Modifying a license plate - What can i get away with?

I want to bend a yom license plate to fit the contour of a bumper, weld up the holes weld mounting studs to the back, and weld the tab to accomodate the registration sticker, and repaint the stock colors here in the great state of Texas. Overall it will appear to the undiscerning eye as un touched. Think I can get away with it or am I asking for trouble? I don't want to upset the local law, or any law for that matter.....

 

You shouldn't have any problems. Motorcycle guys bend their plates to fit fenders & mount em vertically sometimes, and the plate on my 53 is bent to curve with the bumper. I don't think there are any laws regarding bent, dented, or otherwise modified plates so long as they arre readable, and not cut. In california, at least there are really no laws on painting the plates either. texas, being a less regulatory state, I would think you should be O.K.

 

well out in AZ i think that as long as our photo radar cameras can get you they dont care! i always get pulled over for no plate lights too. but they never say anything about my blank tags. "knock on wood". out in ca i know there stingy on plate locations. i guess that doesnt help texans out but thats my two cents

 

Sounds iffy. You're not changing the numbers around, right? Or taking numbers from another states plate to put on this plate? Sounds like there is something wrong about it or that something bad could happen...that being said if it was done, and I saw it and was like, "Cool" and you told me everything you did I would ***ume it was at least half legal. Same could apply to any Fuzz that may become attracted to it. Then you could have said you were unaware of the policies on that.

Easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, right?

 

In any case the worst thing that will happen, is you will have to get new plates.

 

in the grand scheme of things, its not that different than putting on some ugly license plate cover or frame. So long as it is not obviously ****ed with I bet nobody really notices outside of a car show or hanging out with other car guys.

By the way, killer car in your avatar.

Later,
Chad

 

SC tags have holograms painted into them, easily visible. Wouldnt want to paint over that...

 

I know in Californi and in Oregon and I would ***ume that it is everywhere, that you can not change the colors of the plate to something else. Chances are tho if it is an old plate the officers wont know what color it was originally.

 

In Texas to get a YOM plate approved for your car, you need to take the plate to the Highway Department (or whatever TXDOT calls it this week) and have them approve it. Mainly what they are looking for, besides size and color, is that the number is not currently in use elsewhere. I think how you mount it is up to you.
I have a good buddy who made (that's right, made) his own 1930 plates, even down to the 'front' and 'rear' notations on the plates. They looked pretty crude -- he told the lady "Yeah, I had to do a lot of work on 'em to make 'em look that good," and she bought his story.
Fearless

 

Thanks Im not going to change the plate per say, just going to smooth it up, bend it, and freshen up the stock color.... Come to think of it, the state should thank me.

 

i do it all the time for customers. as long as the plate looks original, i dont see anybody h***eling ya




skull

 

If you've already cleared the plate with the DMV then I say go for it. If you're gonna repaint as original afterward I'd say it's OK. I know when I lived there the farmboys never got h***eled for having a virtually unreadable license plate due to the dent from hooking up their trailers.

 

I guess you missed the Year Of Manufacture part. Not a new plate..

 

Oregon law states it is against the law to alter the plate in any way. For a long time they would not allow restored plates, but now they do. I've known guys that painted the plates to match their cars or have pinstriped them. It all depends on the cop if he looks the other way, or decides that you are defrauding the state.

 

Here in California, it is against the law to modify license plates. My wife's boss had a blue Mangusta and painted the license plate to match (California use to have blue plates). He was caught and cited. Another guy had black plates and painted the letters/numbers a pale yellow to match his Nova's paint, he was caught too.

 

Our South dakota plates are ****ty aluminum ones with stickers instead of paint. They bend on thier own. Kept after my wife for bending her plate by hitting stuff, come to find out the WIND was enough to mess it up, I bent it to teh contour of the bumper and now it holds its shape.

 

Dang you guys have it easy. In Nebraska you can't even have a CLEAR plastic shield over your plate. And they'd totally be up your **** for painting it, as then its not reflective anymore.
Maybe in some areas or with a YOM plate you can pull it off.

 

Yeah, the SD plate I have on my wall (Mt Rushmore) is pretty thin stock with kind of a vinyl decal instead of paint-some "new" idea from 3M to reduce costs and improve reflectability, I think. The plate I just got as a present from Norway has got to be 3/16"+ in thickness, not including the embossed lettering. They musty be thinking it should last a while.

 

Geeman, I live just up the road from you, in Wacko. When I put YOM plate on my 1971 F-100, I just took a pair of good plates to my county tax ***essor/Collector & showed them to the lady at the counter. I didn't go to the TXDOT office for their approval. She looked at them & asked me where I drove the truck to. I told her I go to the grocery store occasionally, all she said was you can't drive it to the grocery store anymore. I said O.K. & she registered the plates for me. I doubt you'd ever have a problem with repainted plates in their original colors. Most states have a web site w/ color pictures of each year plate in case you didn't know what that was.
EZrider

 

im reading this as, a restored yom plate with hidden mounting and cleaned up alittle.i dig your idea.

i think you'd be fine. if you get some a hole cop to h***le you about that little thing im sure your too low and driving too fast aslo!

 

In Calif. when you apply for YOM plates you must present for inspection two original(not restored) plates that are "clear" (not in use). They can be strict about the rules.

 

i redid mine for my truck and they didn't know it was repainted. as long as it's the same colors, you're good, at least here in kansas.

 

I took my professionally restored good as new 32 plates to DMV. The lady who helped me got the manager over to verify the color & print style from a book. She was amazed a plate that's 78 years looked sooooo new & was so well taken care of! I just smiled.

 

I was in CA DMV last week with black and yelow plates for a 64. Was declined because they have 78 stickers on them and my car is a 64. What a crock of ****. They are the original type plates that would have been issues when new.

It was described to me as YOM plates were stamped 56 and then had a flange with a YOM sticker, say 1958. The "lady" behind the counter was not up to date on the changes in rules allowing the 63-70 plates to be used. I'll be going back next year with the same car, plates, and more do***entation.

devin

 

What happens if... My period plate has a conflict with a new plate? Can 2 cars have the same plate alpha/number combo - one new on a 2011 BMW and one is old? I am about to get into this same boat.

 

In Texas YOM plates require a tag displaying the expiration date attached....it doesent state how its attached or which way its displayed....I attach mine to the rear of the plate so its not visable from the rear....

 

Note the profile of the bumper.



What I want to do is bend the plate to follow the profile of the bumper then I will essentially float it off bumper using said hidden mounting and some 1/4" spacers. Top it off with a custom license plate frame that follws the new contour of the plate and a couple of license plate lights sunk into the bumper....

Incidently I have the YOM plates, the car is already registered with them until 2013, so thats not the issue.

Oh for the sake of being redundant (I already posted this on another thread) is the new positioning of the bumper cause I'm sure someone will ask.....

 

In my experience, if your not commiting a moving violation, or doing something stupid, they won't bother you. If they do stop you, be nice as hell, and play dumb.

 

We have laws regarding the bent and off color license plates. However if you have the plates already and are using them all you will need is to renew as usual and the tax office are dmv will never see them. The plate will not be noticeably bent. I use a staniless steel backer with a stud welded to it to hold the tab. My two scents...........

 

My two "scents" are gardenia and apple blossom. My two "cents" are a Lincoln and one of those Canadian Maple Leaf thingies. Unfortunately, I also have no "sense". Sorry,just having fun.