What to Do With Your Licence Plates When Selling a Car in Ontario
In Ontario, your licence plates belong to you, not the car. That one rule decides what happens to them when you sell, trade in or scrap a vehicle. Here's when to take them off, what your options are afterward, and what changed in 2022.
Licence plates when selling a car in Ontario: the basic rule
Ontario plates are registered to a person, not to a vehicle. The plates stay with you when the car goes. Your ownership (vehicle permit) reflects this. It has two parts: the vehicle portion, which goes to the buyer, and the plate portion, which you keep.
So before the buyer drives away or the tow truck pulls out, the plates come off. After that, you can put them on your next vehicle, keep them for later or return them to ServiceOntario. The buyer gets their own plates, or moves theirs over from another vehicle, when they register the car in their name.
The rule is the same for a private sale, a dealer trade-in and a scrap car. Only the rest of the paperwork changes, as our Ontario car-selling paperwork checklist explains.
When and how to remove your plates
Taking plates off takes a few minutes. Timing matters more than technique.
Take them off at the right moment
Remove both plates before the car leaves your hands. In a private sale, do it once the payment is confirmed and the papers are signed, but before the buyer drives off. When you scrap a car or sell it to a car-buying business, take the plates off before the tow truck arrives so the pickup isn't held up.
What you'll need
Most plates come off with a screwdriver or a small socket wrench. On older cars, the screws are often rusted solid. A little penetrating oil and some patience usually does it. If a screw snaps or won't move, ask the tow driver. Seized plate screws are an everyday job for them. Our guide to getting your car ready for pickup covers the other jobs to do before the tow.
Keep the plate portion with the plates
Store the plate portion of your vehicle permit with the plates. It's your record that the plates are registered to you, and ServiceOntario may ask for it when you move them to another vehicle. If it's lost, ask about a replacement on your next visit. Our guide to selling a car without ownership covers lost permits.
Personalized plates
Personalized plates follow the same rule. They're registered to you, so take them off and keep them for your next vehicle. Double-check they're off before the car leaves, since they're easy to forget on a car you've owned for years. The same goes for any plate frame or holder you want to keep.
Your options once the plates are off
You have three choices. Pick the one that fits your plans for your next vehicle.
Put them on your next vehicle
If you're buying another car, you can usually register it with your existing plates at ServiceOntario. When you buy from a dealer, the dealer often handles this as part of the paperwork. Plates are issued for a vehicle class, so check with ServiceOntario if you're switching between a passenger vehicle and a commercial one. Make sure the new car is insured before you drive it.
Return them to ServiceOntario
If you don't need the plates, you can return them at a ServiceOntario centre. That removes any chance of them being misused and ends your link to them. Keep a note of the date and location where you returned them, in case a question about the plates ever comes up later.
Keep them for later
Plenty of people hold on to their plates for a while, for example between cars. Store them somewhere safe with the plate portion of your permit. If plates are lost or stolen, report it to the police and contact ServiceOntario about replacements, so nobody can use them on another vehicle.
Do you get a refund for your plates or stickers?
No, and this is where a lot of older advice goes wrong. In 2022, Ontario eliminated licence plate renewal fees and stickers for passenger vehicles, light-duty trucks, motorcycles and mopeds. With no fee being charged, there's nothing to refund when you sell or scrap the car. An old sticker still stuck to your plate has no cash value.
If a buyer or a website promises money back on your plate stickers, that information is out of date. Heavier commercial vehicles are treated differently. If your plates are on a large truck or a fleet vehicle, check with ServiceOntario, or see how we buy commercial and fleet vehicles.
Why leaving your plates on the car is a risk
Plates are how tolls, tickets and camera fines find their owner. If your plates leave on a car you've sold, you could get the bill for something you didn't do:
- Highway 407 ETR bills tolls to the plate holder when a car has no transponder.
- Red light camera and automated speed camera tickets go to the plate holder.
- Parking tickets follow the plate, not the driver.
- Plates can be taken off one car and put on another.
Even with an honest buyer, the car can stay on your record until they register the transfer, and Ontario gives them 6 days to do that. Removing the plates is the simplest way to make sure what happens next has nothing to do with you.
Sale-day plate checklist
Tick these off before the car leaves, so nothing tied to your name goes with it.
- Front and back plates removed Both plates are off the car, including any personalized plates.
- Plate portion of the permit kept The plate portion stays with you, and the vehicle portion goes to the buyer.
- Toll transponder removed Take any 407 ETR transponder off the windshield and update your account.
- Plates stored or returned Keep them somewhere safe for your next car, or drop them off at ServiceOntario.
- Insurer called Once the car is gone, call your insurer to move or cancel your coverage.
- Bill of sale copy kept A signed, dated copy shows exactly when the car stopped being yours.
Your insurance after the plates come off
Call your insurer once the car is gone, not before. In Ontario, a car can't legally be driven on the road without valid plates and insurance, so if you need to drive it anywhere before the sale, keep both in place until then.
If you're replacing the car, your insurer can usually move your coverage to the new vehicle. If you aren't, ask about cancelling the policy and whether any unused premium will be refunded. Terms vary by insurer, and some charge a cancellation fee.
Licence plate FAQs
Still have a question? Call (289) 349-2006 and ask a real person.
Do licence plates stay with the car or the owner in Ontario?
They stay with the owner. Ontario plates are registered to you, not the vehicle, so you take them off when you sell or scrap the car. You can put them on your next vehicle or return them to ServiceOntario. The buyer gets their own plates when they register the car.
Can I get money back on my plate sticker when I sell?
No. Ontario eliminated plate renewal fees and stickers for passenger vehicles in 2022, so there's no fee to refund when you sell or scrap a car. Advice about getting money back on stickers is out of date. If your plates are on a heavy commercial vehicle, check with ServiceOntario, as different rules apply.
Can the buyer drive my car home on my plates?
No. Your plates and insurance are tied to you, not the buyer, so they shouldn't leave on the car. The buyer needs to register the car and put their own plates on it before driving it. In a private sale, that usually means getting a Safety Standards Certificate first.
Do I have to return my plates when I scrap my car?
No, returning them is optional. You can keep them for your next vehicle or return them to ServiceOntario if you don't need them. Either way, they have to come off before the car is towed. When you book scrap car removal with us, we'll tell you everything to do before the tow.
What if I forgot to take my plates off before the tow?
Call the buyer or the towing company right away. If the car hasn't been processed yet, the plates can usually be recovered. If you can't get them back, report it to the police and contact ServiceOntario so the plates can't be used on another vehicle.
Should I cancel my insurance before or after removing the plates?
After. Keep your insurance until the car is sold and gone, then call your insurer. If the car will be driven at all before the sale, it needs valid plates and insurance. Your insurer can move your coverage to a new vehicle or cancel the policy and explain any refund.
Plates off? We'll take care of the rest
Sell or scrap your car with Top Cash 4 Cars and get a firm cash offer in about 3 minutes, cash on the spot and free towing. Call (289) 349-2006 to book your pickup.
Open Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.