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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>65898</law_id><section_number>46.2-1552</section_number><catch_line>Use of dealer&amp;#8217;s license plates on newly purchased vehicles</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="46.2">Motor Vehicles</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="IV">Dealers and Driver Training Schools</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="15">Motor Vehicle Dealers</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="5">Dealer's License Plates</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Notwithstanding the provisions of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Use of dealer's and manufacturer's license plates, generally" href="/46.2-1550/">46.2-1550</a>, any <span class="dictionary">dealer</span> who sells and delivers to a purchaser a <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span> at a time when the main offices of the <span class="dictionary">Department</span>, its branch offices, or offices of its local <span class="dictionary">agents</span>, are not open for business and the purchaser is therefore unable to register the vehicle, may permit the purchaser to use, for a period not exceeding five days, on the newly purchased vehicle, <span class="dictionary">license plates</span> which have been issued to the <span class="dictionary">dealer</span>, provided that, at the time of the purchase, the <span class="dictionary">dealer</span> executes in duplicate, on forms provided by the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span>, a certificate bearing the date of issuance, the name and address of the purchaser, the identification number of the vehicle, the registration number to be <span class="dictionary">used</span> temporarily on the vehicle, the name of the state in which the vehicle is to be registered, and whatever other information may be required by the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span>. The original of the certificate and a bona fide bill of sale shall be delivered to the purchaser and shall be in the <span class="dictionary">possession</span> of the purchaser at all times when operating the vehicle under <span class="dictionary">dealer</span> plates. One copy of the certificate shall be retained by the <span class="dictionary">dealer</span>, filed by him, and shall be subject to inspection at any time by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span>&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">agents</span>. If the vehicle is to be titled and registered in the Commonwealth, application for title and registration shall be made by the purchaser on the first business day following issuance of the certificate and a copy of the certificate shall accompany the applications.
		<span class="dictionary">License plates</span> temporarily <span class="dictionary">used</span> by the purchaser shall be returned to the <span class="dictionary">dealer</span> by the purchaser not later than five days after the issuance of the certificate.</p></section></text><history>1988, c. 865, &#xA7; 46.1-550.5:10; 1989, c. 727; 1991, c. 712.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
