TheSamba.com :: View topic - Period-correct license plate rules for California?

Sat Dec 19, 2015 11:50 am

Anyone ever bought a set of old license plates off the net--or wherever--and legally used them on your bug?

I have a set of blue and yellow California plates available, so I was wondering if the DMV will let me replace my modern plates with these?

Anyone gotten away with doing this?

Tim

Sat Dec 19, 2015 12:21 pm

Yea, you basically register them as a vanity plate, so long as the number is clear and not in use.

Sat Dec 19, 2015 2:55 pm

In NC,you can run a period plate as long as the vehicle qualifies for antique (35 years old) plates.You just have to keep the antique plate inside the vehicle for identification should you get pulled.

Sat Dec 19, 2015 5:09 pm

Brian, do you know how to find out if the blue and yellow California plates I may buy are not being used by another owner already?

Tim

Sat Dec 19, 2015 5:30 pm

Tim Donahoe wrote: Anyone ever bought a set of old license plates off the net--or wherever--and legally used them on your bug?

I have!
The plates on my '57 ragtop are registered under the CA. D.M.V. "YOM program".
The YOM program in California includes autos up to 1969 and commercial vehicles up to 1972.
Sorry, but that means that you cannot go that route with yer '74!

Seems that Brian is saying to try to get a pair of personalized "ELP" plates registered to your car ("personalized" with the number that you see on the blue plates), but instead of actually using the new plates provided by the D.M.V., you would mount the blue plates to your car.
It MIGHT work, but there is no guarantee . . . yer supposed to use the new "ELP" plates in this instance.
Here's the link to the CAL. D.M.V. to order personalized "ELP" plates . . . https://www.dmv.ca.gov/ipp2/initPers.do

Sat Dec 19, 2015 6:58 pm

So, then, I can't buy an old set of yellow and blue California plates--whose number is not being used by anyone else--and legally use them on my car?

Tim

Sat Dec 19, 2015 7:17 pm

NO blue plates are not YOM eligible

Sat Dec 19, 2015 9:03 pm

Blue and yellow plates are not yet allowed in CA. Black and yellow (69 down) and yellow and black (early 60's down) are. If you go to the DMV site there is someplace that explains the rules.

Sat Dec 19, 2015 10:01 pm

I went to the DMV site, and saw that new YOM plates are available for the '60's. But I'm not talking about buying those new black plates from the DMV. I was asking if anyone had bought '70's plates--an old set--and simply had them applied to their car registration.

In other words, if I had bought my 1974 bug and it already had yellow and blue plates, it would have been okay, right?

So could I buy decent-looking yellow and blue plates from another car that has been crushed--and use those as my plates on my car.

Tim

Sat Dec 19, 2015 10:12 pm

Not the blue and yellow plates. The only way blue and yellow plates can be transferred is if they are personalized plates. I know they have new black and yellow plates that can be put on any year vehicle. If you have vintage black and yellow or the older yellow and black, the car has to be period correct to the plates.
I know they are working on allowing vintage blue and yellow plates to be used on period correct vehicles but it hasn't happened yet. Saved myself a bundle by not buying plates at the Bug-o-rama. I have a 72 and am waiting to be able to put blue and yellow plates on my bug.

Mon Dec 21, 2015 11:40 am

Tim Donahoe wrote: In other words, if I had bought my 1974 bug and it already had yellow and blue plates, it would have been okay, right?

That's absolutely correct! (provided the vehicle has been registered with BOTH, matching blue plates . . . and both plates are in good condition)

Tim Donahoe wrote: So could I buy decent-looking yellow and blue plates from another car that has been crushed--and use those as my plates on my car.

NO!!! You cannot! (Unless you figure out a way to fool the D.M.V. That's what was mentioned above . . . breaking the rules.)

Sorry Tim!

Wed Dec 23, 2015 1:54 pm

Years ago i tried with some old black and yellow plates ,lady run the plates and came back to a nova so no can do for me....