While many Louisiana motorist might be lamenting a lost automobile or truck due to the flooding of August there is one more detail to consider. The license plate that is on the back of that flooded vehicle will need to be cancelled if the vehicle is declared a total loss.

Not getting a plate cancelled could result in even more headaches for flood victims who suffered automotive losses in the flooding. Among the biggest headaches could be cancellation of insurance.

Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Motor Vehicles Staci Hoyt said before the flooding the option to cancel a license plate online was not an option. However State Police Captain Mike Edmonson made the request of the department because of the sheer volume of vehicles that were affected by the high water and the inconvenience of actually having to go to the OMV in person.

So it was creating quite the nightmare with our customers with having to physically to our offices to drop off a plate when they didn’t have a vehicle to get here.

Those were Hoyt's comments as reported by the Louisiana Radio Network. 

She went on to explain that vehicle owners wishing to cancel license plates online would need to have the following information. The zip code of the registered owner, the vehicle's VIN number, and the plate number they wished to have cancelled. This information could be entered at the Department of Motor Vehicles website. 

That will cancel that license plate and remove any ability for a cancellation of insurance notice to be mailed to that customer, that license plate will be canceled.

Hoyt suggested that this option would not only be an added convenience but would reduce wait times at OMV offices.

We’re going to be open until 6:30 p.m. through the remainder of this week and we’ll also be open this Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Cancellation of plates in person is still an option but as you might imagine the lines will be longer than normal and you should be expecting extended wait times even with this online option now available.

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