RE: IML: California black license plates

[<DickB@xxxxxxxxx>]

The DMV does not always enforce the rule about the car being continuously
registered- in my case, both my 67 and my 68 had sat unused and unregistered
since 1978 when I registered them in 2005.  But I found that showing the
original title and registration with those plate numbers on it was
sufficient to get the plates legal to use on the cars.  I had an especially
cooperative agent, who was willing to spend the time with the rule book, and
even call Sacramento for clarification of some point, but she did stick with
it and got it done for me.  They had to inspect the plates to verify that
they were in good shape, which they were, so end of story - and no extra fee
involved.

Dick Benjamin

-----Original Message-----
From: mailing-list-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:mailing-list-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Geoff Fors
Sent: Monday, October 08, 2007 11:59 AM
To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: IML: California black license plates

Please forgive this topic if you are not in California...

The deal with the original black license plates is this--They are still
usable, valid and transferable so long as the car is kept currently
registered and/or exists in the California DMV computer system.  Once it
falls out of the system, and their computer returns a "record not on file,"
they will issue a brand new license plate and will refuse to re-register the
existing old black plate, which they are trying to get out of circulation.
It doesn't matter whether you have the title and most recent registration in
hand.  I had this battle with them when I wanted to start using my 63 Buick
again after long storage, back before they came up with the "Non-op" program
which forces you to pay an annual fee to keep a car in storage registered.

The previous series license plates, i.e. the 1956 plates, can be used on
1956-62 vintage cars if you have a set of them, and if that set doesn't use
a letter and number combination still in use by a black 1963-present series
plate.  However, those are part of the "YOM" program ("Year of Manufacture")
which is a type of vanity license plate and there is an extra charge for
those and you have to find the plates yourself, such as at a flea market or
eBay.  The black 1963 series plates are ineligible for the YOM program at
the present time because they are still a valid standard plate.

If a car has been in storage a long time and the registration has lapsed for
some years, then per the above, it will get a new license plate when the
registration is brought current.

Geoff
Monterey CA


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