Titles and compliance

What is dealer plate?

Also called: metal dealer plate, GDN plate

A dealer plate is a plate issued to a licensed dealer for use on inventory and dealership business, rather than being registered to one vehicle.

What it may be used for varies by state and is widely misunderstood. Some states allow personal use by the dealer and family; others do not, and most bar use on service or work vehicles and on anything carrying a load for hire.

Misuse penalties are meaningful, and in several states escalate to license revocation on repeat findings. Check your own state before letting anyone drive on one.

Handle this automatically

Loturn tracks every cost against the VIN and shows live profit on every car, with real dealer accounting built in.

Start free trial Dealer license by state

Related terms

Temp tag

A temp tag is the temporary registration that lets a buyer drive legally while title and plates are processed.

GDN

A GDN is the dealer license number a state issues to authorize buying and selling vehicles as a business. Texas uses the term; other states have their own.

General information for US dealers, not legal advice. Rules change and vary by state, so confirm specifics with your state agency or counsel.