Get more tips on how to sell a car from Toyota of Orlando

Have questions on how to sell a car or how to surrender license plates? Toyota of Orlando is always here to help. In fact, when you buy a car from us we can walk you through the plates process step by step. We can also make it simple and buy your car from you so you don’t have to sell it privately! Just call us today at (407) 298-4500 or stop by. We’re just off I-4 near the Mall of Millenia!

 

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