Auction Plate and White Plate Status: What to Check Before Buying
Auction plates are transferable, white plates are not. The 30-day payment rule, the 180-day deadline, plate swaps, a pre-payment checklist and common scams.
Published 3 October 2026
Contents
The plates with real trading value are auction plates
A plate obtained from a Department of Land Transport auction is a right the owner can transfer, resell or pass on as inheritance. An ordinary white plate obtained by reserving a number for free is tied to the vehicle and cannot be transferred separately, so it has almost no separate value. Normal reservation costs nothing, but you cannot choose a beautiful number or triple digits.
Before asking what a plate should cost, ask what type of plate it is. If a seller offers a white plate obtained by reservation, treat its separate value as close to zero. Anyone who wants a transferable number has to wait for a new series to be auctioned. A plate already registered to a vehicle can change hands through a plate swap or by transferring the whole vehicle, as described below.
Laws and rules that affect value
The legal basis is section 10/1 of the Motor Vehicle Act of 1979 and Department of Land Transport announcements issued separately by vehicle type. The latest are No. 5 of 2024 for รย.1 vehicles and No. 4 of 2024 for รย.2 and รย.3 vehicles. The winner must pay in full within 30 days of the auction date, extendable no more than 2 times by 30 days each. On default, the winner loses their rights and the number is put up for auction again. Payment details are in the article on auction starting prices.
As for the 180-day deadline, the rights transfer certificate form published by dealers states that if the number is not registered to a vehicle within 180 days from the date the auction was won, the money paid may be forfeited to the department, and this period does not restart when the right is transferred. This information comes from a form published by dealers and has not yet been checked against the text of the announcement, so check with a transport office before buying a right that has not yet been registered to a vehicle.
Province and vehicle type limit the buyers
Auctions are held separately by province and vehicle type, so we infer that a plate can be used on a vehicle of the same type in the same province, although we have not found a text that states this explicitly. Plate swaps can be done within the same area; across areas, it is up to an official's discretion. The buyer base for provincial plates is therefore much narrower than for Bangkok.
Vehicle type matters too. Passenger cars (รย.1) use plates with black letters on a white background and are the main market. Vans (รย.2) use blue letters and pickup trucks (รย.3) use green letters, and these have fewer buyers. Before buying, always check that the plate's province and vehicle type match the vehicle you will use.
Buying according to the plate's status
How you buy depends on the plate's status on the day. The table below summarises three common cases: bidding yourself, buying a right not yet registered to a vehicle, and buying a plate already registered to a vehicle.
Vehicle transfer and plate swap fees are subject to change, so check with the Department of Land Transport every time. The real big cost is the dealer's price spread, not the fees, and special plates priced at ฿500,000 or more carry an extra service charge.
| Plate status | How you get the plate | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Bid yourself | Register for the auction, place a deposit, bid, pay within 30 days, and register to a vehicle within 180 days from the winning date | Bidder eligibility and the payment schedule |
| Buy second-hand, not yet registered to a vehicle | Use a rights transfer certificate, under the original 180-day deadline | The rights holder's name, the amount already paid, and the days left before 180 days are up |
| Buy second-hand, already registered | Plate swap within the same area, or transfer of the whole vehicle | Matching province and vehicle type, and the vehicle has no unpaid tax or encumbrances |
Checklist before you transfer money
Before transferring money, check all six items in the table. Any item that fails should mean a lower price or cancelling the purchase. Plates that are fully paid or on a vehicle with no unpaid tax are easy to sell. Plates with unpaid amounts or close to the 180-day deadline should be heavily discounted, because the buyer takes on the risk the seller is carrying.
If you buy through a dealer or an online seller, ask to see the original documents and arrange to complete the transfer together at a transport office. The article on precautions when buying plates online explains more about checks before transferring money.
| No. | What to check |
|---|---|
| 1 | The rights holder's name on the certificate, receipt or registration book is the same as the seller's |
| 2 | The auction price has been paid in full and the number is not on the list of numbers being re-auctioned |
| 3 | The number of days left before 180 days are up |
| 4 | The province and vehicle type match the buyer's vehicle |
| 5 | The vehicle has no unpaid tax and no encumbrances |
| 6 | The transfer is done together at a transport office, and payment goes through a verifiable account |
Scams and risks to watch for
Patterns to watch for include selling rights with unpaid amounts or close to the 180-day deadline, selling plates from another province or for another vehicle type that cannot be used, selling fake plates not issued by the department, asking for money to be transferred before the transaction at the transport office, setting unrealistically high prices, and appraisers who are themselves dealers buying the plate.
The most effective protection is not to transfer money before going to the transport office together, to check documents against the checklist, and to get prices from several sellers. This site does not accept payment for plates. If anyone uses this site's name to ask you to transfer money, stop and let us know.
Tax and regulation of the secondary market
We have not found specific Revenue Department guidance on gains from selling plate rights, nor any agency that directly regulates plate dealers. The secondary market therefore relies on the care of buyers and sellers themselves.
If you regularly buy plates to resell for profit, consult a tax professional. This article is not financial, investment or legal advice. High-value transactions should always be checked with a transport office and professionals first.
FAQ on this topic
Can a white plate be transferred separately from the vehicle?
A white plate obtained by reserving a number for free is tied to the vehicle and cannot be transferred separately, so it has almost no separate value. A plate already registered to a vehicle can change hands through a plate swap within the same area or by transferring the whole vehicle. Across areas, it is up to an official's discretion.
Can I buy the right to an auction plate that has not yet been registered to a vehicle?
Yes, using a rights transfer certificate, under the original 180-day deadline counted from the date the auction was won. Before buying, check the rights holder's name, the amount already paid and the number of days left. The 180-day information is summarised from a form published by dealers, so confirm it with a transport office.
What happens if the auction winner does not pay?
The winner loses their auction rights immediately, and the number is put up for auction again with a starting price equal to the outstanding amount. Plates re-auctioned this way therefore have a different starting price from usual.
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