Why do rental cars have out of state license plates

But you only want to drive it in one direction, only up to Missouri, and then fly home. It would cost a fortune to ship the car back to California, so they just start renting the car where it is. Eventually, it may make its way back to California.

Or not. This goes up there with one-way rentals. Things are obviously different since COVID, but for years, states such as Arizona and Florida have needed more cars during the winter months, since they become vacation and snowbird destinations while the rest of the country and Canada is freezing.

Based on the prices on this page which is current as of , you can get an idea of the prices for registration fees, license plate fees, title fees, etc. So…more cars are registered in, in this case, New York than Connecticut. Want to comment on this post? Read this first to help ensure it gets approved. Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and get emailed notifications of when we post.

This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary. This has become much more of a thing now than it was 30 years or more ago. Back then, you usually got a car registered in the state where you rented it there were still exceptions but they were exceptions.

Watch for symbols on the license plates that may seem unusual. For example, Idaho has the symbol of a small heart near the bottom of the rental car license plates. Contact the Department of Motor Vehicles in your state to find out if or how your state marks its rental car license plates.

As a former elementary school teacher, Cheryl Starr now writes full-time from Missouri. Her work has appeared in various magazines, including "Teachers of Vision," "Insight" and "Highlights. Starr studied elementary education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Video of the Day. Nonvenomous Snakes of Tennessee.

Share on Facebook. Tip Contact the Department of Motor Vehicles in your state to find out if or how your state marks its rental car license plates.