So, between me and family members, we have four instances in the past 2 years where we have bought used vehicles from dealers, and the dealers never sent us the license plates.

When you call a DMV, they just encourage you to come down and buy plates for $6 - $7.

If this happens occasionally, it makes sense, things get lost. But 4 for 4 is a pretty strong pattern.

Are dealerships, or people working at dealerships, just selling these plates out the back door? County tax offices don't care, because they get to sell you $0.10 plates for >$6.

Something is up.

If you had a similar experience, I would love to hear about it. If your dealer sent you plates in a reasonable time, I would like to hear that too. Please include the type (small dealer, rental car company, large used car dealer, large new car dealer, etc).

Who are you buying from?

My family has purchased several used vehicles over the past decade and always from large-ish new car dealerships. Always received my plates in a couple of weeks. They either have the plates delivered to the dealership and I swing by and have them put on or the dealership mails them to me. I think one time about a decade ago I may have had to get a fresh paper plate with a new expiration date on it because of some issue, but it wasn't a big deal.

That's the point.

We find good deals from small used car dealerships or rental car agencies. That is the only place we have seen problems, but it happens 100% of the time.

I wouldn't expect problems from new car dealerships.

I could see a world where they are keeping sales off the books so that they can pocket the sales tax (although that gets a little complicated when the audit comes around.)

Carvana got its dealer's license temporarily revoked in Illinois for not submitting paperwork, just because back of house staff costs money and they were trying to make their numbers look good for investors.

I highly doubt that they are doing anything with the plates, especially not in the last 2 years. They're just not worth much because you could always run around with paper plates indefinitely.

Is the registration submitted and paid, but you're just not getting plates? Or is the registration not happening either?

If ttl was in the sales contract, then you may need to show back up with a baseball bat.

During the scamdemic in 2020, I was on paper plates for about 9 months until I could get my real plates.
I'm sure that delay wouldn't happen today.

The plates were apparently mailed to the dealer, but he won't answer my calls. Going over there Thurs morning. Will update.

I was pulled over by CS police tonight for no front plate. The cop was very apologetic when he saw I had a paper plate that expired in December.

Part of the paper plate issue is that the county dmv apparently can't get it together.

What happens when you call the place and politely ask what happened? The plates could have been shipped to the dealers…

Happened to me at Mercedes of Boerne. They sent the window sticker but no plates. I called and the lady handling all that couldn't find them. Offered to cover the cost of new ones. Once I found out it cost me like $9 I didn't bother calling them back