Vehicle registration issues

[skunked again]

Wednesday night we bought my wife a new car, had the dealer transfer the plates from my wife's old vehicle. Which the dealer did electronically.
The next morning my wife went to DMV office to get new plates on her "old" vehicle, which we have the title for. She was denied. DMV told her that vehicle is "pending", it could take 2-3 weeks before we can get plates for it.
Which means, legally, we cannot drive it.
Is this normal? I could understand a week or two if it had been mailed in.

[scrat]

My question is why did you transfer the plates from old car if you were going to keep it. I would have just let them get new plates for the new car and most of the time with a new car purchase you have a grace period till the plates arrive while driving it. Biggest thing now days is make sure you have car insurance before you go anywhere. At least this is how Mississippi works.

P.S. Hope you enjoy the new car.

[Barnacle Bill]

Yeah, unless you trade the old one in, they put temp tags on the new one and they are good for 30 days. Thats in Va.

[skunked again]

- We transferred the plates because they are personalized, wife wanted them on her car. Our daughter is buying wife's old car, she is getting her own personalized plates. In Illinois, as long as you have two numbers at the end of the plate, it's the same price as a regular plate.
Otherwise, your correct, it wouldn't have been an issue. The dealer had plates, and both cars would have plates on them.
What baffles me is, in this day and age, why it isn't already in the system? The dealer did the transfer electronically. Regardless of regular plate or personalized. Her plates are on the new car, and has a new registration card for it.
- Wife had already talked with insurance, good to go their. Even if we hadn't, their is a grace period from time of purchase till you notify insurance.