What dealer plates are for, how a licensed dealer gets them, and what they cost, with the issuing agency, fee, and renewal term for each of the 18 states we cover.
Dealer plates are license plates issued to a licensed dealer, not to one car. The dealer moves them between vehicles it owns and holds for sale, for test drives, moving inventory, and dealership business. To get them, you need an active dealer license; then you apply to your state's motor vehicle agency and pay a per-plate fee, which runs from about $10 to $100 per plate in the states below.
A dealer plate belongs to the dealership, not to a vehicle. Instead of registering every car in inventory, a licensed dealer puts a dealer plate on whichever car needs to move: a customer test drive, a run to the auction or the body shop, or a trip on dealership business. When the car sells, the plate comes off and stays with the dealer; the buyer drives away on their own registration.
The details are set state by state: who issues them, what they cost, how many you can have, how long a customer can demo a car on one, and whether any personal use is allowed. New York, for example, caps customer demos at 24 hours, while Texas lists personal use among its permitted uses. Always check your state before you rely on a rule from another one.
Each figure comes from that state's full guide, verified against the state agency (dates on each guide). Fees change; confirm with the agency before you order.
| State | Issued by | Cost per plate | Term | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Arizona MVD | $30 per plate (A.R.S. 28-4533) | Annual (with the dealer license) | Guide |
| California | California DMV Occupational Licensing | $92/year per plate (+ county fees) | Annual (with license renewal) | Guide |
| Colorado | County Clerk (Denver: Manager of Revenue) | ~$30 first demo plate + material fees | Annual | Guide |
| Florida | County tax collector / license plate agent | $27/yr per plate; temp $2 + $2.50 fee | Annual | Guide |
| Georgia | Georgia DOR Motor Vehicle Division (DRIVES) | $62 first plate, $12 each additional | Annual (renewed in DRIVES e-Services) | Guide |
| Illinois | Illinois Secretary of State | $45 master set + $13 per duplicate set | Annual (calendar-year cycle with the license) | Guide |
| Maryland | Maryland MVA | $100 per tag | Two years (with the dealer license) | Guide |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts RMV (Section 5 Division) | $20/plate + $100/yr master registration | Annual | Guide |
| Missouri | Missouri DOR Motor Vehicle Bureau | $50 first four, $10.50 each additional | Calendar year (renews by Dec 31) | Guide |
| New Jersey | NJ MVC (Business Licensing Services) | Set by MVC fee schedule — confirm current fee | Annual (with the dealer license) | Guide |
| New York | New York DMV | $20 per set per year | Annual (two-year renewal available at 2×) | Guide |
| North Carolina | NCDMV License & Theft Bureau | $46.25 first five, $23.13 each after | Annual (aligned to the license month) | Guide |
| Ohio | Ohio BMV (with the dealer license) | $10.25 per additional plate | Follows the two-year license cycle | Guide |
| Pennsylvania | PennDOT (Form MV-349) | $54/yr or $108/2yr (car dealers) | 1 or 2 years | Guide |
| Tennessee | County Clerk (license via the TMVC) | ~$47 first, ~$24 each additional (by county) | Annual | Guide |
| Texas | TxDMV (eLICENSING) | ~$90 metal dealer plate; $10 dealer temp | Expires with your dealer license | Guide |
| Virginia | Virginia DMV (license via the MVDB) | $24-$30 first two, less each additional | Annual (with the dealer registration) | Guide |
| Washington | Washington DOL | $50.75/set original, $38.75 renewal | Annual (renews with the license) | Guide |
Selling a car to a buyer who has no plates to transfer is a different question: that is the buyer's own temporary registration, not your dealer plate. For an example, see Massachusetts temporary registrations for buyers.
Inventory, the deal jacket, and your state's title and registration forms filled from each deal — $29/month flat. $29/month, free to try — cancel any time.
Dealer plates are license plates a state issues to a licensed vehicle dealer, rather than to one specific car. The dealer moves them between the vehicles it owns and holds for sale, so inventory can be test-driven, moved between the lot, the auction, and the shop, and used for dealership business without registering each car. They are not how a buyer drives a car home: a sold vehicle gets the buyer's own registration.
Get your dealer license first; every state covered here ties dealer plates to an active dealer license. Then apply to the agency that issues them in your state (the DMV, RMV, MVA, or in some states the county clerk or tax collector), pay the per-plate fee, and renew them on the schedule your state sets, usually with the license. Each state guide below walks through the exact steps.
It depends on the state and on how many plates you order. In the 18 states covered here, fees run from about $10 to about $100 per plate: Ohio charges $10.25 per additional plate, New York $20 per set per year, and Maryland $100 per tag. Several states price the first plates differently from additional ones, and a few add county or material fees.
Generally yes, since demonstrating a vehicle for sale is one of the main things dealer plates are for, but states limit how long. New York, for example, treats a customer demo over 24 hours as loaning the dealer's plate. Check your state's guide for its demo and loan rules.
Only where the state allows it. Texas, for example, lists personal use among the permitted uses of its dealer plates, while most of the states covered here limit them to demos, inventory moves, and dealership business. Treat personal use as not allowed unless your state's rules say otherwise.
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