Temporary Tags — who issues them, what they cost and how long they last.
A temporary tag lets a car be driven legally between the sale and the day its permanent plates and registration arrive. Who can issue one, and for how long, is set state by state. A dealer usually handles it at the sale; after a private sale the buyer goes to the state or county. Texas stopped printing paper tags on July 1, 2025 and now puts metal plates on at the sale. Florida still sells $2 paper tags. Here is how four states do it, from their own laws and agencies.
A Fresh Tag Means a Fresh Sale
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Quick Answer
- How do you get a temporary tag?
- From the dealer, if you buy from one: dealers in Texas, Florida, California and Virginia issue the buyer's temporary plate or tag at the sale. After a private sale, go to the state or county office: Texas county tax offices sell a $29.75 30-day temporary plate (Form VTR-66, insurance, photo ID), and Florida tax collectors sell a $2 tag plus a $2.50 service charge (Form HSMV 83091).
- How long is a temporary tag good for?
- It depends on the state and the reason. Florida's default is 30 days, with 10-day tags for weighing or VIN verification and 90 days while a specialty plate is made. Texas temporary plates run 30 days (one-trip plates 15 days). California lets a dealer's temporary plate stay on until the plates arrive or 90 days pass. Virginia caps a dealer's temporary registration at 30 days unless the dealer gets an extension.
- Can you get a temporary tag online?
- Only from the state itself or a dealer using the state's system. Florida dealers issue tags through an electronic system the department runs; Texas sells some permits online, but its 30-day and one-trip plates are bought at a county tax office or TxDMV service center. A website selling "temp tags" to anyone is not the state: Florida makes unlawful issue or use of a tag an infraction, and issuing one to a fictitious person a third-degree felony.
Four steps every temporary tag follows
The forms and fees change by state. The sequence doesn't.
- 1The saleA dealer issues the buyer's temporary tag or plate on the spot. In a private sale the seller usually keeps the old plates.
- 2Insurance firstTexas requires proof of at least $30,000/$60,000/$25,000 liability for every temporary plate; Florida's tax collectors ask for proof of Florida insurance.
- 3The counter, if privateTexas: Form VTR-66 at the county tax office. Florida: Form HSMV 83091 at any tax collector office.
- 4Permanent platesThe tag ends when the title and registration go through, or on its expiry date, whichever comes first.
What a Temporary Tag Is
A temporary tag, temporary plate or temporary registration is a short-lived registration for a vehicle that can't yet carry permanent plates, usually because it has just been sold and the title and registration paperwork is still moving. It is issued under state law, not by the buyer or anyone they hire. Florida's § 320.131 gives the department the power "to design, issue, and regulate the use of temporary tags" and lists the cases they cover, from a dealer sale to a private sale, a car sold to a resident of another state, a vehicle that must be weighed or have its VIN verified, and a plate still being manufactured.
The form varies. Florida still uses printed tags on weatherproof media, displayed in the rear plate bracket. California dealers attach temporary plates generated by the DMV's reporting system. Texas went furthest: since July 1, 2025, under House Bill 718, Texas dealers no longer print paper tags at all and instead put metal license plates on the car at the sale. What all of them share is a record in the state's system and an expiry date.
Temporary Tag Rules in Four States
From each state's statute or motor vehicle agency, read on 20 October 2026.
| State | Buying from a dealer | After a private sale | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | Metal plates issued at the sale (HB 718) | Seller keeps the plates; buyer can print a free 5-day transit permit or buy a $29.75 30-day temporary plate | 30 days (one-trip: 15) |
| Florida (§ 320.131) | Dealer issues a 30-day tag through the state's electronic system | Plate stays with the seller; $2 tag plus $2.50 service charge at a tax collector | 30 days; 10, 60 or 90 for set purposes |
| California (§ 4456) | Dealer attaches the reporting system's temporary plates if the car has no DMV plates | Not covered by § 4456 | Until plates arrive or 90 days from the sale |
| Virginia (§ 46.2-1542) | Dealer may issue temporary plates and a temporary certificate | Not covered by § 46.2-1542 | 30 days; a second 30 with a title application |
Other states set their own rules. Check your state's motor vehicle agency before you rely on a tag issued anywhere else.
Getting a Temporary Tag From a Dealer
At a dealer, the temporary tag is part of the sale. Florida dealers must use the department's electronic temporary registration system; Hillsborough County's tax collector describes the dealer tag as valid 30 days including the date of issue, which gives the dealer time to file the title and registration. California's § 4456 has the dealer report the sale electronically, attach a copy of the report of sale, and attach the reporting system's temporary plates if the vehicle doesn't already carry DMV-issued plates, then file the registration application within 30 days for a used car (20 for a new one).
Texas no longer issues a temporary tag at a dealer sale at all. Since July 1, 2025 the dealer hands over metal general issue plates, mounted front and rear, and a Buyer's Receipt that stays in the car until the windshield registration sticker arrives. A buyer from another state gets an out-of-state buyer plate valid 60 days. Virginia's § 46.2-1542 lets the dealer issue temporary plates and a temporary certificate of registration, which the buyer must carry with a bona fide buyer's order whenever driving the car.
At the dealer, by state
- Texas: metal plates on the car at the sale.
- Florida: 30-day tag from the electronic system.
- California: system temporary plates, up to 90 days.
- Virginia: temporary plates, 30 days at most.
Getting One After a Private Sale
No dealer means no dealer system. These are the routes the states offer the buyer or seller.
Texas: free transit permit
If the seller keeps the Texas plates, print a Vehicle Transit Permit: free, valid 5 calendar days for one trip home or to the county tax office, for cars up to 6,000 lb and light trucks up to 10,000 lb GVW.
Texas: 30-day plate
A metal Temporary Registration plate from the county tax office: $25 plus a $4.75 processing fee, with Form VTR-66, insurance and photo ID. Not for salvage or nonrepairable titles.
Florida: $2 tag
30 days, at any tax collector office on Form HSMV 83091, with a $2.50 service charge per transaction. No more than 2 to the same person for the same vehicle.
Florida: the seller's test-drive tag
Hillsborough County will issue a seller a 30-day tag so buyers can test-drive, but not for a car never registered in Florida or in place of renewing its plate. Proof of Florida insurance is required.
Title it, and the tag isn't needed
Titling and registering the car at the counter gets permanent plates and ends the need for a temporary one. Bring the signed title, insurance and ID.
What no state sells
A tag for anyone, for any car, without the insurance, ID and forms the counters ask for. A website offering that is not the state.
Temporary Tag Rules at a Glance
Who issues the tag, what it costs and how long it lasts in the four states, on one card.
Every figure comes from the statutes and agency pages listed under the sources, read on the date shown.
Why Texas Ended Paper Tags
The Texas Legislature passed House Bill 718 in 2023, during the 88th session, "to address law enforcement concerns related to the fraudulent use of temporary tags", in TxDMV's words. From July 1, 2025, buyer's temporary tags, dealer's temporary tags, the paper 30-day and one-trip permits, dealer agent tags, vehicle-specific tags and internet-down tags were all retired. Dealers issue metal plates instead, and county offices issue metal Temporary Registration plates with expiration stickers for the 30-day and one-trip permits.
Paper tags issued before the change stayed valid until they expired. TxDMV's own example is a buyer's tag issued on June 30, 2025, which expired on August 29, 2025. So a Texas paper buyer's tag on a car today is either long expired or not genuine. A few paper permits do remain: the commercial 72- and 144-hour permits, the free Vehicle Transit Permit, temporary insignia while specialty plates are mailed, and factory delivery permits for new vehicles.
Buying a Car That's Still on Temporary Plates?
It changed hands recently, sometimes more than once. Enter the VIN for a free preview of the title brands, junk and salvage records and odometer readings on file before you agree a price.
When the Dealer Can't Produce the Title
A temporary tag runs on a clock, and the clock is set by the dealer's paperwork. If the title never arrives, the tag expires with the car still unregistered. Virginia's § 46.2-1542 deals with this directly. A dealer's temporary certificate lasts 30 days at most. If the dealer can't deliver the title in that time, it may issue a second 30-day certificate only after filing the title application, the bill of sale, the fees and a written statement of what it did to get the title. After 60 days the DMV may extend temporary registration for up to 90 more.
If the dealer still can't produce the title, the buyer's rights to the car may end and the buyer may return it for a full refund of what was paid, less any damage and a mileage charge capped at half the IRS business rate. Florida limits the problem from the other side: no more than 2 temporary tags to the same person for the same vehicle, and knowingly using temporary tags to avoid registering a car is a first-degree misdemeanor under § 320.131(5).
Virginia's timeline
- Day 0–30: first temporary certificate.
- Day 30–60: second certificate, title application filed.
- Up to 90 more: DMV extension, by application.
- No title at the end: the buyer may return the car.
How to Spot a Fake Temporary Tag
Fake tags sold online are a known problem; Texas rebuilt its whole system around them. These checks come from what the states say a real one looks like.
Texas paper buyer's tag
Texas stopped issuing them on July 1, 2025; the last ones expired by August 29, 2025. A Texas car sold by a dealer now carries metal plates.
Expired or no date
Every state's tag carries an expiry. Florida treats driving on a tag expired 7 days or less as a nonmoving infraction; beyond that it is unlawful use.
No paperwork in the car
Texas requires the receipt in the vehicle; Virginia requires the temporary certificate and the buyer's order; California, the report of sale.
VIN doesn't match
A Virginia temporary certificate carries the vehicle's identification number. If the VIN on the paperwork isn't the VIN on the car, walk away.
Issued to a made-up name
Florida makes issuing a temporary tag to a fictitious person or entity, to hide the true owner, a third-degree felony under § 320.131(6).
Bought from a website
Only the state, its agents and licensed dealers on the state's system issue tags. A seller of printable tags is not one of them.
Temporary Tag or Registering the Same Day
After a private sale you can often skip the temporary tag. When each makes sense.
Temporary tag or permit
- Gets the car home or to an inspection before the paperwork is ready.
- Florida's 10-day tag exists for exactly that: weighing, emissions or VIN verification.
- Costs little, but it's an extra trip and an extra fee.
- Ends on its date whether or not the title has gone through.
Title and register at the counter
- One visit, permanent plates, no temporary step.
- Needs the signed title, insurance and ID at the counter.
- Florida plates stay with the seller, so the buyer needs new or transferred plates anyway.
- Texas private buyers title the car and get new plates at the county.
If the title is missing or carries an open lien, neither route works until that's fixed.
Related Checks and Guides
The state pages for Texas and Florida, and the other steps of buying a used car.
Where These Facts Come From
From each state's statute as published by its legislature, and the Texas DMV's and two county tax offices' pages, read on 20 October 2026. Fees and forms change; confirm with your state agency before you go.
CarCheckerVIN is not affiliated with any state motor vehicle agency or county tax office, and does not sell temporary tags. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Temporary Tags — Frequently Asked Questions
What buyers and sellers ask most.
How much is a temporary tag?+
In Texas, a 30-day temporary plate costs $25 plus a $4.75 processing fee ($29.75 at Travis County's counter) and a one-trip plate $5 plus the same fee; the transit permit after a private sale is free. In Florida a tag is $2 plus a $2.50 service charge per transaction. A dealer's tag is part of the sale.
Can I drive a car home without a tag after buying it?+
Not legally, unless the state gives you a way. Texas offers a free Vehicle Transit Permit for 5 days when the seller keeps the plates. Florida's plates stay with the seller, so the buyer needs a temporary tag or permanent plates before driving. California lets a car bought from a dealer run on the dealer's temporary plates.
How many temporary tags can you get?+
Florida allows no more than 2 to the same person for the same vehicle. Travis County, Texas, allows at most 3 30-day permits and 3 one-trip permits per vehicle. Virginia lets a dealer issue a second 30-day certificate only after filing the title application.
Does a temporary tag need insurance?+
Yes in the states covered here. Texas requires proof of liability insurance meeting its $30,000/$60,000/$25,000 minimums for a temporary plate or transit permit, and Florida's tax collectors ask for proof of Florida insurance.
Can you get a temporary tag without a title?+
Sometimes. Florida's § 320.131 allows a temporary tag while an out-of-state resident gets ownership documents from their home state. A Texas 30-day plate is not issued for salvage or nonrepairable titles. If there is no title at all, you usually need the state's no-title or bonded-title process first.
Are paper temporary tags still used?+
Florida still issues printed tags. Texas stopped on July 1, 2025: dealers now issue metal plates and counties issue metal temporary plates, though a few paper permits such as the transit permit remain.
Check the VIN Before the Tag Goes On
Enter any 17-character VIN for a free preview. The full report lists title brands, NMVTIS junk and salvage records, insurance total-loss records, odometer readings, and auction records with the damage the auction recorded and its photos.
CarCheckerVIN is an independent vehicle-history service and is not affiliated with any state motor vehicle agency or tax office. Temporary tag rules are summarized from the statutes and agency pages named on this page and are not legal advice. Records in our reports reflect what was reported to our data providers. Our reports do not include police or repair-shop accident entries.
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