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Surrender (Return or Turn-in) Your Vehicle Plates and Registration

Before you cancel the vehicle's liability insurance coverage you must surrender your plates and registration.
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Surrender (Return or Turn-in) Your Vehicle Plates and Registration
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When to Surrender Plates and Registration

Before you cancel the vehicle's liability insurance coverage you must surrender your plates and registration. If you do not turn in your plate(s), we will suspend your registration and can suspend your driver license.

If you want to register your vehicle in another state you must surrender your New York State vehicle plates to the New York DMV.

How to Surrender Plates

By Mail

  1. Make sure your address is current.
    • We will mail you a plate surrender receipt (form FS-6T) as well as a refund check, if applicable. DMV will mail these to the address on the registration. If the address on your registration is not current, change your address before you mail your license plates. If you are moving, you must also file a change of address with the United States Postal Service so that your mail is properly forwarded to your new address.
    • Businesses: If the registration is in a business name and the address has changed, be sure to submit a change of address with the United States Postal Service so your receipt is forwarded to you.
  2. Remove plates and stickers
    • This includes the plate frames and fasteners - we will not accept plates with them attached. Destroy the registration and inspection stickers from your windshield.
    • Do not give your plates to another person unless that person will surrender the plates for you.
  3. Complete the PD-7 application
  4. Mail the application with your plates in an envelope (no boxes) to
    • NYS DMV
      6 Empire State Plaza
      Room B240
      Albany, NY 12228

We use the mail postmark date as the date that you surrendered your plates. Please allow 21 days to receive your FS-6T receipt. If you do not receive a FS-6T receipt, please contact the DMV.

Note: If you need to surrender plates from another state, you must surrender them to that state's DMV (not the New York State DMV).

 

At a DMV Office 

  1. Remove plates and stickers
    • This includes the plate frames and fasteners - we will not accept plates with them attached. Destroy the registration and inspection stickers from your windshield.
    • Do not give your plates to another person unless that person will surrender the plates for you.
  2. Complete the PD-7 application
  3. Bring the plates and PD-7 to a DMV 
    • Find a DMV office near you.
    • County motor vehicle offices will charge you a $1 fee to process the surrender. If another person surrenders your plates for you, make sure that the person gives you the FS-6T receipt for your records. 

 

See location, instructions and reservation information for your DMV

Common Plate Surrender Questions

Will I receive a refund when I surrender my plates?

It depends. See registration refunds for surrendered plates for more information. 
 

Can I surrender my plates temporarily?

Yes. See special procedures to surrender plates for a season (temporary surrender of plates).
 

Do I need to surrender motorcycle plates?

It’s not necessary to surrender motorcycle plates, but your motorcycle must be insured if you ride it.


Do I need to surrender trailer plates?

Even though some trailers are not required to have liability insurance, you must surrender the plate if the trailer does not have a valid registration


Do I need to surrender the registration if the plates are lost, destroyed, or stolen?

Yes. You need to report plates that are lost, stolen, or destroyed and surrender the registration.  In these cases, the DMV can issue you a new registration and plates.