Everyone MUST Swap OLD License Plates for the NEW, says DMV

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, December 16, 2022 – Residents of The Turks and Caicos have a year to make the change from old license plates to the newer island specific ones now carried by the DMV. This time most of the onus is on the DMV when it comes to making the deadline.

The plates will retain the numbers previously registered to vehicles across the island, likely as an effort to eliminate the need for any updates in paperwork. Wilbur Caley, Director of the Department of Motor Vehicles told Magnetic Media how residents could get their hands on the new plates.

There is no need to take any special action all registered vehicles will need their plates re-issued and so all residents will receive a phone call with instructions. Residents just have to be attentive and wait for their phone calls.

“We have until November 30 next year to outfit every vehicle with one of the new plates; we are hoping to do it before then,” he said.

In terms of the order with which residents can expect to be called Caley told us this, “ All those persons who had been issued a temporary plates- we are going to take those back and issue the permanent plates they should have on their vehicles. Once we do that then we will go to replacing the other plastic plates we had issued before.”

While the objective is to collect in an orderly fashion and avoid long lines, Caley told us they would try to assist any walk-ins.

The new license plates were officially launched on December 13th with the acting governor, Anya Williams; Rachel Taylor, Minister of Education, Youth, Sports & Labour, Members of the Royal TCI Police and Otis Morris,  Minister of Home Affairs attending the ceremony held at the Providenciales office.

Residents have complained bitterly in the past about the inability to access license plates in the country a fact acknowledged during the launch that should now be at an end.