hey everyone, i'm new to this board and can tell i'm going to love it. anyway, i went to the great CA DMV las week to register my '49 Chevy with the old '47 plates and '49 tags. obviously, the lady didn't know what she was talking about because she told me that i can't use a 1947 plate. she said i have to use a '49. i told her that i've been told that i can use the '47 plate with the '49 tag. she said no, and the '49 tags i have were fake. she said they were corners cut off of another license plate. anyone ever dealt with the CA DMV in So Cal doing the same thing that i am doing? anyone know of a specific location that i can go to where the people know what they are doing and know the laws? sorry for the long post. any help is greatly appreciated. thanks a lot. <font color="blue"> </font>
Well, first off, Welcome to the board. You got a great looking car. Secondly, I'm in Texas and I know that Cali had tabs in 1948, 1949 and 1950. That lady is smoking crack! You have to have more than one license office in your town. If so, go to another one. Perhaps you can print this info and bring it with you. I hate when people don't know how to do their own F'n job!! http://www.davesclp.com/california.htm
Contact Dave's California License Plates for info in regards to your plates. Dave knows his stuff. Do ALL the research , and be prepared to be denied at the DMV office if you don't know your stuff and have evidence of it from california YOM code or the DMV website. Most DMV employees are not trained to deal with year of manufacturer plates and will look at you funny regardless of what you know and provide. It took me 2 attempts with a 3 week delay in between while my forms were verified by the sacramento office. It appears as if the plates you have are indeed correct. You will need to verify they are clear with the DMV and in good quality condition. Welcome to the Hamb. Don't stress the DMV and do your homework -Dane
oops Elrod beat me to it. The 1947 plate was used for 1947 and then renewed with a metal tab for 1948 1949 or 1950. There are no stamped, dated plates for 1948 thru 1950.
1. make sure plates are clear. 2. must have 2 plates and 1 tab. 3. fill out the yom (year of make) form. 4. it's $10 extra a year to run them. the lady is wrong, go to a different dmv. i've gone to the san clemente dmv (southern oc) and had no problems with 4 cars so far. they have a book of plates, tabs and stickers for them to look at.
All good advice so far , ask to speak to someone above her , or tell hert to get off her lazy *** & look in her little book . She obviously has never tried to start YOM plates for anyone before . Either that or go to a different DMV . The lady who was helping me also didnt know what to do , but armed with paperwork from the Licenseplate Man and a pretty good knowledge of what I was doing , I talked her through it and it went great once she got word from the Sacramento office that it was infact exactly as I was telling her . OR go back and try again with someone else
I would say this would be a last resort. I have gotten personalized plates online, and used the letters n #s off a 37' Cali plate. It seems they are more leanient online? I got new plates with the same #s n letters as the old ones, and I ran the old plates on my car. Just an idea. Larry
I'll be at the dmv to do my wagon this week and know it will take at least 3 people to help me just refuse to leave the line untill they get some manager to fix your problem!
From first look, I thought the 49 tab was cut off another plate also... bit when I look close I can tell it was not cut as it have bevels in the botton and a license plate would not... I have never seen a factory tag for that year in CA but in another state it is a square tag that fits into two slots that you then bend the back to hold them on. maybe you can take some pics of another plate like yours that have been registers (on a restored car) to use as evience..
Tough luck on the plate, I dealt with the same thing at the DMV. I have a '46 car with a '42 engine and they were tryin to tell me that I had to use a '42 plate because the engine determines the plate year!!!! I was amazed at there stupidity. Make sure you have a verifyable VIN, get it verified at the DMV so they have you in the computer. THen fill out the YOM form and the ***le forms. I have a '45 plate with the '46 tag, they took it as a '46 plate because I told them that no '46 plates were made, only tags. I live in Santa Ana, if you are close to here, go to the Santa Ana DMV, they are so crowded that they will just do whatever you want to get you out the door. Hope this helps, I spent three months and 4 trips to the DMV before I got to use my '46 plate.
thanks a lot for all of your input. i really appreciate it. i'm going to go to another DMV and hopefully it goes better. i got a ton of info and pictures off the internet for proof. hey speedy, i have no clue what the windshield is on my car. i bought this car the way it is 3 months ago. i think it's a Buick. i can ask the previous owner. sorry, but i don't have an extra one. Brandon
does anyone know if the dmv has an online service to look up if your old plate numbers are being used or not? if not, how would you find out if they could be run? id rather not go down to the dmv or wait on the phone if i dont have to thanks kooter
Looks like an Olds windshield to me. Is the Buick or Poncho the same as the Olds? Always wondered about that. Anyone enlighten me? Someday I'll find a cheap fleetline and be needing one. Speedy3s you'll need the Olds trim too. It's different because of the center post in the Chevy trim. Anyway, welcome aboard.
30 or so years I found a set (2) of 1940 plates nailed to the wall of an old garage we were tearing down. I snagged them. they weren't cherry. 3 yrs ago I had Mojo Artworks restore them, they look like new. I called DMV on phone to find out if numbers were clear. Man on phone said numbers were clear. I took ***le, registration, insurance proof and existing Ca 1998 plates and 1940 plates to DMV, lady at counter didn't know what to do, called supervisor, super lookes at plates, said must be orig prison plates to be legal, I told her that they were orig, had been restored. Supervisor dissapeared for a few minutes, came back w/paperworked approved and wanted to know who restored the plates'cause her husband had a 38 chev. It's just a case of being patient, and making sure your stuff is in order. If Sally won't do it, Suzie sure will!
Kooter, call this number at the DMV and they can verify the plates: 916-657-7606. I have called it before and it worked.
[ QUOTE ] does anyone know if the dmv has an online service to look up if your old plate numbers are being used or not? if not, how would you find out if they could be run? id rather not go down to the dmv or wait on the phone if i dont have to thanks kooter [/ QUOTE ] no online yet, just wait on the phone. a story about the plates. i've made fibergl*** front plates and past the dmv, it's all who you talk to. the last plates i went to use the san clemente dmv said that i needed to restore them first (a little rusty and bent). so i made an appointment with the laguna hills dmv gave them my plates/paperwork and it went right though. get the yom paperwork and fill it out yourself, bring a printout of the plate tabs, years of plates and stick to your guns.
[ QUOTE ] Your biggest mistake is going to the DMV,go to AAA they are alot easier to deal with. [/ QUOTE ] i don't think AAA does yom plates, just regular registration only (not even transfer) ?.
38chevy454 - perfect! called the number and got what i needed to know! thanks a million! god i love this board kooter
Got one hanging on the garage wall with the 49 tag. How it got to Utah I don,t know. If anybody's interested let me know.
[ QUOTE ] 30 or so years I found a set (2) of 1940 plates nailed to the wall of an old garage we were tearing down. I snagged them. they weren't cherry. 3 yrs ago I had Mojo Artworks restore them, they look like new. I called DMV on phone to find out if numbers were clear. Man on phone said numbers were clear. I took ***le, registration, insurance proof and existing Ca 1998 plates and 1940 plates to DMV, lady at counter didn't know what to do, called supervisor, super lookes at plates, said must be orig prison plates to be legal, I told her that they were orig, had been restored. Supervisor dissapeared for a few minutes, came back w/paperworked approved and wanted to know who restored the plates'cause her husband had a 38 chev. It's just a case of being patient, and making sure your stuff is in order. If Sally won't do it, Suzie sure will! [/ QUOTE ] i was told that you're not supposed to restore them. the ones i have the guy touched them up, the black letters have runs in them and up close look kinda half-***ed. but the lady i dealt with insinuated that i couldn't use them because they had been restored. but i'm going to try another location. god, the DMV ****s. thanks a lot guys
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