§17A-4-1. Registration expires on transfer by owner; transfer, surrender or retention of plates.
Whenever the owner of a registered vehicle transfers or assigns his title, or interest thereto, the registration of such vehicle shall expire: Provided, That such owner, if he has made application to the department within sixty days from the date of purchase to have said registration plates transferred to be used on another vehicle owned by said owner, may then operate the other vehicle for a period of sixty days, but in no event longer than sixty days from the date of original transfer. Upon such transfer, it shall be the duty of the original owner to retain the registration plates issued therefor and to immediately notify the commissioner of such transfer upon such form as may be provided therefor and to deliver to him the certificate of registration, whereupon the commissioner shall, upon the payment of a fee of five dollars, issue a new certificate showing the use to be made of such plates. Such plates may then be used by such owner on another vehicle of the same class as the vehicle for which they were originally issued if such other vehicle does not require a greater license fee than was required for such original vehicle. If such other vehicle requires a greater license fee than such original vehicle, then such plates may be used by paying such difference to the commissioner. When such transfer of ownership is made to a licensed dealer in motor vehicles it shall be the duty of such dealer to immediately execute notification of transfer, in triplicate, and to have this notification properly signed by the owner making the transfer. The dealer shall immediately forward to the department the original copy of the notification of transfer. One copy of the notification of transfer shall be given to the owner and one shall be retained by the dealer. The owner shall immediately send to the department the transfer fee of five dollars with any additional fee that may be required under the terms of this chapter. The owner's copy, properly signed by the dealer, will be the owner's identification until he receives a new registration card from the department.

The owner of a set of registration plates may surrender them to the commissioner together with the registration card and, upon the payment of five dollars as an exchange fee and upon the payment of such additional fees as are necessary to equalize the value of the plates surrendered with the value of registration plates desired, receive in exchange a set of plates and registration card for a vehicle of a different class.

Note: WV Code updated with legislation passed through the 2012 1st Special Session