If your vehicle plates are lost, stolen or destroyed, you must surrender the vehicle registration to DMV. 

If two vehicle plates are lost, stolen, or destroyed (or one plate if it is a vehicle that is only issued one plate, such as a motorcycle), you must notify the police and ask the police to complete a police report. Bring the police report to a DMV office to surrender the vehicle registration.

• If the plates were lost, stolen, or destroyed in New York State, ask a New York State police agency to complete a 'Report of Lost, Stolen or Confiscated Motor Vehicle Items' (MV-78B). The form is only available from law enforcement. It is not available on the DMV website.
• If the plates were lost, stolen, or destroyed outside New York State, get a report printed on the letterhead of a police agency in the state where the incident happened.

If the police agency refuses to give you a police report (form MV-78B), complete a Certification of Lost License, Permit, or Plates (PDF) (MV-1441.3). The form must include the date you requested the police report and the police agency that denied your request.

If you would like to replace your plates without paying a fee, you must submit a police report or an MV-78B that indicates the plate was stolen or destroyed as a result of a crime.

You may request a new set of plates at a DMV office. Bring with you:

• the original plate(s) or the MV-78B/police report/statement
• a completed Vehicle Registration/Title Application (PDF) (MV-82)
• proof of identity. (See Proofs of Identity for Registration and Title (PDF) (ID-82)).
• proof of insurance

See location, instructions and reservation information for your DMV

DMV will issue you a new registration and replacement plates. If the plate(s) were lost or destroyed, you must pay for the new plates and a fee of $3.75 for the new registration. The fee for plates are

• $25 for a set of 2 plates
• $12.50 for a vehicle that is only issued one plate, such as a motorcycle

You are not required to pay a fee to replace stolen plates. However, you must provide a police report or an MV-78B that indicates the plates were stolen or destroyed as a result of a crime.