The state has migrated to a modern, more efficient system, and as of January 2024, Kentuckians will now keep their license plates when transferring vehicle ownership- a move that will improve convenience and save money for some Kentuckians (KRS 186.190).
Under the Kentucky Automated Vehicle Information System (KAVIS), when a vehicle is transferred with unexpired registration, the seller retains the plate. Additionally, the seller can apply the plate and unexpired registration, including standard-issue plates, to any other vehicle they own of the same class, including a newly purchased vehicle.
- There will be a one-time fee of $11 to transfer the registration to another vehicle. The fee will apply to special license plates, standard-issue license plates, commercial-weighted plates, and all personalized license plates on trade-ins at auto dealerships and in private sales between individuals.
- All vehicles purchased in Kentucky will need a new license plate and registration to be used on the roads. That registration can be from a temporary license plate issued by a licensed automobile dealer or county clerk, a license plate with unexpired registration previously owned by the purchaser, or a new license plate purchased from a
County Clerk's office.
- If the registration is due to expire at the end of the month in which the transfer of ownership is processed, the seller will be required to renew that registration if they wish to use that plate on another vehicle, or they can turn it in to their
local County Clerk.
- If the registration has already expired at the time of the vehicle transfer of ownership, the plate must be returned to the
county clerk's office, except for personalized license plates. The right to a personalized license plate is retained for one year following the expiration of the registration.
- All purchases that include registration will either receive a temporary tag or have a previous plate temporarily reassigned to the vehicle until the county clerk processes the registration and delivers the registration receipt to the customer.