For California, I found this guide on Ebay helpful: http://www.ebay.com/gds/DMV-Clear-C...-1951-1956-1963-YOM-/10000000000961771/g.html
You can NOT reliably check on-line to see if your plate numbers are clear in California. I wish you could but to confirm ALL the various type codes have been checked you need to either call them or go in. Trying your numbers as personalized plates online may give you a false sense of success, only to have the DMV check other codes (special, no-op etc) and find them there. I sell plates and would be very happy not to need to phone them all the time, but online is not the way to check.
also, sometimes the DMV is the worst source of information. If a DMV clerk had another brain, it would be lonely. I could write a book on false information handed out by "experts" at the DMV.
One of my customer's ended up doing the SB100 for special construction due to a brain fart he had (Had an original title, but stamped the number wrong in the frame - DOH) Any way he did the SB100 by the book and the only difficult part was hooking up the PCV valve to the side draft carbs. Other than the it was CHP for a "Blue Tag" VIN number, a licensed Brake & Light shop to see that hte brakes and lights worked, and then a Smog Station to sign off the PCV valve. Really wasn't too bad at all.
"Kentucky absolutely the best YOM state. No involvement with the DMV what so ever. Slap them on and go." So you could just pick up any plate from the side of the road and put on your car and that is OK? So if a cop following you, how does he "run your plates", if the state doesn't know about them?
Using a title from one car, on another, by stamping the number on the frame is a fell oh knee in California. Don't do it.
He don't. "Historic vehicles may display an authentic Kentucky license plate, twenty -five (25) years or older, or a reproduction of such a plate, if the historic motor vehicle plate and the registration receipt are kept in the vehicle at all times"
So you have to have SECOND plate --> "historic motor vehicle plate", correct? Sorry for heading off-topic.
If it ends in KY its got to be good. The KY YOM statute is exactly like I posted. No DMV involvement whats so ever. Slap them on and go. Several rodders from the Louisville area that I know were instrumental in getting the YOM statute through the KY Legislature. Gary
Yes you do have to have a second tag that was issued by the DMV. You can apply for a Historic tag if the car is over 25 years old. Yes there is no way a cop can run a KY YOM tag as the DMV has no record of them. I guess if they are interested enough they could pull you over and ask to see the DMV issued tag. Kentucky Law Enforcement is very old car friendly. I've never had my YOM tags or anything about my old cars questioned. Gary
It has to be the real plate since they make money with red light cameras and toll road cameras. Charlie Stephens
OK, I have a brain-buster for you... Hopefully I can find a way to make my situation work. I have a pair of very clean original California 1951 Plates (Yellow on Black), given to me by a family friend. I plan to use them on my 1954 Chevy (I have the red "54" tag that attaches in the bottom right corner). The plates used to be on his 1955 Porsche (he had the "55" tag). Here's the problem I ran into: I had filled out all the correct paper work for the YOM via DMV, Including the "Release of Interest" paperwork from the previous owner (family friend). Everything was filled out, sent to the DMV in Sacramento - only to come back in the mail denied: "YOM denial due to plate authenticated as 1955 can not be placed on 1954." * One point to note; is that the DMV photocopied the plates both with the 54 tab and without it; showing the 1951 * Am I out of luck, because his car was a 1955 and mine is a 1954? I thought there would be a way to make it work because of the interchangeable tabs... Any intel or advice would be greatly appreciated! As you know, matching "clear" plates are expensive and increasingly rare - and I am very grateful to have been gifted them for free! I would love to make them work. Ive heard rumblings that there are companies that are experts in these YOM plates - any leads for Orange County, CA would be wonderful!
This is more than likely that the plates had been YOM assigned already. This the rejection. It might also be that one YOM plates are assigned, that was their one shot, then goodbye. Even if the plates were "released" if the car they were assigned to previously is in the system with that number, then they are actually not clear. as....a for instance..... I cannot take my daily driver sequential# plates and and "release interest: on them, so why would you be able to do that to assigned # plates? This is what might be up with those. If the plates were assigned as a personalized plate, not YOM, maybe. But you already started the paperwork, so all this is documented and flagged. I have seen this before on people selling - previously assigned YOM plates on ebay where they included the year/month tab w old stickers (meaning the were assigned recently) I take that to be that a freakin red flag. move onto to the next... If you are going to spend the money to have a registration company do it, make sure you have known "cleared". Otherwise free plates, will o be as free anymore.
i've done 3 cars with YOM plates with no issue in Calif.....the plates year MUST match your cars year as per registration. you have to bring the current registration in with the plates to DMV to be verified.
That's the most frustrating part - I have the correct plate year for my car - its just the transfer from previous owner to me that is the problem. I'm sure knowing someone at the DMV would help, unfortunately I don't... Maybe I should post a classified ad in my local "Seeking new friend at the DMV"
IMHO, the CA DMV does a pretty good job with YOM. This "rule" is one I really do not understand why they need to do it this way. If you have plate assigned to a certain year car, it cannot be used for any other YEAR car. In your case, the plate was assigned to a 1955 car. Yes, you can assign it to ANOTHER 1955 car, but NOT a 1954 (or any other year) car. Maybe try a registration service. I use this one (I'm in OC also): Fleet Vehicle Registration Services 2016 E Carson St, Hawaiian Gardens, CA 90716 Phone: (562) 548-3500 Audrey and Nancy are very knowledgeable and helpful. Clearly explain what you are trying to do. They might know a loophole.
So how do you “get to know” someone at the DMV? Surely that won’t skirt the rules/laws because they know you, but if you “know someone “ who knows the codes, etc, they could steer you in the right direction.
The YOM plates are used so seldom that I usually call Sacramento DMV if I don't think the answer from my local DMV is correct. Charlie Stephens
I've come to realize that most people at the DMV don't know or understand the YOM process. I've done several YOM plates and they all have a different process...be patient. From previous experience, 10 years or so ago, the same happened to a friend of mine with a set of 1947 plates. Only difference was his were assigned to a '49 He started the process and was rejected same as you, so he called the Sacramento DMV and they told him to file the release of interest first and then do the YOM application once the number was cleared. You can check with them and they can tell you once it is cleared. They explained the plates needed to be cleared prior to assigning them to a new car. They warned him that he could lose the number, if the number happened to be assigned to a new car/trailer/motorcycle during the processing time He did as they said and it worked just fine. Now, the same happened to me with a set of commercial '51 plates that were assigned to a '53 commercial vehicle. My application was rejected same way. I simply went back to a totally different DMV...very nicely and very polite, I asked to speak to a supervisor and the supervisor did the process again, noted the application, highlighted the note so it could easily be seen. She took new photocopies and noted the photocopies too. She called their main office and they walked her through the process. 3 months later or so I got my new registration/tag holders in the mail.
As said above, once the plates are registered to a vehicle it takes on that year. Say you have 1947 plates with a 1950 tab registered to a 1950 vehicle, those plates are only good for a 1950 vehicle again. The only way they would become usable and open (47-51) is when they fall out of the system 5+ yrs. The real problem is that configuration is up for grabs until it's registered again and if it's a common configuration then it might be used. I have my commercial plates from my '54 ('51 plates and '54 tab) and after 5 or so yrs are back to unknown status and can be resold.
Thank you all for your replies and expertise! I think I will try what Roll of the Dices recommended: take the release of interest form in first, and let that work its way through the system - then go in and try the YOM application. Happy thanksgiving to everyone. Grateful for old cars and the people who love em!
These folks are the BEST and Audrey came to our sons house to do a registration and changed from an engine # used in 1940 to a Body designation and sequence # and had all the correct forms. I matched her information on body designation she also brought. They are thorough and very professional.
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