[jims69camaro]

technically, if you drop the insurance then the plates must be turned in. in practice, however, as long as the registration is paid for*, then you can keep the plates on the vehicle while it is in storage. there is also an option with most major carriers for "storage insurance", but you'd have to talk with your agent.

*i kept the plates once, but did not renew the registration. two years passed and i was ready to register the plates again. they only charged me for the registration for those two years, which i would have normally paid if i had kept the registration up. so there was no penalty. now, i am not advocating this, i am just passing along what i observed as a personal experience.