Personalized Plates - Are they allowed on leased vehicles

[bhavinator]

I took delivery of my Black - Premiere Bolt EV on January 11th in Fremont, CA. I received my generic license plates on February 1st and finally received my HOV sticker yesterday, February 21st.

Now that everything is in order and filed properly, I'd like to get the new California Black/Yellow Retro license plates. But on the DMV website it says you can't order them online if you are leasing the car.

Searching the Internets, I've learned that some car manufacturers like BMW Financial will give you a document authorizing you to change the plates that you can provide to the DMV. I called GM Financial this morning to see if they would do the same. The answer was a big fat NO.

Anyone who's leased a Bolt EV had experience ordering special California license places? Did you do it online or at the DMV? Did you seek GM Financial's approval?

 

[Anonymous]

My leased 13 Chevy Volt had the vanity plates HYPRMLG and I kept them when the lease ended last September. My recollection is that I ordered them online, and I did NOT need Ally Bank's permission.

When my regular plates arrived for my leased GM Financial Bolt EV a couple of weeks ago, I attempted to reorder this vanity plate online, but was told that it was not available; of course, because I already had it!

I made an appointment at the DMV and went last Tuesday and now am the proud recipient of these plates for the Bolt EV!

I just want to clean them off a bit, carefully scrape off the old month/year stickers, apply the new ones, before I install them on the Bolt EV.

As a matter of professional practice, I attempt to avoid asking a question, where the answer might be NO!

NOTE: Mine are the environmental plates; maybe the retro plates have different rules...

 

[gpsman]

This sounds like complete BS.

I just read the CA DMV web site.

The exact wording is:

"Is the vehicle leased or owned in a company name?"

No. The vehicle is leased in MY NAME.

It is NOT leased in the name of Hoover Vacuum Company, for example. Which may have a fleet of company cars.

If you click "yes" to the company question, it says you are not allowed to order online and to contact your local DMV for further information.

 

[boltdolt]

I also tried ordering the black plates on a leased Bolt. When I stated on the form it was leased I, too, was informed I couldn't apply online. I interpreted that as meaning I would have to print out the form and mail it with the $50 to the DMV, which I did a few days ago. Now waiting.....

 

[bhavinator]

This sounds like complete BS.

I just read the CA DMV web site.

The exact wording is:

"Is the vehicle leased or owned in a company name?"

No. The vehicle is leased in MY NAME.

It is NOT leased in the name of Hoover Vacuum Company, for example. Which may have a fleet of company cars.

If you click "yes" to the company question, it says you are not allowed to order online and to contact your local DMV for further information.

Good point. I think you've interpreted it correctly, whereas I had it wrong. It's a very subtle and confusing sentence. I stopped by the AAA office and they confirmed that they can process the plate on a leased vehicle for me. So there isn't any problem.

 

[Eastocean]

Been there, done that. Dey 1 leased for for last 3.5 years.
It is done here for many years.

But this is little Delaware, where licence plate belong to the driver, and can be sold or traded. Recently, a low digit licence plate sold for $180,000