Is there any way of tracing a license plate? My 46 Merc came with a California plate on it dated 1951 license plate 2W47688 which, according to the research I have done, was still at the time when plates where renewed regularly. I know that 51 to 54 used the 51 plate and a tag was used for 52 53 and 54 but after that the plates changed colour (mine is yellow on black). Not sure why it was still on the car as I am ***uming the car was still about after that period. What is the best way to find out more as, as a brit, I don't fully understand the license plate system in the U.S. Any help / info would be much appreciated Thanks in advance
If I'm not mistaken, you would have to send in a Request for Record Information (INF 70) to the California DMV.
you will have to get a yom form that year of manufature license application...jest ask for a yom form, you will need both plates and the DMV sends them to Sac for approval.you will get them back i would ask if they can jest take a picture instead they can always lose them. Good luck Bro.
I don't think DMV will have records on the plate if it hasn't been used in 7 years. The same principle when a car hasn't been registered in x number of years if "falls off the computer".
In those cases they have to send someone or wait until someone goes out into the archives (warehouse) and digs the paper ***le out of the box it's in. I had to have that done on my 71 GMC when I bought it and it took about 3-5 days wait until they got to it. That was in Wa though. Outside of it's decorative touch that plate isn't of much use to you in your home country is it? Nice for show and tell time but not very useful otherwise.
if your trying to research the old owners you can "try" to contact the dmv, but if your trying to find out why it still has the old plates then i think your outta luck with the dmv. a few reasons i can think of is.....1 is hasn't been registered since 1951, 2 is someone just put the '51 plates on for show, 3 they never returned the '51 plates but registered it and then stuck them back on for show or 4 if it's currently registered maybe someone registered it with "personalized" plate with the old '51 numbers and ran the '51 plates instead of the new plates.....that's illegal but it's been done. does the paperwork you have have the plate number on it and does it match the '51 plates, also is it currently tagged?.
Not sure what you mean when you say that the plates were "renewed regularly". In California plates are issued to the vehicle and they stay with that vehicle through any change of ownership. There may be any number of reasons for the 1946 car having a 1951 plate...the car may have been brought into California in 1951 from out of state and therefore would have a 1951 plate. The original 1946 plate may have been lost or damaged and the owner in 1951 had the DMV issue a replacement. As for tracing the plate, there isn't much to learn unless you are trying to find out who owned the car back then. As has been stated, California does not keep records past 7 years and the way the economy is going here I would find it difficult to imagine that any DMV employee would take time to dig through paper files especially if the car is located across the pond. Good luck!
You don't FULLY understand the system? Get over here mate! We have DMV employees that haven't friggin clue let alone understand the system!!
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