Q: I am currently active-duty military stationed in Michigan and still have Rhode Island residency and plates. I will be privately selling my current truck in a few weeks. The new truck I'm buying will not be here until October. I would like to keep my current Rhode Island shark plates. How would I go about retaining my current plates?
— Albert E. L.
A: First, thank you for your service!
Next, you can’t have an active registration without car insurance or you will be fined. Since you indicated that you will be selling your car, I have to assume you will be canceling the insurance on it. The state has an Insurance Verification Program. If an active registered VIN number does not match to an insurance policy for four consecutive weeks, a Request for Insurance Verification letter is generated and sent to the vehicle owner.
If the vehicle owner does not comply with the instructions provided in that letter, he/she will receive a Revocation Notice informing the vehicle owner that their registration will be revoked. In addition, the vehicle owner will be blocked from renewing their registrations and license.
This is what I would do: I would go online to our website ( dmv.ri.gov ) and to the “Online Services” tab. Scroll down the list and you will see a transaction called “Cancel Registration.” Have your registration certificate in front of you and follow the instructions on the screen.
After you have gone through all the screens, you’ll get a receipt indicating that your registration has been canceled. Take your Atlantic Shark Institute (ASI) plates off your truck and hold on to them with your plate cancellation receipt. You have one year from the plate cancellation date to reregister these plates.
When you are ready to register your new vehicle, let the clerk know that you have your previous plates and would like to put them on your new vehicle. Tell them that they are the ASI plates. Your ASI Combination plates have a weight limit of 8,800 pounds. Trucks between 8,801 and 11,800 pounds can fill out the “Affidavit for Combination Plates” [RIGL 31-3-64 (2)] but must provide proof of ownership of a camping trailer, fifth-wheel camper trailer, travel trailer or truck camper.
If you can’t prove that, then you can’t use this affidavit. You would then need Commercial plates for your new truck and, lucky for you, the ASI charity will be releasing the Commercial version of their plate very soon. Stay tuned for that announcement.
Thank you for supporting this wonderful charity.
Chuck Hollis is assistant administrator of the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles. Please email your questions to cars@providencejournal.com with “Ask the DMV” in the subject field.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: How can I keep my shark plates while waiting for my new vehicle? | Ask the RI DMV
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