TheSamba.com :: View topic - Texas Registration & Inspection stickers on your windshi

Thu Feb 16, 2012 2:53 pm

Moving to Texas from California, I've never had to deal with placing your vehicle registration & inspection stickers on your windshield until now. In California, there are 2 small 1 inch-ish decals that affix to the rear license plate on each upper corner - that's it. Here in Texas, they have these aweful looking giant stickers (2 of them around 5" X 4" each, needed to operate your vehicle) that are to be mounted to the lower driver's side windshield (which on my bug takes up waaay too much space, and I think it looks tacky!).

My question is this - is there any way to get around this? Has anyone who's dealt with this in Texas heard of an alternate way to display these??

Thu Feb 16, 2012 3:04 pm

first, I have put all my cars on antique registration. Using UOM plates, with a little metal tag and a sticker that goes on it.

2nd, when registering as an antique, you are not required to have an inspection. So the inspection sticker is not needed.

I literally carried the registration with the window sticker still on it everywhere I went. I never got pulled over, but if I did I would tell the officer that I was going to change out the window and thought it would be a waste to put the sticker on. and that I would do it in front of him if it meant not getting a ticket. but I never got pulled over for it so no need.

Welcome to Texas. Where from, and where to?

Thu Feb 16, 2012 3:11 pm

West Virginia, Virginia, and Pennsylvania each have similar systems.

VA has an inspection sticker and then each city or county has a tax sticker you need to have on the windshield too. The inspection sticker is about 2 inches square while some of the tax stickers are 3 x 4 inches. Try pasteing all that to the windshield on your oval and still be able to see where you are going!

Thu Feb 16, 2012 4:01 pm

Like Erik G said register it as an antique. They will issue an antique plate. No inspection needed, no stickers on windshield.
The only hitch is that your suppose to limit your driving to special events like parades,car shows and such. But everyone I've ever talked to said they drive theirs daily and never been questioned. I know I've never had a problem.
And, if I recall correctly there is a fifty dollar registration fee that's good for 3 years.

Thu Feb 16, 2012 4:42 pm

Erik G - I moved from SoCal (L.A.) to a small town called Graham (pop: 8000 +/-) in North Central Texas. Talk about VW culture shock!!! Nearest major town/city is an hour away, and Dallas/Ft. Worth is about 2.5hrs away.

I have a pair of 1966 year black/white Texas plates I plan to use on my bug when I register it (guess I didn't mention it's a project in the works). Will I be able to keep those plates and register it as an antique to avoid having to place those stickers on the windshield? (Sorry, not sure what UOM stands for)

Thu Feb 16, 2012 8:21 pm

I meant YOM. Year of Manufacture

you can only use the plates if you register it as an antique. Even "classic" registration can't use them. When you go to the tax office to pay registration bring the plates, tell them it needs to be registered as an antique. When they ask for your inspection papers, tell them "I was told you don't need it on an antique" but don't be matter of fact about it. They have asked me for mine both times. both times went to the back, with my plates, came back and everything was good. A little cash and I was on my way.

Bring your plates, you do not want the ugly antique plates. Be nice. I can't imagine having that job and knowing you had 20 years to go till retirement. Don't register as a classic, it's a little more freedom on the driving rules, but you can't use YOM plates anymore, and it requires full inspection, all the stickers, etc. You are supposed to put the sticker on the windshield now, but I never did, and never had a problem. I did keep it with me at all times

Thu Feb 16, 2012 9:29 pm

Cool. The ladies at the Tax Assessor's office where they take care of the vehicle registration are pretty nice if you flash them a smile or flirt with them a little - I don't think any are under 65 years old! Heck, if I can get away with just having to put 1 sticker on my windshield, I'll be happy. None would be a bonus! So, "antique" over "classic" it is. Good advice, man, and much appreciated!

(I figured you probably meant YOM instead of Unit Of Measurement - UOM, but wasn't 100% sure...LOL)

One last thing...."IF" in fact being registered as antique, and it technically requires you to limit your mileage (parades, car shows, etc.), will I still be able to get insurance on it if I drive it more than a that? I can't see my insurance company keeping track of my mileage, but who knows...

Thanks!!

Thu Feb 16, 2012 10:56 pm

My friend the best advice to you is pay the $12.50 for the inspection and get used to those decals there on the bottom left of your windshield. Just enjoy driving them and avoid being hassled by the cops. Trust me they know you're not supposed to drive the car daily, only to shows, parades, special events.

If they do pulled you over, how many times you can get away with BS excuses like "I'm coming home from a car club meeting or returning from having an oil change??

:roll:

Thu Feb 16, 2012 11:11 pm

First you'd have to do something stupid to make them pull you over in the first place. 2 1/2 years no pullovers, no problems, in downtown Houston. None of the Texas forum members have ever piped up that they had a problem either. I have no worries

Adding full coverage to my cars has never been a problem, and no they never asked to check the mileage.

Fri Feb 17, 2012 5:39 am

Here is the scoop. If you register your VW as an antique (25 years or older) you can get away with just the plate in the rear, only one issued. You do not need an inspection sticker. And the plates are good for 5 year.

Now, if you use YOM plates, you can register as a classic (20 years or older) but you must have the registration and inspection sticker displayed in windshield. And it has to be renewed every year. Now, if you can use the YOM plates as an antique, thats good news. May cost you a bit more though.

I went through the same thing with my '67 and '69.

Fri Feb 17, 2012 6:25 am

Cool. I'm definitely going to see about using my YOM plates and registering it as antique. I really won't be driving it as a daily driver anyway as I have a 2002 Chevy pickup that I do use daily. I picked up some nice YOM plated on eBay, so I'm hoping they don'ty reject them at the Tax Assessor's office like they did when I previously tried using some that were a little rusty...

Fri Feb 17, 2012 6:33 am

Just to add in. The rules of the antique plates state to limit the driving as stated above. They also say you are able to drive for "public display of exhibition" and "regular routine maintenence". The law was written by a public servant that was also a hot rodder/car collector. I have never been pulled over. If I was I would say-I just did a tune up/adjusted brakes/to a meeting/friends house to work on it --etc.
The police in my town told me "we have other things to do than worry about wether someone is driving on antique plates--get them".

Welcome to TEXAS!

Fri Feb 17, 2012 6:42 am

Sweet! I don't plan on doing any hot rodding with my single port 1300 anyway and am pretty law abiding with driving laws in town anyway, so I'm confident I wont raise any unwanted attention. In the 8 years I've lived here, I've only been pulled over twice, both my own fault...once for having my music too loud in my Jeep (hey, if my music's too loud, you're too old, right??) and the second time for doing 50 in a 35 zone (hey, there was a freaking grasshopper on my hood and I was trying to pick up enough speed to see if it would get blown off! LOL) - I'm a city boy from L.A. and wasn't used to something as simple as that. Both times, I was just given a warning, citing my "new to this town" mentality... :wink:

Fri Feb 17, 2012 7:39 am

Oops!! Forgot to mention, WELCOME TO TEXAS!! We don't have the smarter Governor but you would love it here!!

Fri Feb 17, 2012 8:13 am

sportin-wood wrote: Cool. I'm definitely going to see about using my YOM plates and registering it as antique. I really won't be driving it as a daily driver anyway as I have a 2002 Chevy pickup that I do use daily. I picked up some nice YOM plated on eBay, so I'm hoping they don'ty reject them at the Tax Assessor's office like they did when I previously tried using some that were a little rusty...

As long as they are not rusted out, paint scheme matches year and not faded badly you can use them. The folks behind the desk will inspect it for useability. Buts thats no problem...