Quick answer: If you're not sure whether your Pennsylvania plate is active, suspended, expired, or dead, The Imperial Agency can run a general inquiry on your vehicle record and tell you exactly where it stands and what PennDOT requires to fix it. For privacy reasons, this has to be done in person, not over the phone. If your plate was lost, stolen, or damaged and it's still on record, we can issue a replacement plate in our office. We've been an authorized PennDOT agent in Bala Cynwyd and Northeast Philadelphia since 1987, and we speak English, Spanish, French, and Haitian Creole.

When You Should Check Your Plate

• You got a letter from PennDOT about your insurance or registration.
• You let your insurance lapse, or switched insurance companies.
• Your registration renewal never arrived, or you're not sure it went through.
• You're coming back to PA, or getting a car back on the road after it sat for a while.
• You inherited or were given a car and don't know its history.
• Your business needs to check the status of company vehicles.

What We Can Tell You

As an Authorized PennDOT On-Line Agent with access to PennDOT motor vehicle records, we can look up a person's or a company's vehicle record and tell you whether a plate is:

• Active: in good standing
• Expired: needs to be renewed
• Suspended: and what PennDOT requires to restore it
• Still on record: can be reissued or replaced
• Dead: no longer usable, so you'll need a new registration

How It Works

• Come into either office. For privacy reasons, we can't give out vehicle record information over the phone.
• Bring your photo ID and any paperwork you have: your registration card, title, or PennDOT letter.
• A small fee applies for the inquiry.

What If It's Suspended?

We'll show you exactly what PennDOT needs and can often take care of it right away. The most common reason is a lapse in insurance. See our guide on how to fix a registration suspended for a lapse in insurance. Need coverage first? We can get a Pennsylvania auto insurance quote for you from more than 15 companies in the same visit.

What If It's Expired?

We can renew it in our office. If your plate has been both suspended and expired for more than 90 days, we can often restore and renew it the same day, without the $500 civil penalty. Passenger car renewal is $48 plus a $5 county fee; truck fees vary by weight.

Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Plate?

If your plate is still on record, we can issue a replacement plate right in our office (PennDOT Form MV-44). The PennDOT replacement plate fee is $14.

• Stolen plate: report it to the police first. A stolen plate can be used on another car, and a police report protects you.
• Lost or stolen personalized plate: it's replaced with the same style of plate, but PennDOT requires you to choose a new configuration.
• Faded or peeling (illegible) plate: PennDOT will replace it for free once a police officer verifies it's illegible on Form MV-46. We can help with the paperwork.

What It Costs

• General inquiry on a vehicle record: small fee
• Replacement plate: $14 PennDOT fee
• Registration renewal: $48 per year for a passenger car, plus a $5 county fee
• Our service fees are separate from state fees.
• We accept cash, check, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Apple Pay. Cash is least expensive, since card fees may apply.

Common Questions

Can you check a plate for me over the phone?

No. To protect your privacy, vehicle record information is only given in person.

Can you check records for my business?

Yes. We can run inquiries on company vehicles and help you get them all in good standing.

Will my replacement plate have the same number?

Not always. Depending on the situation, PennDOT may issue a new plate number. We'll tell you before you leave.

Visit Us

We speak English, Spanish, French, and Haitian Creole.

The Imperial Agency has been an authorized PennDOT agent since 1987 and is also a licensed insurance agency, so we can check your plate, fix the problem, and insure your car in one visit.

Bala Cynwyd: 193 W. City Avenue, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 (54th and City Ave) - (610) 617-8850

Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri 9:00-5:00 | Thu 9:00-6:00 | Sat 10:00-3:00

Philadelphia (Mayfair): 6444 Sackett St, Mayfair Shopping Center, Philadelphia, PA 19149 - (215) 624-5220

Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri 8:30-5:00 | Thu 8:30-6:00 | Sat 8:30-4:15

Serving Philadelphia, Lower Merion, Narberth, Wynnefield, Overbrook, Manayunk, Roxborough, and Montgomery and Delaware Counties. PennDOT fees are listed as of October 2026 and may change. Call us to confirm what to bring for your situation.