Most dealerships are required to provide vehicles with approved state license plates when they are sold to the consumer assuming they are not brand new vehicles. However in certain circumstances a used vehicle may be sold by a dealership to the consumer with a temporary license plate pending receipt of a brand new one from that state's department of motor vehicles.In such a situation the new plates are mailed directly to the new buyer by the department of motor vehicles.The same holds true with new cars which are typically sold without issued license plates for the simple reason that the dealership does not know which state the buyer for the vehicle will be residing in. In such a circumstance, temporary license plates are issued and the state where the buyer will be residing with the new vehicle will then issue new license plates through its department of motor vehicles.Good question.