New licence plates should have original number

When the DVDL first began switching out old licence plates for the new ones containing a chip, I thought we were supposed to get the same registration number. I recently picked up my new plates and discovered they had a completely different number. It seems easy enough to print a plate with the same number so I would like to know why that isn’t being done.

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Auntie’s answer: An official with the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing confirmed you are correct in your understanding, that when exchanging old licence plates the DVDL will swap them for new plates with the same number. However, he explained there are two scenarios under which you would be given a new registration number for your plate.

A customer can request a new number and he or she would have to pay to make that change. Or, if the new plates were ready for collection but it turns out one or both of the old plates were lost or stolen, then DVDL would issue a new number with the new plates, which makes perfect sense.

But, if indeed the department did issue plates with the wrong number, it would have to correct that mistake by issuing new plates with the original number.

So, if neither of the two possibilities suggested correspond with your situation, and it sounds like they don’t, you can email Jason Azan at jason.azan@gov.ky at DVDL and he will try to help.

Clarification: When the DVDL began switching over to the new chip system for plates, it stopped ordering the old yellow ones for cars since those were being phased out. So, during the transition they issued plates that were meant for other categories, such as orange for trucks. In that instance, when the time came to exchange the old plate for a new one, the vehicle would have to be assigned a new number. If your old plate was orange, then your new plate was correctly issued.

Tags: Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing, New licence plates

Category: Ask Auntie, Vehicle Licensing Questions