California Code of Regulations
Title 13 - Motor Vehicles
Division 1 - Department of Motor Vehicles
Chapter 1 - Department of Motor Vehicles
Article 3.3 - Special Plates
Section 206.08 - Surrender or Destruction of Current License Plates

(a) When any license plate requested pursuant to this Article is picked up at a department field office or at a DMV Business Partners' location and assigned to the applicant's currently registered vehicle, the vehicle's current license plate shall be surrendered to the department.

(b) If the applicant does not have the vehicle's current license plate to surrender, the applicant shall complete a Statement of Facts including the License Plate/CF Number, Vehicle/Vessel ID number and the Year/Make as well as sections G and H, form REG 256, Rev. 8/2008 which is hereby incorporated by reference. The Statement of Facts shall state that the applicant understands that the vehicle's current license plate is no longer valid, and the applicant will destroy that license plate within 5 business days.

(c) When a license plate is assigned to an applicant's currently registered vehicle and mailed to the applicant, the vehicle's current license plate shall be surrendered to the department or destroyed by the applicant within 5 business days of receipt of the new license plate.

(d) License plates are considered destroyed when they are mutilated in a manner which renders them useless.