When it comes to printing a temporary license plate, it largely depends on what you need and who you are. In most cases, let’s take the states as an example, temporary license plates are needed by new vehicle owners who are going to drive to another state or non-new car owners who are moving to a new state.
When Will You Need a Number Plate for Your Car?
Picking up a new car from the dealership
As a new driver, you don’t need to buy a license plate printer before going to the car dealership to pick up your new or second-hand vehicle. Instead, the car dealership will print and issue you a temporary license plate. With this vehicle number plate, you are legally permitted to drive to another state.
Buying a Secondhand Car from the Original Owner
In this case, it’s advised to make it clear for both parties if the license plates are included in the deal. There are only around eight states across the United States that allow trading license plates. In the case of buying a used car from any other state, be sure to settle down with the car owner on the issue of the new car plate.
Waiting for your official license plate to be issued
If you have the plan of moving to a new state, as a new resident, you have a grace period (often 30-90 days) to register your vehicle in your new state. When you apply, the DMV, the acronym Department of Motor Vehicles, ( will issue a temporary license plate while your new state’s permanent metallic plates are manufactured and mailed.
Another common scenario will be the renewal of your soon-to-be expired car number plate.
If you renew your registration online or by mail close to the expiration date, the new sticker or plate may not arrive before the old one expires. As most states advise, you’ll need to print a temporary receipt, or it will provide a digital credential to show law enforcement. To address this issue, you should order a service by printing a temporary car number plate and have it shipped to you instead of buying a license plate printing machine yourself. Balance out the cost and value over each other. This also works when you order a personalized (vanity) or specialty plate. I mean, when you request a custom combination of letters/numbers or choose a specialty plate (e.g., supporting a cause, university, etc.) for your car.
Replacing Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Plates
In the event that your license plate is lost, stolen, or damaged, more often than not, you’ll be required to report it to the police, and then you can apply for a replacement, which will be a temporary license plate that will be issued by the DMV.
As an individual, in most cases, you don’t need to buy a temporary license plate printer, unless you run a business such as a car dealership or are in charge of operating a DMV.
Why Car Dealerships Need License Plate Printers
Car dealerships in the United States need license plate printers—more accurately called temporary tag/temporary permit printers—for several critical reasons related to law, operations, customer service, and security.
Here’s a breakdown of why they are essential:
1. Legal Requirement & Immediate Compliance
State Law: All 50 states require a vehicle to have a valid registration (license plate or temporary permit) to be driven on public roads. The moment a customer drives a newly purchased car off the lot, it must be legally tagged.
Dealer as an Agent: State Departments of Motor Vehicles (DMVs) authorize franchised dealerships as “limited agents” for vehicle registration. This allows them to initiate the titling and registration process on behalf of the buyer.
The temporary license plate printer is the tool that fulfills this legal agency. It produces the official state-sanctioned temporary paper permit that serves as the car’s registration until the permanent metal plates arrive by mail (which can take 4-8 weeks). The card dealership can only print a temporary license plate for you. In the event of needing a permanent metal license plate, they are still manufactured by state correctional facilities or contracted manufacturers, and you can request to have it mailed directly to your porch.
2. Operational Efficiency & Cash Flow
Sell Cars Any Day, Any Time: Without an in-house temporary license plate printer, a dealership would have to send an employee to the DMV for every single sale to get a temporary tag. This would slow sales, especially on weekends and evenings when DMVs are closed.
Close Deals Faster: The ability to print the temp tag on the spot is the final step in the sales process. It allows the customer to drive away immediately, which is crucial for customer satisfaction and finalizing the sale.
Faster Funding: For financed cars, banks and lenders often require proof that the vehicle is registered before they release payment (fund the loan) to the dealer. Printing the temp tag instantly provides this proof, speeding up the dealer’s cash flow.
3. Security, Fraud Prevention, & State Control
Secure, Tamper-Evident Materials: Modern temp tag printers use special paper with security features like watermarks, QR codes, barcodes, and perforations to prevent counterfeiting and alteration.
Direct Electronic Link to DMV: The printer software is integrated with the state’s DMV database (often via a third-party provider like Reynolds and Reynolds or Dealertrack). Each printed tag’s unique number is logged and reported to the state in real-time, creating an audit trail.
Cracking Down on “Ghost Plates“: Law enforcement heavily relies on this system. They can instantly scan a temp tag’s barcode to verify its validity against the state database, helping to identify fraudulent paper tags used in crimes or to avoid tolls and insurance.
4. Professionalism, Branding, and Customer Service
Branded Permits: The printed temp tag often includes the dealership’s name, address, and logo, serving as a mobile advertisement.
Seamless Customer Experience: Providing the customer with a legal permit instantly creates a smooth, professional, and hassle-free pickup experience. It builds trust and reduces post-sale anxiety about driving legally.
Managing Plate Logistics: The printer allows the dealer to manage the entire registration workflow, tracking which permanent plates have been mailed and following up if there are delays.
Why Does the DMV Need License Plate Printers?
It’s similar to that of card dealerships. The department of motor vehicles needs car number plate printers for several important reasons related to security, efficiency, convenience, and cost.
Here is a breakdown of why they are increasingly used:
1. Immediate Issuance & Convenience
On-the-Spot Production: With in-house license plate printers, the DMV can produce and issue license plates immediately after registration, eliminating wait times for mailing or manufacturing delays, as the traditional car number printers cause.
Same-day punctual service: Customers of new vehicles can drive away with the license plate instead of a temporary license plate.
2. Cost Efficiency
Reduced inventory: It’s not necessary for DMVs to store piles of metallic car number plates in a large warehouse for which a high rent will be charged.
Zero shipping fee: eliminates the cost for shipping associated with car license plates from license plate printer manufacturers to the DMVs before they can carry out the shipping of car license plates to car owners.
3. High Customization
In cases of changes of slogans or regulations by states, the DMVs owning vehicle number plate printing machines can adapt to that with a few finger touches: reediting the design of the car plate printing through printing software provided by license plate printing machine manufacturers.
4. Environmental Benefits
Reduced Waste: On-demand printing means fewer obsolete plates are discarded due to design changes or overproduction.
Efficient Material Use: Printers for printing car number plates often use precise cutting and material handling, minimizing waste during production.
5. Operational Control
Instant Correction: In the rare cases of mistaken print, the DMV can instantly correct it and reprint it, which will waste neither of their time.
RFID & Smart Features: Some printers can embed or encode RFID chips or other tracking technologies directly into plates for tolling or law enforcement use.
6. Replacement Scenarios:
Quick Replacement: Car number plate theft, damage, or even recall happens from time to time, though not often. With a car number plate printer handy, DMVs can remedy cases and scenarios like that fairly efficiently.
How to Print a Temporary License Plate?
As an individual: Buying number plate printing machines as an individual is illegal in most countries and regions across the globe. Printing temporary Texas license plates might no longer be an optimal solution. In many countries and regions, it’s against the law for manufacturing, forging, and replicating official car number plates; only those authorized institutes (such as DMVs & manufacturers) can run this as a legalized business.
Make sure you refer to the regulation policy & law in your region or state to not put yourself at risk of breaking the law. If it’s not illegal, in the very rare case of needing to print an electric temporary license plate in the mail sent by the DMV, you can store it in your phone in case police check. To print it out, go to a printing shop to order the service where temporary license plate printers are available.
As a car dealership: In some states, large-scale car dealerships are authorized to issue new vehicle number plates. The detailed procedures are as below:
1. The car dealership will be authorized to use software or an app that the DMVs also use.
2. After paying the tax and registration fee, the new car owner’s personal information, along with the car’s, will be sent through the software or app for approval by the DMV.
3. Once approved, the car dealership will print a temporary license plate and issue it to the new motorist.
4. Meanwhile, the software or app will generate a permanent metallic car number plate to be printed and mailed to the new vehicle owner. The valid period of the temporary license plate covers the wait time for the permanent license plate to be delivered.
As a DMV:As DMVs authorize most car dealerships to print the temporary license plate, they rarely print temporary license plates for new car registrators.
The printing and issuing procedures by DMVs are the same as those by car dealerships.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the process of obtaining and issuing temporary license plates is a carefully regulated system designed to balance legal compliance, operational efficiency, and public safety. Whether for a new vehicle purchase, a move to a new state, a registration renewal, or a replacement of lost plates, temporary license plates serve as an essential bridge to permanent registration.
For individuals, acquiring a temporary plate typically involves authorized channels like dealerships or DMVs, rather than personal printing, which is largely restricted to prevent fraud. Dealerships and DMVs rely on specialized, secure printing systems to fulfill their roles as state-authorized agents, ensuring that every vehicle on the road is properly accounted for.
This integrated approach—combining technology, regulation, and practical logistics—supports a seamless experience for vehicle owners while upholding the integrity and security of motor vehicle administration. Ultimately, the temporary license plate system reflects a broader commitment to enabling mobility within a framework of responsibility and trust.