Vehicle Plate Services Are Back Online in Cuenca After a Month-Long Freeze

The Wait Is Over for Vehicle Registration

If you bought a new car in Cuenca over the past month and couldn't get plates, you weren't doing anything wrong — the entire system was frozen.

Since January 30, vehicle plate assignment and transfer services were suspended nationwide following a fiscal intervention investigating alleged organized crime infiltration of the registration system. Now, after nearly a month of limbo, services are coming back online.

Where Services Have Resumed

The National Traffic Agency (ANT) is reopening plate services in eight cities as part of a phased rollout:

1. Quito
2. Guayaquil
3. Cuenca ✓
4. Riobamba
5. Ambato
6. Loja
7. Manta
8. Machala

Yes, Cuenca is on the list. You can now process plate assignments and transfers for new vehicles.

What Services Are Available

The reopened services cover:

• Assignment of license plates for new vehicles
• Transfer of plate series and ranges — the virtual plate registration system
• Services are available through Decentralized Autonomous Governments (GADs) with current authorization

This applies specifically to new vehicle registration. If you need other plate-related services (renewals, duplicates), check with EMOV in Cuenca for their current status.

Why Were They Suspended?

The January 30 suspension came after fiscal authorities launched an investigation into alleged organized crime networks that had infiltrated the vehicle registration process. The details are still emerging, but the freeze was essentially a security measure while authorities cleaned house.

What You Need to Do

If you've been waiting to register a new vehicle:

• Contact EMOV Cuenca for specific local procedures and hours
• Bring your standard documentation — vehicle purchase paperwork, ID (cédula or passport), proof of address
• Expect longer than normal wait times — there's a month-long backlog of registrations to process
• Be patient with the system — the phased reopening means not everything may be running at full speed immediately

EMOV Cuenca Contact Info

• Address: Av. España y Turuhuayco (Complejo del Terminal Terrestre)
• Phone: (07) 414-2020
• Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

If you've been driving a new car without plates for the past month, you're not alone — and you should be able to get sorted out this week.

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Source: El Universo