There many Penna motor vehicle and drivers license products that may need to be replaced due to lost or damage (defaced). They include but are not limited to:
- Motor vehicle titles
- Motor vehicle registration cards
- Motor vehicle registration plates
- Person with disability Parking Placard or Plate
- Driver’s license
- Learner’s Permit
- Non-Driver’s license Photo ID
- Vehicle Identification Number Plate (VIN Plates)
You can obtain duplicate Motor Vehicle or Driver’s License products with assistance from any Authorized PennDOT Online Messenger like 309 Auto Tags (service fees apply). You can also make the request yourself via available forms and mailing directly to PennDOT, or utilize the PennDOT Self Service Portal . The portal provides processes to over a dozen self-service items. Duplicate products requests are limited to duplicate vehicle registration cards, driver’s license, and non-driver’s license ID cards.
PennDOT Customer Self Service Portal
PennDOT Duplicate Motor Vehicle Products
Requesting a duplicate vehicle VIN plate is more involved and cannot be done online. If a vehicle requires a new VIN plate because of loss, damage, or defaced by weather it should be replaced. On the other hand, if a vehicle or trailer is custom made or homemade, it is considered Specially Constructed and needs to have a new VIN plate assigned and attached. All Pennsylvania registered vehicles and trailers are required to properly have affixed and display the unique Vehicle Identification Number to be registered and travel on roads. VIN numbers were first used in 1954 in the United States and up until 1981 there was no accepted standard for those numbers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) standardized the format to the currently used system of 17 letter and number character combinations.
Most people are not familiar with the significance of the VIN number, but you can think of it as the fingerprint for the vehicle or trailer and is assigned by the manufacturer at the time of assembly. When issued by the manufacturer the VIN characters represent the Country and assembly plant of origin, vehicle platform type, engine and transmission choices, and model year encoding. On the other hand, some people choose to construct their own custom (specially constructed) vehicle or trailer that is unique and requires a State issued VIN plates in order to be roadworthy and obtain the required registration.
Also Read: Power of Attorney for PA Motor Vehicle Title and Registration
State issued VIN plates will duplicate the original VIN numbers or if in the case of a Specially Constructed custom vehicle or trailer will contain numbers and characters as determined by PennDOT. PennDOT is not required to follow NHTSA format but issues VIN plate numbers that are unique and once issued, are printed and become part of the owners Pa Vehicle Title and will continue onto subsequent State titles if the owner moves out of State or transfers the title to a new owner. The process of requesting a State Issued VIN Plate requires completion of PennDOT form MV41 and requires completion and signoff by a Local or State Police Officer and payment of $58 for a new Pa Motor Vehicle title with the new VIN listed.
Wikipedia VIN reference
VIN Verification Fact Sheet
Application for State Issued VIN Plate MV41
PennDOT Driver License centers do not offer vehicle registration or title services like those outlined above. Services like these are processed on your behalf (service fees apply) by Independently owned PennDOT Authorized Online Messengers like 309 Auto Tags. We are Bonded and experienced in all issues related to your vehicle registration and title and we utilize daily courier service to PennDOT’s Central Riverfront Office in Harrisburg for those services that we cannot complete online. Of course, you can always stop in or call for free information or advice if you decide to attempt to process the service yourself.
