- Red temporary plates stay with you after definitive plates arrive.
- Definitive plates are recycled; red plates aren’t reused due to many combinations.
- Expired red plates: no obligation to return; never reuse them.
When you purchase a vehicle, whether from abroad or within Romania, the law requires you to put it in your name and register it. The registration process involves bureaucratic formalities and a waiting period that can vary from 30 to 90 days.
During this interval, if you want to use the car before receiving the definitive plates, you can request temporary red plates. These are issued for periods of 30-90 days and allow you to drive the vehicle legally until the registration process is completed.
What happens to red temporary plates after registration
Many drivers don’t realize that after they receive the definitive plates, the red temporary plates remain in their possession and do not need to be handed over to the police. Unlike the situation where you deregister a car from circulation — when handing over the plates is mandatory — in the case of red temporary plates different rules apply.
The definitive plates are collected and re-entered into the system so they can be reallocated to other vehicles. Red temporary plates, however, are not reused and are no longer required by the authorities after expiration.
Why this procedural difference exists
Issues to consider
- Fraud risk: The plates could be used by malicious individuals to operate unregistered vehicles
- Environmental impact: The plates are made of aluminum, a highly recyclable material, and retaining them could contribute to environmental protection
Explanation of the current system
The reason police do not require returning red plates lies in operational aspects related to the capacity of the registration system:
Red plates contain 6 digits, providing a very large number of possible combinations (one million variants). For this reason, reusing the same plates is not necessary, since the pool of available combinations is sufficient for long periods.
Definitive plates usually have only 2-3 digits (at most a few hundreds or thousands of combinations per county), so possibilities run out much more quickly. Authorities are obliged to “recycle” these numbers to enable new registrations.
What you can do with expired red plates
Once the red plates have expired and you have received the definitive plates, you are free to decide what to do with them. There is no legal obligation to return them to the police.
Important recommendations
- Keep them safe to avoid losing them or letting them fall into the wrong hands
- Never reuse them for another vehicle — this constitutes a crime and is punishable by law
- Consider recycling them at a facility specialized in aluminum collection if you want to contribute to environmental protection
Although the current system may seem unusual, it reflects a pragmatic approach based on the volume of registrations and the availability of number combinations within the national system.
Sursa foto: stirilekanald.ro
