Replacing your Pennsylvania License Plate for Free

Written by ASC Title & Tags Friday March 30, 2018

Your license plate. You've had is since 1995. You transferred it to 3 cars in 23 years. It's starting to look a little ragged but why should YOU replace it? You paid for it. It's falling apart and PennDot requires you to have it. That plate can rot, as far as you're concerned. We've seen it all in 28 years at ASC Title & Tags. Peeling, flaking, cut on the corners from people that were stealing registration stickers. You would be happy to replace the plate if Penndot would send you one. Well, this is your lucky year!

Late 2017, Penndot initiated the DEFY program. What's that, you ask? Glad you did. Any plate that starts with a D, E, F or Y will automatically be replaced when you transfer your plate . How about that? You are going to get a free replacement plate, a $30 value!

The latest fact sheet titled “Registration Plate Reissue” published January 2018 addresses other issues that allow the free replacement of the plate. It states that “a registration plate is deemed illegible when one or more numbers or letters cannot be recognized from 50 feet or if the registration plate shows any blistering, peeling, discoloration or loss of reflectivity.” This means that if your vanity plate is perfectly readable but the clear lamination is starting to peel and you can get it replaced. A vanity plate that was $20 just a few years ago is now $79 and you can get your brand new, shiny one for FREE! How to do it? Next time you take your car for inspection, mention the plate and ask them to complete a PennDot MV-46 form. Make sure that the spaces and dashes are in the correct location. Then just mail it in. The vanity plate will appear in about 12 weeks. Then just send your old one back. Again, you are responsible for sending the form MV-46 in and we strongly recommend you send it Priority mail. That is a trackable mail and under $10. Don't be a cheapskate, you're saving $79!

If you replace a Wildlife, Railroad, Dare or any other organization plate, you will only get a standard plate. You MUST then reapply to get another Special Organization plate. That will cost you the full plate price.