Do I pay taxes on a car gifted to me by my spouse?

You shouldn't need plates if your wife gave you the car. This assumes the car already has plates. However, if you are transferring the title, it's possible your state has requirements on the gifting and title transfer of vehicles within the family. In most cases, marital law protects you from having to pay taxes on the vehicle since technically you owned half the car to begin with. Please verify your state's laws by heading to the DMV's Title Transfer Tool website.