California might issue vintage-style license plates under new bill (AB1658)

[subgraphic]

^^^that just looks weird.

I expect that to go on something like this

Blackplate on my '63

[VeeeDoubleU]

Sacrilege or not...I'm totally doing this.


blackplate by ATPhotodesign, on Flickr

i think that looks awesome

[tjl]

We are allowed to use an old plate that was issued the year of your car. You just have to find one in nice shape and send the DMV a high quality photo copy of it. They will search to make sure that number isn't in use and issue you a sticker. You are permitted to leave the sticker in your glove box.

Many antique cars that I see with such vintage California plates display the current stickers on a separate plate tab next to the plate.



However, the 1963 and newer types of California plates have the sticker locations into which current registration stickers can be stuck.

[TBerk]

I can see the black/yellow combo being popular on the "bumble bee" Camaro's.

The state already gets my money with my personalized special plate (whale).

In California the Whale Tail plate was the closest thing to the original Gold on Blue plates I could come up w/.

[ANSAracingb]

They should only make these plates available for cars from those periods. My Beetle has the original black with yellow plates but I have seen tons of classic cars at shows sporting the newer, boring CA plates. I bet most of the owners would love to have the old-style plates issued to them as brand new plates, since it is a real PITA to find let alone register a set of old plates to your car.

But imo they should not be made available for any cars outside the 1956-1986 range. And yes, they most definitely need to bring back the rising sun plate (also my favorite; I would really love to have one on my Scirocco).

My Beetle

[92VR6C]

Awesome, I hope it happens.

[funnee84bunny]

Also, these are a lot cheaper than the Oregon Pacific Wonderland plates. Oregon wants $100 for theirs and they haven't been able to sell even half of the 40k yet and they've been out since 2010.

Yup, but I don't have to pay 40 a year to renew them, and they're transferable. twenty years on that CA plate....a little less than 1000 dollars. My pacifice wonderland plate..100 and I'll have it FOUURREEVVARR

[TheGreenspanator]

PA just passed one that allows us to use a plate from the year of manufacture, up to 1975. I am totally stoked by this.

Sent from my shoe phone

[Form Ocean]

[DrinkDrankDrunk]

Blackplate on my '63

My Beetle

Thanks for showing me what the black plate would look with registration stickers. I still prefer the white standard vanity plate, I just wish they'd stop printing the DMV website address on the bottom.

[leitmotif]

My dad has been running a set of 1931 plates on his A for several years in CA. He bought them at a swap meet and while I'm not sure the process with the DMV, he was able to run them legally on his A after taking them to the DMV.

[Noisyninja]

That's my favorite one, too.

Mine as well, for obvious reasons:

[mikegilbert]

Too much 80s TV for you .

Exactly! That plate represents all of my childhood memories of Cali.

[choochoo]

Saw this the other day in the drive thru (KFC if you're wondering)
Prius with black plates

[bzcat]

Looks like a homemade paint job. Probably not reflective so he might get a ticket.

[SAPJetta]

I want a black one.

[josh_did_what]

We have these in New York and they look awful.

[choochoo]

no, looks legit

The faux-diamond encrusted license plate frame lead me to believe the driver was a she

[hushypushy]

Looks like a homemade paint job. Probably not reflective so he might get a ticket.

That's what I'm thinking; probably painted over a blue plate. California started the personalized plate program in 1970. Unless that plate was some 5-digit special sequence for the government or something (just guessing).

Which kinda brings up the only semi-downside: some people pass down the same personalized plate through several cars, so I see people legitimately rocking the same blue plate they've had for 30 years. For example, I just looked this up: the very first personalized plate, AMIGO, is still in use today; recently it was on a Pathfinder, then a Merc 560, now it's on a Lexus RX300.

My dad painted his '36 Ford "Mazda Miata Blue" (as he refers to it ) and it matches his custom blue license plate

So here's my plan:



+



=

[johnnyangel]

The plate on that Prius is a special one that was issued by the State of California to a HAM radio operator. (Such plates were available long before any other type of plate personalization was available.) These are allowed to be moved from car to car by their owners; therefore, the black plate here is genuine and just indicates that the Prius driver is probably elderly and has had a HAM license for a long time.

[Avicenna]

The new Texas-Classic standard issue plate, i really like it compared to the old mess.

[gonzo08452]

Dammit!! my 97 Jetta is 1 year newer.

[bzcat]

The plate on that Prius is a special one that was issued by the State of California to a HAM radio operator. (Such plates were available long before any other type of plate personalization was available.) These are allowed to be moved from car to car by their owners; therefore, the black plate here is genuine and just indicates that the Prius driver is probably elderly and has had a HAM license for a long time.

Thanks for the info

Now that you mentioned, it is rather obvious (the plate is the HAM radio call sign).

[choochoo]

learned something new again! thanks TCL

[bzcat]

This is now law... Governor Brown signed the bill. It is no longer AB1658... it is now Section 5004.3 of the Vehicle Code.

DMV should start accepting applications soon.

SECTION 1.
Section 5004.3 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read:

5004.3.
(a) Subject to subdivision (c), the department shall establish the California Legacy License Plate Program and create and issue a series of specialized license plates known as California Legacy License Plates that replicate the look of California license plates from the state’s past. The design of the plates shall be identical, to the extent the department determines it to be reasonably feasible under current manufacturing processes, to a regular license plate, except as provided in subdivision (b).
(b) The California Legacy License Plates shall consist of one or more of the following designs:
(1) Yellow background with black lettering per the appearance of California license plates issued by the department from 1956 to 1962, inclusive.
(2) Black background with yellow lettering per the appearance of California license plates issued by the department from 1965 to 1968, inclusive.
(3) Blue background with yellow lettering per the appearance of California license plates issued by the department from 1969 to 1986, inclusive.
(c) In addition to the regular fees for an original registration or renewal of registration, the following additional fees shall be paid for the issuance, renewal, or transfer of the specialized license plates:
(1) Fifty dollars ($50) for the original issuance of the plates.
(2) Forty dollars ($40) for a renewal of registration with the plates.
(3) Fifteen dollars ($15) for transfer of the plates to another vehicle.
(4) Thirty-five dollars ($35) for each substitute replacement plate.
(d) The department shall not issue California Legacy License Plates for a vehicle that is exempt from the payment of registration fees pursuant to Section 9101 or 9103.
(e) (1) The department shall not establish the California Legacy License Plate Program until the department has received not less than 7,500 paid applications for plates. The department shall collect and hold applications for the plates. The department shall not issue a specialized license plate until it has received not less than 7,500 paid applications for any one of the particular plates within the time period prescribed in this section.
(2) The department shall have until January 1, 2015, to receive the required number of applications. If, after that date, 7,500 paid applications have not been received for any one of the three plates described in subdivision (b), the department shall immediately refund to all applicants all fees or deposits that have been collected.
(f) (1) Upon a determination by the department that there are sufficient funds for the program, moneys shall be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the department for the necessary administrative costs of establishing the California Legacy License Plate Program.
(2) After deducting its administrative costs under this subdivision, the department shall deposit any additional revenue derived from the issuance, renewal, transfer, and substitution of the specialized license plates into the California Environmental License Plate Fund, for appropriation by the Legislature pursuant to existing law.

[VWVan]

Too much 80s TV for you .

I'm an 80s kid! those plates are such icons!

[gti_matt]

I want a goddamn blue plate. My friend recently saved a Scirocco that had a blue plate but for some reason the DMV wouldn't let him keep it.

If "saved" means rescued from a junkyard or something and it's a salvage title, that's why. They get new plates issued by default.

[mellbergVWfan]

If "saved" means rescued from a junkyard or something and it's a salvage title, that's why. They get new plates issued by default.

Saved it from rusting away further in some guys yard in the middle of a forest.

[romanl]

i want black plates for my black car,
if its not specific to cars dated back to that year im dong this
i just think it would look so clean to have black plate on black car

[MylesPH1]

YES.

As soon as the website allows it, I'm ordering a period-correct blue with yellow letter plate for my '83.

[tjl]

Looks like a homemade paint job. Probably not reflective so he might get a ticket.

The black plate on the Prius looks like it could be a very old HAM radio plate. Such plates, and other personalized plates, can be moved to different cars, so older style personalized plates are occasionally seen on newer vehicles.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/plates/specialplates.htm

[dubjager]

Man, I would do anything to get NY liberty plates (a la assman) on my cars.

I am not a huge fan of the empire plates, but they are much better than the orange eyesore they are issuing right now in NY.

[Krazee]

Man, I would do anything to get NY liberty plates (a la assman) on my cars.

I am not a huge fan of the empire plates, but they are much better than the orange eyesore they are issuing right now in NY.

You can get Liberty Plates IF:

1) The Liberty Plates were the plates of issue when you car was originally sold in NYS.
2) When you are turns 20yrs or 25yrs old.

So for my 1993 Corrado, I can apply for Liberty Plates either next year (2013) or in 2018.
I'll double check years.

[Iroczgirl]

I really hope this idea catches on in other states.

[kimilein]

Yup, but I don't have to pay 40 a year to renew them, and they're transferable. twenty years on that CA plate....a little less than 1000 dollars. My pacifice wonderland plate..100 and I'll have it FOUURREEVVARR

It's already bent, bro.