When must I surrender vehicle plates to the DMV? How do I surrender vehicle plates?

 You must surrender your NYS vehicle plates to the DMV before the automobile liability insurance coverage ends. You must surrender your NYS vehicle plates to the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles when you move to another state and get vehicle plates in the other state.

The DMV will suspend your vehicle registration and your driver license if you do not surrender your NYS vehicle plates and your liability insurance coverage ends. Only liability insurance issued by a company authorized to do business in NYS is acceptable coverage for a vehicle registered in NYS. You must have a NYS insurance Identification Card. No out-of-state insurance of any kind is acceptable.

The DMV web site has the instructions to surrender your vehicle plates. The web site explains what to do if you lost the vehicle plates or you surrendered the vehicle plates to the DMV in another state.

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Vehicle Registrations and Title Certificates
URL: http://www.dmv.ny.gov/reg.htm