The registration plate, sticker, card and driver's license must be surrendered to Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) in order to serve a registration suspension so when you turn in your plates is when your suspension period would begin on that date.
A registration suspension is one of the penalties Pennsylvania hands out for a lapse in auto insurance coverage for over 30 days.
Pennsylvania law requires all Pennsylvania motor vehicle owners to maintain vehicle liability insurance (financial responsibility) on a currently registered vehicle. Vehicle liability insurance covers the property damage or injuries you may cause others in an accident.
A lapse in insurance coverage results in the suspension of your vehicle registration privilege for three months, unless the lapse of insurance was for a period of less than 31 days and the owner or registrant proves to PennDOT that the vehicle was not operated during this short lapse in coverage.
[Let CarInsurance.com help you find affordable auto insurance now.] If PennDOT determines that you operated your vehicle without the required insurance, your driver's license will also be suspended for three months. The registration plate, sticker, card and driver's license must be surrendered to PennDOT in order to serve the suspension. Restoration fees of $50.00 and proof of insurance must be submitted prior to having either registration or driving privileges returned.
PennDOT also notes how they begin to credit your suspension period if say the plate was lost or you have no proof that you turned it in, etc. Their site states:
If the motorist returned the license plate, card and sticker and PennDOT has no record of receiving it, submission of the receipt issued by PennDOT or a notarized affidavit stating the date the plate was mailed will begin credit for the three-month suspension.
If the plate was lost or left on a vehicle that was traded in or repossessed, submission of a notarized affidavit indicating it is no longer in your possession and the reason is required. The date of the notarized affidavit will begin credit for the three-month suspension.
If the plate was taken from the customer by a police officer, the customer should submit a copy of the seized report issued by the police officer or a notarized affidavit stating the date the plate was taken, in order to begin credit for the three-month suspension. The date provided on the copy of the seized report and the date the police officer took the plate is one in the same.
So before PennDOT will start crediting you time for your suspension (for example a 3 month suspension for driving without insurance) you must turn in your plates. If your license was also suspended than you will need to turn it in as well to serve your suspension period.
If your registration is suspended due to a lapse in insurance, or some other offense, but you do not turn in your plates and other required documents your registration and plates will show as suspended to police however you are not being credited with serving your suspension since you have not turned in your plates. PennDOT has the plates turned in so they can be certain that you will not be driving your vehicle during the suspension period, or if you do without plates it would be obvious to police you are driving illegally.
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You can contact PennDOT to get more information about your specific registration suspension and if there is a certain date you need to turn your plates in as the start of your suspension. If you were sent a notice by PennDOT it likely is stated on there as well as where to send your plates. Their online fact sheet says to surrender the registration plate, sticker and card, mail them to:
Bureau of Motor Vehicles
Return Tag Unit
P.O. Box 68597
Harrisburg, PA 17106-8597
You can see if you can turn them into a local office as well. If you must mail them in we would recommend sending via certified mail or another form of mailing which would show proof that you sent the plates and that the BMV received them.
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