That way the state 
    can make him buy physical plates, too, and double their sales 
    revenues.
     
    Oh.. no, wait... it's 
    probably not that.
 
  
  No, it is not that. The plates are included in the cost of registration. 
  Doesn't matter if its a new registration when you get the plates, or a 
  renewal. Same price.  
   
  LS:  Ohhhh... see 
  that's different than this state.  Here, the physical plate costs 
  actual money.  If you need one, which you always do, you have to buy 
  one.   BUT, if you turn around and sell the car, the plate 
  can be turned back in for a partial rebate that's not quite pro-rata.... minus 
  a 'fee' on top of that.
   
  LS:  But this state, Kansas, was 
  until recently the most costly state to tag a vehicle, costing upwards of a 
  thousand bucks for a brand new luxury car and right at a c-note for ANY 
  car.  This has since changed, but not radically.  Other states are 
  not so greedy with their registration as this one.
   
   
  Also, to insure that you turn in the plates, the Ins Co will not cancel 
  your insurance until you give them the receipt for the surrendered plates. It 
  keeps a lot of unregistered, ununsured plates off the road.. A very good 
  system.
  Why so much bellyaching?
   
  LS:  If you believe it's a good 
  system, that's fine with me.  I'm certain, however, that your police 
  write tickets each and every day for unregistered, uninsured, 
  etc.   So how well it works, without data, is up for 
  considerable discussion.  Still in all, if you're satisfied with your 
  state, I have no complaint.
   
  L.