Plates stolen off your car — or one simply gone after a bumper repair? Here's the fast path: if they were stolen, report it to your local police department first, then bring your ID and registration card (or just the plate number) to a licensed private registration service, where replacement plates and a new sticker are processed the same visit. No appointment. Our offices in Stockton, San Jose, and San Rafael handle it daily. Se habla español.
If your plates were stolen, make a report with your local police department before anything else. This is basic self-protection, not bureaucracy: stolen plates get bolted onto other cars to dodge tolls, run from gas stations, or worse. If your old plate number shows up on a toll camera or at a crime scene, that police report is your proof the plates weren't on your vehicle. Save the report number — it's useful for the replacement paperwork and for your insurance file.
A stolen plate isn't just a missing piece of metal — it's your name driving around on someone else's car.
California requires most vehicles to display both a front and a rear plate under Vehicle Code §5200, mounted and visible per §5201. A car rolling around with a missing plate is one of the easiest stops an officer can make — and once you're stopped, everything else gets looked at: insurance, registration status, license. If any of those has a wrinkle, a $0 problem just became an expensive afternoon. Replace missing plates promptly, even if "it's just the front one."
You don't need to burn half a day at the government office. California authorizes licensed private businesses to process registration transactions, and replacement plates with a new sticker are a routine one. At our offices — across our three California offices we processed 3,301 registration transactions in 2025 and 1,773 in the first seven months of 2026 — the replacement application is prepared, signed, and submitted in one sitting, and we tell you the exact state fee before processing anything.
What to bring:
It matters which one happened, so tell us straight:
Either way it's one visit. We prepare the correct form, you sign, and you leave with the paperwork done and your new sticker — with 4,500+ active customers since 2013, this is bread-and-butter work for us.
Plates missing right now? Don't keep driving on it. Come in with your ID and plate number — we'll have the replacement processed before your parking meter runs out.
Registration Services Call 209-670-1556Report the theft to your local police department — stolen plates end up on other vehicles, and the report protects you if your old number appears on toll cameras or in a crime. Then bring your ID and registration card (or just the plate number) to a licensed registration service for same-visit replacement plates and a new sticker.
A photo ID and your registration card — or just the plate number if the card is gone too. The registered owner signs the replacement application. Mention whether the plates were stolen or lost; the paperwork differs slightly and we prepare the right form.
Most vehicles must display front and rear plates under Vehicle Code §5200. A missing plate is an easy reason for a stop, and the stop opens the door to checking everything else. Replace it promptly.
Stolen plates generally mean a new plate number — which protects you. Lost or damaged single-plate situations are documented differently. We'll tell you which path applies to your case before we process it.
¿Te robaron o perdiste las placas de tu carro? Preparamos esta misma guía en español — el reporte a la policía, qué llevar y cómo sacar placas nuevas con su sticker en una sola visita.
Stockton: 956 W. Robinhood Dr (Mon–Fri 10–6) · San Jose: 25 N. 14th St (Mon–Sat 10–6) · San Rafael: 9 Vivian St (Mon–Fri 10–6, Sat 10–3). Replacement plates, stickers, and insurance under one roof. Se habla español.