License Plate Question

Annayna

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I have a character that is from Colorado, she is going to Florida for a little while.

Now her plates are bound to expire while in Florida but she doesnt want to make her home there. Is there a plate or something she can get that doesnt require her to be a resident?

This is a plot twist I was thinking of using..
 

Collectonian

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Generally, no. Most states do not do "temp" plates for that purpose. Temp plates are almost always exclusive to dealerships and other new car sales where a plate is needed just short term. Ditto in Florida. If you are becoming a resident, you're expected to get new plates within 30 days (depending on the state; in Florida apparently you only have 10 days). If you aren't, then you can just keep your existing plates (particularly common with college students, of course).
 

jclarkdawe

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Answer depends upon whether Colorado does registration by mail or not.

If done by mail, you mail in your money and they mail you the registration.

If you have to go to the DMV and do it in person, you have ten days normally after your return to the state to get a new registration. If it's a short period, that the normal way people approach it. If it's for a longer period, usually you get someone else to go in and do it.

Best of luck,

Jim Clark-Dawe
 

Linda Adams

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If she were in the military, she could renew the plates while living in another state. However, many of the states have requirements like emissions that you would need to get certified in the state, so it's more beneficial to have the plates where you're living. A big nuisance to drive to California to be certified when you are stationed on the East Coast.

But I'm having a hard time even understanding why the plates expiring would be an issue. She could easily do the certification stuff before she leaves and pay the renewal online with a credit card.
 

Annayna

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Yeah I know Colorado requires emission, not sure how many other states do. I might scrap this idea because its weird and odd.
 

jclarkdawe

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If you're in the military, I believe (having checked this for my daughter) that you have to pass the inspection standards of the state in which you are stationed, and don't have to return the car to the state it is registered in. My daughter, who is stationed in Washington, has not had her car in New Hampshire for a couple of years. And New Hampshire has emission standards.

When the car returns to New Hampshire, she has ten days in which to get it inspected.

Bottom line is this stuff happens a lot and is relatively easily solved. I'm not sure you're going to get much drama from it. However, you could have your character screw it all up.

Best of luck,

Jim Clark-Dawe
 

Fenika

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Having the same problem between Delaware (plates) and Oklahoma (school), DE mailed me a form, including emissions. Well, no one in OK tests emissions. Period. Um, great. So I had someone (DMV) fill out the rest of the form and mailed it in. When I returned to DE I was supposed to go in for testing immediately. I got around to it after a few weeks.

Regardless, I've gotten my little stickers by mail twice now.

And everyone keeps telling me my windows are tinted illegally dark and yet no one has done anything about it. Go figure.
 

Snowstorm

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jclarkdawe said:
However, you could have your character screw it all up.

Best of luck,

Jim Clark-Dawe

I had been thinking when her plates expire she chooses to chance not getting caught. THat could make a few twists in that she drives out of her way to not drive around police.
 

RainyDayNinja

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I live in Missouri, and spent 7 months in North Carolina for an internship. My plates expired while I was away, and since I couldn't get an inspection from a Missouri-certified shop, I was able to have my parents mail me new plates, and simply get my inspection when I returned.
 

Linda Adams

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If you're in the military, I believe (having checked this for my daughter) that you have to pass the inspection standards of the state in which you are stationed, and don't have to return the car to the state it is registered in.

Depends on the state law. California, as far as I can tell, still requires their smog test on the cars--but then, the state laws for emissions is really different from the other states because of the smog problems they do have. Wouldn't surprise me at all if everyone was a little different. They sure were for driver's licenses that expired!
 

benbradley

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Yeah I know Colorado requires emission, not sure how many other states do. I might scrap this idea because its weird and odd.
Yes it's strange, I think it's the EPA that sets air quality standards, and emissions tests are done by states depending on whether an area meets the standards (if an area doesn't meet standards and a state doesn't jump the right hoops to do a good-faith effort to clean the air, they probably lose federal highway funds - that's the usual trump card Congress uses to make states do things). Georgia requires emissions tests in the metro Atlanta area, and perhaps in some other big cities in the state, but not "out in the country" where I live now and where smog isn't a problem. I'm in a county with about 27,000 residents, WAY fewer than counties in the metro Atlanta area.

Georgia used to require testing every year, but now only requires it every other year and not on new cars (so you don't need to get tested until after the second year you own a new car), unless you've just bought a used car, then you need to do the test to get a new tag in your name.

Don't bother asking how I know all this, but I'll tell you learning it wasn't just an academic exercise.
 

Annayna

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yeah the car might be up for emissions so im not too sure her parents could send her the plates in the mail without that test