zanni

When a person buys a new, or used, vehicle, and gets a temporary plate, how long does one have to register the vehicle? The plate has a 20-day expiration date on it, but the dealer said the registry is so backed up with transfers that the temporary plate is actually good for 30 days beyond the expiration date. True or false?

Absolutely false. A 20-day temporary plate bought from any dealership is only good for 20 days. The expiration date is required to be stamped on the temporary plate by the dealership. Operating the vehicle beyond that expiration date would subject you to the same fines and towing penalties as someone operating an unregistered vehicle.

Gina Antonucci Zanni, chief of communications for the State Division of Motor Vehicles, has agreed to answer questions of general interest posed by Journal readers about state motor vehicle laws and procedures. To ask a question that would also be of interest to other readers, send a letter to Ask projoCars, Features Department, The Providence Journal, 75 Fountain St., Providence, RI, 02902. You can e-mail your question to projocars@projo.com. Please put “Ask projoCars” in the subject field. Questions or complaints of a specific nature should be posed to the DMV directly and will not be answered in this column.