Delaware Temporary Tag Requirements & How To Get One
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Temporary tags are a fact of vehicle ownership every bit as much as car insurance and drivers’ licenses are. However, unlike insurance, driver’s licenses, and vehicles themselves, a lot of drivers don’t actually know that much about temporary tags, when they need them, and how to get one.
There is some good news though, we’re going to cover the basics about Delaware temporary tags and what you need to know about how to get them.
If you’re curious about temporary tags and when and why you need them, you’re in the right place.
Let’s dive in.
What Are Delaware Temporary Tags?
Delaware temporary tags are similar to most other states, so if you’ve gotten a temporary vehicle tag from another state you probably already know most of what you need to about temporary tags in Delaware.
In case you haven’t gotten a vehicle with temporary tags before, or if you’re brand new to being a vehicle owner, temporary tags serve as a temporary license plate for your vehicle. They function the same for legal reasons and protect you from getting pulled over by the police.
However, temporary tags can often be issued without your vehicle having to pass some of the requirements for a regular vehicle license plate. That’s useful because it means that you can make sure your vehicle is legal to drive while you’re dealing with repairs and other complicated situations.
First, let’s deal with how you get temporary tags in Delaware, and when you need them.
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How Do You Get Temporary Tags In Delaware?
The most common way for people to get temporary tags in Delaware is to get a temporary tag when you buy a new vehicle or trailer from a dealership. The dealer will issue a temporary tag so you can legally drive the vehicle off the lot.
Since this is the most common type of temporary tag in Delaware, let’s start there.
If you’re looking for information on how to transfer your out-of-state vehicle when you move into Delaware, the state has put together a booklet for new residents.
Temporary Permit Requirements For Drivers
One of the things that makes Delaware temporary tags a little different from other states’ temporary tags are the requirements about where you can drive.
Delaware requires drivers who have a temporary tag not from a vehicle dealer to only drive the vehicle directly to and from the DMV, inspection locations, and maintenance work. A temporary tag that’s issued for the purpose of repairing or getting a vehicle to inspection can only be used to serve those purposes.
You are also required to take a relatively direct route to and from required locations. Under Delaware law drivers with a temporary tag on their vehicle should not take scenic routes or make unnecessary stops while driving that vehicle.
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Dealer Temporary Tags
Dealer temporary tags are an important part of getting a new or used vehicle from a dealer. These tags give the new owner and the dealer both some additional time to file paperwork and get the vehicle legally transferred to the new owner, rather than making owners wait for the paperwork to be complete before they take ownership of and start driving a new vehicle.
In Delaware, dealers are allowed to charge up to $10 for a temporary tag.
Tags are good for up to 30 days from the dealer.
You’ll need to get your official license before the temporary tag expires because there isn’t a grace period for temporary tags in Delaware the way there is for regular vehicle registrations and license plates.
However, before you can replace your temporary tag with a regular license plate you’ll need to get the vehicle title and other ownership documents from the dealer, which can take between a few days and a couple of weeks depending on dealer speed and how quickly the state processes their application.
Temporary Tags For Delaware Vehicles Sold Out Of State
If you sell a vehicle to an out-of-state resident you may need to get a different kind of temporary tag for that vehicle.
This is important if people cross state lines to buy a new vehicle, or if you buy a new vehicle just before a move.
In this case, you’ll need to trade any existing license plate out for a temporary tag designed for vehicles leaving the state.
First, you need to remove the existing license plate and bring it or mail it to a Delaware DMV. From there, you can get a temporary license place designed for vehicles leaving the state. This type of temporary tag is a little different from most others and is only valid for 5 days before the vehicle will either have expired tags or should be registered in its new state.
This kind of temporary tag costs $20, and cannot be renewed.
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Temporary Tags For Vehicle Repair, Inspection, And Registration
The last type of temporary tag to discuss in Delaware are temporary tags used for when your vehicle’s license expires or your vehicle misses its registration period to get a regular license plate and isn’t eligible for immediate renewal for whatever reason.
This type of temporary tag works as an additional safety measure in addition to the license plate grace period in Delaware. You don’t necessarily need a temporary tag unless your vehicle is outside the renewal grace period.
This is the most limited kind of temporary tag because it’s the one that comes with restrictions on where you can go with the tags. You can only legally drive the vehicle to and from specific locations involved in getting your vehicle eligible to be licensed.
According to the Delaware DMV, these permits are valid for 15 days. If the vehicle is still not registerable after 15 days, you can get another permit. However, Delaware may investigate to figure out why repairs are taking so long if you need to get too many temporary permits in a row.
In some cases, you may need a temporary permit for other reasons, but that’s relatively rare in Delaware, and you may need to fill out specific paperwork to get a temporary permit outside the usual circumstances.
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