Cars have identification numbers, vehicle owners can keep nice license plates

According to the draft Circular regulating the issuance and revocation of registration and license plates of motor vehicles of the Ministry of Public Security, which is being consulted (replacing Circular No. 58/2020/TT-BCA dated June 16, 2020), vehicle owners who are organizations or individuals with headquarters and residence (permanent or temporary residence) in a locality must register their vehicles in that locality.

License plates are issued and managed according to the vehicle owner's identification code (identification plate). In case the vehicle expires, is damaged or ownership is transferred, the license plate will be revoked by the vehicle registration authority and reissued when the vehicle owner registers another vehicle under his/her ownership.

Also according to the draft, this identification number plate will be retained for the vehicle owner for a period of 5 years from the date of issuance of the registration and number plate revocation certificate; after this period, if the vehicle owner does not register, the vehicle registration agency will revoke it and put it in the number warehouse to carry out vehicle registration according to regulations.

In case the vehicle owner moves his/her headquarters or residence to another province or centrally-run city (moving the original owner), the vehicle license plate number can be retained (no need to change the license plate number).

Regarding vehicle owner's responsibility, when selling, donating, inheriting, exchanging, or transferring a vehicle (transferring vehicle ownership): The vehicle owner must retain the vehicle registration certificate and license plate (not give them to the person receiving the vehicle ownership transfer) and submit them to the vehicle registration authority for revocation procedures.

In case of transferring vehicle ownership along with the license plate of the auctioned car, the vehicle owner must submit the vehicle registration certificate to the vehicle registration authority to carry out the revocation procedure.

Within 30 days from the date of completing the vehicle ownership transfer paperwork, the vehicle owner must complete the revocation procedures. In case the vehicle owner fails to complete the revocation procedures or hand over the vehicle registration certificate and license plate to the organization or individual receiving the vehicle ownership transfer (hereinafter referred to as the vehicle buyer) to complete the revocation procedures, the vehicle registration authority shall, before resolving the matter, issue a decision to impose a penalty for failure to complete the revocation procedures as prescribed.

In case the vehicle owner does not carry out the revocation procedure after transferring ownership, he/she shall be legally responsible for any violations related to that vehicle. After the vehicle owner carries out the revocation procedure, the vehicle buyer shall carry out the vehicle registration transfer procedure at the vehicle registration office where the vehicle buyer is headquartered or resides when required.

Many beautiful number plates have great value. Photo: Ha Anh Chien

The National Assembly also issued Resolution No. 73/2022/QH15 on pilot auction of car license plates. The pilot auction of car license plates will also be implemented from July 1.

The Resolution stipulates that the starting price of a car license plate to be auctioned is 40 million VND. The deposit is equal to the starting price of a car license plate to be auctioned. The bid step is 5 million VND. The amount collected from the car license plate auction after deducting the costs of organizing the auction shall be paid into the central budget according to the provisions of the law on the state budget.

In fact, many beautiful license plates are auctioned for billions of dong, even higher than the value of the car. Therefore, the provisions of this law are consistent with the people's desire to keep beautiful license plates.