Idaho state license plate laws

Forgot your password? Get help. Home Cars Idaho License Plates. When you register your motor vehicle with the Idaho Transportation Department, you will receive license plates.

These Idaho license plates are your property, and if you do decide to sell your motor vehicle, you should make sure to remove your Idaho license plates before the transaction happens. Although the state requires you to remove these plates, Idaho also allows you to transfer your Idaho license plates to other vehicles that already own or buy. The state of Idaho provides many different graphics. Commencing January 1, , the color and design of the plates shall be comparable to the color and design of the statehood centennial issue of license plates with blue numerals and letters on a multicolored red, white and blue background.

Each license plate must bear upon its face the inscriptions "Famous Potatoes" and "Scenic Idaho. The restricted vehicle license plate shall be the same size required for the motorcycle license plate. Every license plate shall have displayed upon it the registration number assigned to the vehicle and its owner and the name "Idaho," which may be abbreviated.

The plates issued under the provisions of section 1 , Idaho Code, and the required letters and numerals, including an identification of the county in which the motor vehicle to which the plates will be affixed is registered, shall be of sufficient size to be plainly readable from a distance of seventy-five 75 feet during daylight, and each license plate and registration sticker shall be treated with a fully reflectorized material according to specifications prescribed by the board.

At the end of the ninth year, the registered owner shall receive notice of the date upon which the plates will expire. For specialty license plate programs discontinued pursuant to the provisions of section C , Idaho Code, a registrant with a specialty license plate currently registered under the program may use such license plate for up to ten 10 years from the date of issuance.

When you buy a car from a dealer in Idaho, ask for temporary tags so you can operate your vehicle while waiting for your registration and license plates from the DMV. Visit our Idaho Vehicle Registration page for complete details, including registration fees and application instructions.

To update the sticker on your license plate, you have to renew your vehicle registration every 2 years or 1 year based on which registration you choose. Once you pay your renewal fees, you will receive a new decal to put over the previous one on your license plate. Visit our Registration Renewal page for more information. If your license plate or expiration sticker has been lost, stolen, or damaged, you need to apply for replacements in person at your nearest Idaho DMV office.

The ID DMV does not require you to file a police report, but you may wish to anyway to avoid misuse of your lost or stolen plates or identity theft. License plates are considered your property, which means that they stay with you, NOT your vehicle, when you sell or trade it.

In some cases, plates may stay with a vehicle, such as off-highway plates or antique vehicle plates. You can transfer your tags to another vehicle that you buy or already own when you register it. You can also surrender your plates at your local Idaho DMV office if you no longer need them. The fees below are basic vehicle registration 1 year fees. These fees include your license plate or license plate sticker renewal.