I asked this question in another thread but it bears repeating in a larger forum. I got some good answers and some wanted it in it's own thread. I read that the Arizona plates ran in series (56-58, 59-60, 61-63, 64-65 etc.) The statute says "determining whether the date of the year of the license plate to be used corresponds to the model year date when the vehicle was manufactured." Does that mean that the plate # had to be issued in that year or that the plates that you are registering have to be from that series? My case 56-58 for the 1958 Apache and 64-65 for the 1965 Riviera? Also does anybody know if there was a special plate in '58 for light pick-ups or do I use the same p***enger car plate as the rest? when selecting a vintage plate, how do I know if that plate # is available registration? Can I check the plate availability on the "personalized plate search" of the web site or do those plate numbers fall into another category?
Shark, My understanding is that your vehicle has to be in the same serious. Have a friend with a '74 model car with '73 plates. He got me interested in using these vintage plates too but, the state does clip you for it. Even though you provide your own plate, they clip you $25 to do it then, they clip you further each year for no valid reason to keep using them? Why should it cost more to provide your own plate than a state issued one. I guess it is not that much if you are doing one car but, I have many and it can really add up. Now, I have bought several vintage plates and undecided if I will use them. Originally, I was told it was a one time charge, then learned that, besides that, they also charge you annually. Be aware talking to mvd too, I was told 3 different things by 3 of their agents. It seems many of them do not really know the details either. Not aware of a light pick up truck issued plate in Az.\ unless it was for commercial appliation hope this helps. Steve
You are correct. Arizona issued regular p***enger car plates for pickups. You could only get commercial plates if it was used for business.
One thing that came out of the other thread was Desert ***le in Mesa at Guadalupe & Alma School http://www.desert***le.com/. They said that these guys really know there stuff on vintage plates. I found one for the '65 Riviera, I just need to find one for the '58 Apache that the number still isn't in use. Thanks for the help
I have a '50 plate on my '50. White with black numbers. Looks cool, well worth the extra $25 in my opinion. FYI these plates can be an odd size. Found chrome frames online after a bit of searching. I think The Paddock had them.
In AZ, just because the numbers are not currently in use (sellers call them clear) does not mean you can use them for sure. If they were ever used for YOM during computer times they are still in the computer in someones name. Even if you have the phisical plates you need a release from the prior user. To do this the State sends the last user in the system a release but they do not have to release them even if they are not in there position anymore. This process is the same for vanitiy plates that someone might have used once but are not currently in use. This is all first hand info as I bought a 32 AZ plate and found out someone else had used it as YOM previously and it was still in the system in there name.
Plate size was not standardized nationally until 1956 when the 6x12 plate was standardized. AZ plates were 13 1/8 x 6 1/8 with the distance between mounting holes 9 1/2 and 5 1/2 inches. Quite often you find old plates that have been drilled for modern frames ... bad deal. Unless you find those adjustable tubular frames from back in the day or the repop tubular frames, you can have a tough time finding frames. I bid on a vintage frame that simply said Flagstaff on eBay, but wasn't going to pay the $50+ it ultimately went for. And the state charge of $25/year is the same as a vanity plate or one of the special interest plates we have. Just this week or last I saw that a bill had been introduced in the legislature to eliminate most of the special interest plates, but the Republic article didn't mention YOM plates.
I got my YOM plate on my 55 recently. The charge was $65 for five years ($25 first year, plus $10/year for the next 4 years) because I had paid for 5 years of vehicle registration/lieu tax recently. I thought it was 50/25, but apparently the price is not the same as vanity plates? or they vanity fee went down? I know the vanity fee went up in the mid 90s. It was pretty easy to get the paperwork done at MVD. They did question the aluminum tab for the 55 year (54 plate), but they decided it was OK and took my money. I don't know when the NON-COMM plates first came into use, was it in the 60s? They had a two letter, 4 number format with one of the letters being an N. I know they were used all thru the 70s, but I think they went back to using normal car numbers in the 80s? my memory isn't what it should be.
I registered a 1954 plate on my 55 pickup. I had to have the 55 corner tag on it though. Unless you were in the years that they used the corner tags, the plate has to match the year of the car. I also bought a commercial truck plate because I thought that's all you could use on a truck. It's black with white letters and looks cool as ****, but it's another additional fee because of the commercial deal. That was a pisser. I went to western motor vehicle (independant) and dealt with Windi 602-246-2333. They're at 27th ave and Bethany Home and they were really helpful. You'll pay more at the independant, but my sanity was worth it.
Thanks for that info. I have been trying to find a plate that shows "available" on the servicearizone.com site. If I find one that is Unavailable I'll go the MVD route of getting it released.
I'm with squirrel, I just renewed one of my cars and the total cost was around $65 for a five year tag. Five years for sixty five smackers? hell yeah. I was told that you can just check the plate checker phone number to find out. I never found one that was in use. The numbers on the old plates dont match new ones so its really unlikely that someone is using a plate with the same numbers. I can not see why anyone would run the historic plates anymore now that we can run YOM plates. $25 a year for historic?
@29sportcoupe, do you have that number? I can't find a specific number to check the plates. All I have found is the servicearizona.com site for personalized plates search. You can search plate numbers there but I don't know if it queries all plates or just vanity. I have been checking different plates that I find online to see if they are available but they are coming back unavailable. I also just found this online for the guys that are being charged the "vanity" rates. It states $25 for initial fee and $10 renewal fee. That's the same rates I paid for the copper plates. http://mvd.azdot.gov/mvd/formsandpub/viewPDF.asp?lngProductKey=1250&lngFormInfoKey=1250
I guess YOM is cheap, vanity is still expensive. The guy I got my 54 plate from (friend of a friend) sells plates at the swap meets. Apparently the 54 plates have a letter for the county, and a number. The letter for Maricopa county is also used on modern trailer plates, so a lot of the numbers are unavailable. Cochise county where I am, it's not a problem.
@Squirrel, I'd like to touch base with you when I make it back to SV. I am trying to find a '56 plate for the truck and would like to contact you about that "friend of a friend". If possible I'd like to pm you when I make it back from overseas. Thanks
Sure! The plate guy lives in Tucson.... That reminded me, my son has a pair of 56 commercial plates....I wonder if I should put them on my 57 one ton? I guess I could take them down to DMV and see if you can put a 56 plate on a 57, to answer your original question.
602-712-2562 They can check up to 3 plates per call. I just checked a plate for a 69 and it is clear. Trailer plates cause problems he said. I will never pay for a personal or historic plate again. I am running 5 YOM plates on my cars from 1929 up. I bought some of my plates from the guy in Tucson. He will check them for you on the spot. Anyone have a 1936 plate laying around????
I went to the local MVD office, with my 56 plate, and asked if I could put it on my 57 truck....nope.
Gotcha, key work is commercial plate. Thats why the denial. Ok, add a 54 plate needed for my 55 stude pick up and a 36 plate for my chevy. Sold my 61 vette so I have a nice set of white with blue 61's
She didn't even know any of it was commercial...she said I can only get a YOM plate for a year they made plates.
Try someone else then, I was in and out on all of mine. The lady looked it up and confirmed that if they did not make a plate for that year then you use the next earlier. Government workers for you! I think I took one to a third party mvd store. They just want your money so they can get to the next one in line.
You guys getting off cheap $25 to put YOM's on your auto...In ontario $250.00 to have some civil servant look at the YOM plate and declare it "fit"
Mine was barely fit on my 29, I repainted the numbers since half the plate looked like it was too close to a fire sometime in the last 83 years. I love Arizona, no sales tax either unless you buy from a dealer.
stopped by Desert ***le in Mesa this afternoon to regester my 66 Arizona Plate for my 68 (OT) truck. walked in sit right down and was out of there in 10 min's...good to go. 25 bucks for the first year, and 10 buck for each years after that, they asked no questions, other than having me sign a paper. Bought the plate off E-Bay. Now have to find one for my 53 Ford
AZ had plates in 1914 (VERY sought after). What year are you looking for? I have tons of early AZ plates.
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