Are there any reasons why California Historical Vehicle license plates are not used more often? I realize there is a potential driving restriction. Are there any other reasons anyone know about? Any input would be appreciated. jeff
You partially answered it, limited use legally. Myself, I think the YOM plate option is much more popular and practical.
Well, depending on the year, they can be pricey. I have a Year Of Make (YOM) on my '46, and trucks require a commercial plate if you want to haul anything in the bed. That's how it works in CA. In '46 they re-used the '45 plates and issued a '46 year tag that goes on the plate. The one I have is from the Board of Equalization. In '46 and '46 you're only required to have a rear plate, they didn't issue a front plate due to the shortage of steel after the war. Even car plates are pretty pricey here, and I think that's a big factor. A pair of car plates, even from the 50s is not cheap. No shortage of personalized plates in CA, and those are the most expensive to register...go figure...
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/handb...ehicle-and-horseless-carriage-license-plates/ Waaaaaaaaaay too many restrictions and hoops. Just YOM it.
The commercial ones are higher price then car most of the time, also certain years blocks are most expensive because there's less valid number combos (CA reissued lots of these numbers to newer cars over the years and nullified the original plate). Hardest hit was the '47 and '51 plates.......but they're all pretty pricey now.
Every states historical, Antique, Classic or horseless carriage plates come with restrictions and each one polices them differently just as they do with YOM plates. Too many guys abuse "classic" plate in this state and should be getting tickets but it doesn't seem that law enforcement pays attention. On the other hand to me if your car isn't a 100% restored to stone stock original car why the hell would you put YOM plates on it? a 29 Model A roadster with 32 rails and a 53 Merc flathead with a T5 behind it is not an original 29 Model A like it rolled off the showroom floor. By age every vehicle I own except one qualifies for classic plates, = over 20 years old. It would be pretty lame to drive around in a 2002 VW Passat sedan with classic plates but here that is legal. That nonsense turned me off Classic plates. Personally I believe that classic or antique plates should have a year cut off date rather than a rolling cut off date. Make it 1974 the last year that Cats were not required and anything newer is just a late model car.
I did pay a bit for mine, but I wanted it. It has a slight tear, but it looks very original and I like the number...BB 5157 The BE is for Board of Equalization and the PC is for a Pneumatic Carrier. @Mr48chev plenty of people abusing the system here also, I would wager a guess that we have more vintage cars of all types and possibly hot rods as well. This is kinda where the culture started. Back in the day, when the low rider movement started, Tweedy Blvd. was the place they cruised. This is where Larry Watson got his start, in Southeast L.A. Later, when I was in high school, Van Nuys Blvd. was popular in the Valley. Cops would give you a ticket for just standing there...one of my friends got a ticket for urinating in public, he was down an alley. He went to court and the cop didn't show, so they let him off. LOL The VCCA is pretty popular in CA, but I boycott them. They consider my '46 to be a hot rod, because it doesn't have 100% original parts. They really won't like it when I get done, but I'll be waving at their sorry selves in the slow lane! Mine has the 216cu replaced with a '54-'62 235 and I'm swapping the '55 Series II axle in with a new ring/pinion, and I'm yankin' the 3-speed Muncie and putting a WC T5 in it. They'll hate mine when I'm flying past them on the highway...hehehe
This used to be the way to get cheaper commercial plates as a lot of people didn't know what those meant. I still have my set of '51 BE plates. My current panel (56) has blue plates car plates (grandfathered in) with a 261 and 3 spd o/d, freeway speeds are fine it's just getting up to those speeds that's slow.
What state? Anything special (like being for commercial)? Restored (some states don't accept restored) or original? Are they clear (the numbers not already in use)? There used to be enough on EBAY that you could get a range. Charlie Stephens
I know this isn’t what op was referencing but I have vintage plates on my car. They were spendy and the dmv made using them more difficult than what it should have been. There’s a guy on eBay making custom vintage looking plates for a really reasonable price. If you’ve been to any California shows you’ve probably seen them. On my next ride I’m going to have some made to match the numbers of my stock plates. What’s the worst that could happen?
Impound until the investigation is completed, you have paid the fines, and obtained valid plates. Before anyone goes on an anti-California rant, that's actually the law in every US state.
They are California plates car plates in excellent original condition. I have no idea on how to find out if they are “clear”.
The original post is about Historical Vehicles License plates not YOM. Go start your own topic. Lazy prcks. jeff
Posted a link to the actual California Law. 21.120 Historical Vehicle and Horseless Carriage License Plates (VC §5004) Permanent special identification plates may be issued to vehicles of historic value and interest. Vehicles assigned Horseless Carriage or Historical Vehicle License Plates are limited to operation or movement over the highway primarily for the purpose of historical exhibition or other similar, noncommercial purposes, such as parades or historic vehicle club activities, and are subject to a fixed annual vehicle license fee (VLF) of $2. Historical Vehicle and Horseless Carriage License Plates are not available as personalized plates.(R&TC §10753.5) Historical Vehicle License Plates are issued to motor vehicles or trailers that are: Manufactured after 1922. At least 25 years old. Of historic interest. If you're trying to circumvent regular registration and are willing to sacrifice driving it anytime you want.....then by all means go ahead.
Back in the 80’s I ran a set on a 50 Chevrolet for a year. $25 a year is why I did it. It wasn’t a daily driver and used on weekends. I was never stopped or questioned. The guy I sold the car didn’t want them…The way I use my 56 now I meets the requirements for the most part.
Simply put, as far as this forum is concerned, they didn't exist. For example, if you're building a '40s-era roadster, you'd use a "Year of Manufacture" plate as that's what would have been assigned in the '40s. Back then, that roadster wasn't historical. As another example, my '55 Chevy has a '51 plate with a '55 registration tag as that's what would have been assigned at the time and what the current CA DMV will allow. Technically, it's period correct. BUT, by the '60s, it would have had a different plate/tags/etc but CA DMV won't allow anything other than YOM plates/tags.
As for prices on year of manufacturer plates since somebody asked in the previous comments. I do a lot of swap meets here in Southern California both buying and selling, a teens or early 1920s plate pair can be found as low as 200 bucks in really nice shape, around 1928 all the way through 1962 seems like the plates average about 300 to $500 for a real nice usable pair... I notice on eBay there are guys that make reproduction license plates one is out of Germany and there is another guy here in the United States the plates are spot on to the originals except I believe they are made out of aluminum not Steel... I don't think anyone would know the difference once it is bolted to the car with the stickers on it but the question is would the DMV approve it? I don't know how the DMV approves the license plates the last time I tried to use a vintage license plate was on a 1951 travel trailer that the license plate was originally registered to it, was brand new in the envelope that was mailed form the DMV back in 1951, it was inside the cabinet when I got the trailer... Trailer was literally used once and then parked in a backyard as an extra bedroom for guests where it sat until I found it 60+ years later. The local Riverside California DMV took a photo copy of the license plate and I believe they faxed it to Sacramento and then the DMV headquarters in Sacramento did not approve it because it had some real tiny nicks and scratches from being New Old stock and having so to speak shelf wear... That discouraged me so much I've never tried it again but that was probably 15 years ago now. There is also somebody on Amazon's website that sells yellow and black vinyl sticker wraps for your new license plate to make it look like one of the California ones again it looks spot on nobody would notice but technically speaking it is improper display of your license plate and I'd imagine it's at least a fix it ticket but the numbers and all that razzmatazz would be correct so when the cops ran it unless the cops know the license plate color I don't think anybody would be the wiser. Somebody else mentioned the vintage plates I've also seen a lot of cars here in Southern California that are using the original style license plates from the early fifties where they are slightly larger but they have seven numbers which is a dead indication that they are a modern license plate reprinted onto an old style plate the average person would never notice this I would imagine a highway patrol that looks at hundreds of license plates a day would probably notice but by that same rationale are they really going to go after a guy in a 1951 Chevrolet or a 49 Ford pickup how much you're doing something stupid most people are just going to give you a thumbs up and drive on their way as they pass you because you're in the slow lane because early 50 vehicles are slow but I digress lol I just want on on the internet here are a few links of the license plates I mentioned https://www.ebay.com/itm/2826221269...gxlW3h5SaK&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY I just noticed on Amazon's website they will no longer ship the license plate to a California address at least not my address I would imagine with some digging around you could probably find some way to get it to California... I am I'm done with tickets so I try to do everything on the open up these days although I think the reproduction license plate would be a neat way to repair a destroyed license plate I just don't know as I mentioned a few minutes ago how that would work anyways here is the Amazon link to the black and yellow plate overlay from the '60s https://a.co/d/9ILJrrQ
The Jalopy Journal
