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OKLAHOMA CITY – A law passed last year changing the handling of license plates after the sale of a car is set to go into effect next month.

Starting July 1, those who sell their vehicles will keep their license plates, instead of sending them off with the vehicle. The change comes after SB 1339 was passed and signed into law by Gov. Fallin last year.

“Something to remember is 42 other states currently have this system, where the registration stays with the person instead of the vehicle,” said the bill’s author, then-State Rep. Josh Cockroft, on the House floor last April. “One of the most important areas that I see this helping is the law enforcement side, when you talk about tracking who owns which vehicles.”

License plates and registration will be issued to and remain with the vehicle owner, and license plates cannot be transferred between motor vehicle owners.

“Their tag will now stay with them, so when they purchase a new car, they take their tag from their old car and it will go to the new car,” said Oklahoma Tax Commission Communications Director Paula Ross. “We’re trying to make people aware that they do need to keep that tag.”

The Oklahoma Tax Commission is reminding drivers that they also need to have registration paperwork in their vehicles starting on July 1.

Under the new law, Oklahomans will now also be required to carry their annual certificates of registration in their cars at all times. This is issued at the time of initial registration and annually when the vehicle registration is renewed.

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