Handing in the plates to the DMV

Hey there.

First let me tell you that I’ve already searched the site for info but doing a search for “DMV+Plate” comes up with 50 slow-loading pages of garbage.

I’m going home for a few months and want to hand in the plates from my Van. I know this sounds simple but I’ve learnt after being here for 4 years that things that take 5 minutes in Canada take a week of goose chasing here. Things that are coated with red tape in Canada are pushed through the door here in 5 minutes.

Let’s face it… this place is ass-backwards. That’s a good thing though.

I want to drive my car until the last day possible so I think I should gather as much info as I can so I know what to expect. I think I’m more worried about getting them back when I return to Taiwan.

Has anyone done this? If so, can you tell me a story about how it all went for ya?

Thanks all.

Later.

TD

TD

Not sure if you can even do this. The only people i know who have no plates have had them taken away by the police for non payment of licence fees etc.

I would imagine that you would also have difficulties trying the get the van relicenced upon your return as well. For certain you will need to have a off street, non public owned area parking spot for the van, otherwise no chance i would say.

Unless the savings on licence costs etc are that great, would be inclined just to leave it plated.

Yeah. If you want to turn them in you can, but it basically entails scrapping the vehicle. They usually take them back on the basis that you won’t apply for a new registration. You can probably do it, but the money you save on tax will not be worth the number of burning hoops you have to jump thru.
Then you have to re-register again, which will definately mean providing every goddam scrap of paper ever associated with the vehicle, and probably need an inspection (which will cost an arm and a leg) to certify the thing is as safe and clean as the regs in place when it was made. Even worse, they could insist that it meets current standards…

ok ok ok… I don’t mean to beat you down, but have you done this before?

Ok, here we go.

I couldn’t give a rat’s ass about saving money. The thing is that my van’s inspection will be due when I’m in Canada and I won’t be coming back to Taiwan until 3 months after the due date. So if I don’t hand in the plates… they will give me major grief to do the inspection late. I know I’m going to need to do an inspection when I apply for the plates back but it will pass, so that part doesn’t scare me. I don’t live in Taipei and have a whole field that I can leave it in for as long as I want, so that doesn’t scare me either. What scares me is that I wait until the last couple days to do this and then need to do a bunch of paperwork and prep work.

It’s starting to look like I’ve invited people to attempt to scare me with all these stories so let me tell you what I DO know. This is my third vehicle in Taiwan and when you sell a car, you have to give the plates in and the new owner reapplies for the plates back. I’m sure I’ll have the documents handy to do that, but I’m not SURE. I know you can hand in the plates and reregister the vehicle whenever you like… I just don’t know a foreigner that’s done it to tell me what was done.

Is there anyone out there that’s done this?

I know this is not what you asked. No, I haven’t tried turning the plates in and then re-registering. Can’t help you there.
My advice, FWIW (f**k all):

Go and ask the DMV if you can test early :slight_smile:

You can postpone testing IF you notify them and IF you tell them in advance which station you go will to test at.

Oh. Hey.

I talked my friends and they say that I can do something called a “Stop Drive” hehehe.

As far as the testing early - you can test a month early and a month late without any problems but unfortunately I still can’t fit my times into that. You can test up to three months late but you have to pay 900nt instead of the normal 450nt and you need (I think) to go through a more serious inspection. I might just do that if it comes down to it.

I’m going to try the “stop drive” (I laugh everytime I think about those words coming out of his mouth) at the DMV and see what happens.

Thanks for givin me your time.

Latah

TD

[quote=“turkey_dinner”]Hey there.

First let me tell you that I’ve already searched the site for info but doing a search for “DMV+Plate” comes up with 50 slow-loading pages of garbage.[/quote]You’re right that there isn’t anything else on this in Forumosa. (You shouldn’t be getting 50 pages of results though; “dmv plate”, with the option “Search for all terms” selected gives only 1 page with 10 results on it whether you “Display results as” posts or topics).

Let us know what you find out.