Governments use the DMV license plate for identification purposes and to prove that the car is registered, has passed its state emissions test (where applicable) and is safe to drive. To get license plate registration, you must first learn how to register your vehicle within your home state. If you have just moved to the state, you will have a certain time frame in which to complete the registration process. Once your vehicle has been registered, you will need to renew your car registration plates, on average, every year. However, the exact time of renewal may vary depending on where you live. Learn more about license plates for seniors, including custom license plate designs, in the sections outlined below.
When to Get License Plate for Seniors
You will need to get DMV license plates whenever you register a new vehicle with your local DMV office. If you are new to the state in which you are registering your vehicle, you may have up to one month to register the vehicle at your local DMV office. Some states may also require you to register the vehicle within a certain amount of time after purchasing it.
You may have the choice of applying for your DMV license plates either in-person or online, depending on where you live.
How to Get New Registration Plates for Seniors
How to get license plate registration is a relatively easy process. You can check when your DMV license plate is set to expire by reviewing the sticker you received the last time you performed a vehicle registration renewal, or by checking your vehicle registration card. When your car registration plates expire, you will need to renew them. Traditionally, this will happen once every year. However, the exact length you can go between renewals will vary from state to state.
Most states will allow you to renew your car registration plates either in-person at your local DMV, online or by mail. Certain states may have apps that you can use to complete the renewal process.
How to Replace License Plate for Seniors
If your car registration plate (or plates, if your state requires your vehicle to have more than one) is lost, stolen, defaced, surrendered, destroyed or lost in-transit, you will need to get it replaced as soon as possible. When filling out the application, you will need to give information about yourself, such as your name, date of birth and address. When replacing license plate copies, you will also need to give information about the vehicle for which you are replacing the license plates. The required information to replace license plates may include the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and the year, model and make of the car. Note that the information required for each state’s form may vary.
How to Renew License Plates
Renewing your license plate will take place approximately once every year at around the same time. How to renew your license plate is a simple and easy process. Your DMV will send you a notice in the mail alerting you that your car registration plates are going to expire soon, and need to be renewed. The notice should include the date by which your renewal must be completed. When renewing license plate registration (depending on the state in which you live), you can do so either by mail, online or in person at your local DMV office.
Before you can renew your license plate in certain states, your vehicle must first pass an emissions inspection. You will not be able to renew your license plates until you have completed this inspection, where applicable. Be prepared to pay a fee to have the inspection completed. If your car is older than a certain age, your state laws may consider it exempt from the emissions inspection, and you will not need to complete this step in order to renew your DMV license plates.
Learn About Custom License Plates for Seniors
Every state offers custom DMV license plates for you to choose from, instead of the traditional state ones. State license plates feature the name of the state your vehicle is registered in, as well as a symbol that represents the state, such as oranges for Florida or peaches for Georgia, and the state’s motto. Your state will offer other types of license plates, as well. These may include military license plates, veteran license plates, specialty DMV license plates, personalized license plates, and/or college and university new registration license plates. Each of these license plate options will incur a fee that may be different than a standard state license plate fee.
A military or veteran DMV license plate shows that the owner of the car serves – or has served – in the military. All states offer a comprehensive list of DMV license plates that allow you to choose which part of the military in which you served. You may also be able to pick the war in which you served, if your state offers that option. Certain states also offer DMV registration license plates for different medals that soldiers can be awarded, such as the Purple Heart or the Congressional Medal of Honor, which recipients can choose from. Note that you will need to provide proof that you are a veteran or a current member of the military in order to apply for any of these plates.