How to Keep My Plate When Selling My Car in Ontario

If you’re selling your car in Ontario, one of the first questions you may have is:

“Can I keep my licence plate?”

The answer is yes—in Ontario, plates stay with you, not the car. That means when you sell or trade in your vehicle, you remove your plates and transfer them to your next car. Here’s exactly how it works.

Who Owns the Plate in Ontario?

Unlike some provinces where plates stay with the vehicle, in Ontario the plate is tied to the person. The Ministry of Transportation (through ServiceOntario) allows you to move your plate from one car to another as long as both are registered to you (or to you and your spouse).

So if you’re upgrading your car, you don’t need to buy new plates—you can keep your old ones.

Steps to Keep Your Plate When Selling Your Car

When you sell your vehicle privately, make sure you follow these steps:

1. Remove Your Plates – Before the buyer drives away, take your plates off the vehicle.
2. Keep the Plate Portion of the Ownership Permit – The green ownership permit has two sides:
   • Left side = Vehicle Portion (give to the buyer, signed over)
   • Right side = Plate Portion (keep with you, matches your plate number)
3. Give the Buyer the Required Documents – This includes the signed vehicle portion, the Used Vehicle Information Package (UVIP), and a bill of sale.
4. Hold Onto Your Plates – Store them safely until you’re ready to transfer them to your new car.

Transferring Your Plates to Your New Car

When you buy your next vehicle (from a dealer or privately), you can reuse your old plates. To do this:

• Bring your plates and plate portion of the permit to ServiceOntario (or let the dealer handle it).
• ServiceOntario will transfer the plates to your new vehicle instantly.
• You’ll pay any difference in plate validation fees and sales tax on the new car.

Why You Shouldn’t Leave Your Plates on the Old Car

If you let the buyer take your old car with your plates still on it, you remain legally responsible for tickets, tolls, or even accidents until they register the car in their own name. Always remove your plates before handing over the keys.

Quick Checklist

✅ Remove your plates before the car leaves

✅ Keep the plate portion of your ownership permit

✅ Hand over the vehicle portion, UVIP, and bill of sale to the buyer

✅ Transfer your plates to your new car at ServiceOntario

The Bottom Line

If you’re asking “how do I keep my plate when selling my car in Ontario?”—the good news is, it’s simple. Plates are yours to keep, and you can move them directly onto your next vehicle the same day.

At EcoRecycle, we help sellers make the process quick and stress-free, from pickup to paperwork, so you can move on to your next car without any confusion about your plates.