Why Sellers Cover Used Cars License Plates

If you’ve been looking online to buy used cars, you must have come across this: a great-looking vehicle that appears to tick all the boxes — but as you look closely, it has its license plates masked.

Why do this, when the vehicle, ordinarily, drives on the road openly displaying its plates?

Turns out, there are a few reasons:

1. Privacy Concerns

This is perhaps the number one reason why many folks who are selling used cars either remove the license plates, don’t show it or outrightly cover it.

I once had the responsibility of selling my wife’s car — and I made certain that the first thing I did was to remove the license plates.

Why?

The vehicle was displayed at a place where her colleagues at work could see it and they were all interested but were offering nothing close to its value.

To take the matter off her hands, I jumped in, took the car to the roadside, displayed it but ensured the plates were removed. 

That way, her colleagues were not sure if it was her car again and the vehicle was sold in peace, for a fair price. 

Relatedly, there are folks who equate selling a vehicle to being broke…and they don’t want rumors flying around that they’re now broke.

It makes sense for such folks to refuse to display their license plates when the vehicle is offered for sale.

2. Stolen Vehicle

However, not all vehicles with hidden license plates have privacy issues…for some, they are stolen vehicles — plain, short and simple.

If you stole a vehicle and wanted to sell it, would you show the world its license plates?

3. Confusion

Finally, for some, it’s plain confusion: they simply see most folks doing it and when it’s their time to see, they instinctively, jump on the bandwagon and also cover their plates or even remove it completely.

If you ask them, frankly, they’ll have no reason in the world to offer you!

Wrap Up

While there are good and valid reasons for covering a license plate when selling a vehicle, the plates could be mission for less than idea reasons.

If you’re in the market for a used vehicle, always make certain that you dig the actual reason why a license plate is removed (if it is) and seek to physically see it before proceeding.

Proceed only after seeing the physical plates and verifying that they match the vehicle’s paperwork and importantly, the seller has title to it or express authority to sell.