Old License Plates

[Christopher R.]

I've legally registered my car with an old (1961) Massachusetts license plate. Massachusetts, like many states, allows year of manufacture (YOM) plates. Problem is, I've only got 1 plate. My car, a C1, takes 2 plates. In 1961 and 1962, 2 plates would have been provided. Where can I find somebody to duplicate my existing plate, so I can put something on the front?

I appreciate that there may be some legal issues involved here. I'm only looking for the mate to the plate I already legally have. I could find it tomorrow in a flea market. There will be nothing illegal here.

('Course if I violate the law, and they send me to prison, I may get the opportunity to make all the plates I could ever want.)

[Gary B.]

Duplicate plate

Chris,

Check out this guy. I"ve heard he does great work, but is expensive and can be slow.

Gary

[Dave S.]

Re: Old License Plates

Chris,
I've registered several cars in Massachusetts with only one YOM plate. From what I have seen most RMV and police officers know little or nothing about these plates. Save your money and put a nice NCRS plate on the front and display it with pride.

[Nicholas L.]

Re: Old License Plates

Hi Chris, I remember seeing an ad in Hemmings for someone that does reproduction plates. I was stopped by my town police the first year YOM plates were allowed in MA. Fortunately I carried with me the RMV paperwork explaing the YOM plate.

[Bob R.]

Re: Old License Plates

Chris,
I am also from Mass. and I have a year of manufacture plate for my 63. I asked the Registry if 1 plate was allowed and I was told that it was. I have been driving my 63 with 1 plate for 3 years with no problems.

[Doug Lyle]

License plates

I've used a guy in Duryea, PA to restore and duplicate my plates. He does great work. His name is Darryl. He is slow, but worth it. Here is the link.

http://www.darrylsplates.com

Darryl's
266 Main Street
Duryea, Pennsylvania 18642
Phone/Fax (570) 451-1600

I had a California 1947 California plate reproduced. I think there are some legal issues so the lettering was a little wider than original but it still looked great. They are made of plastic.

[Roger S.]

Re: Old License Plates

Try:

http://www.licenseplates.tv

Roger

[Willard M.]

Re: Old License Plates

Another approach is to go to the Amherst, NH meet or similar and get a set of plates. I have seen several vendors who have them available. Might be cheaper than getting one made up.

Bill #2659

[Chuck G.]

Re: Old License Plates

In Maryland, when you register YOM plates, you have to go to the DMV. They actually check to see if your year is a "single plate" or "double plate" year. If you have a "double plate" year, you must have both tags or they won't register it.

Also, they check for the proper color. My 54 MD plates are black with yellow letters. The DMV actually had a book to check to see if this was "correct" before registering my plates. Chuck

[Gary B.]

Forgot to give you Daryl's website, but you ...

have it already.

[Roy B.]

Re: Old License Plates

In Ca. you need two plates.You even need the little metal year plate that was used before the sticker came in at 1956 , here the little tag was white 53 , yellow 54 then gray for my 55. Then you use a added metal support for the new sticker years to be put on.
I carry all the papers from DMV with me and a copy of my sale receipt and pink (owner slip) . Been stopped many times in the last 24 years driving my 55 because CHP don't understand what they see. But mostly just to ask and talk about my Corvette.

[Christopher R.]

Re: Old License Plates

Massachusetts RMV regs allow a single YOM plate, even for years when both front and back ones were required. 'Course the cops may not know that. Current Mass. regs require both front and back plates now, but I've been driving my civilian car around for over 5 years without a front one. I believe that the states have different rules on this subject, and then the cops interpret and enforce those regs differently.

Went to the Registry of Motor Vehicles with this old plate yesterday. They displayed no interest in their heritage. They didn't know what it was. That didn't surprise me. But I tried to make small talk with a few of the employees about it. No interest. You'd think they'd be mildly interested. I mean, these things don't walk in every day. Another way I know I'm getting old.

[Stephen W.]

Re: Old License Plates

New York "vintage Plates" are based on what was legal or required for that year. The plate must have a proper year tag (decal) or be embossed with the correct year. I got lucky and only need one plate for the '64 "Worlds Fair" plate. Oh yes... NY Dmv requires that they see the plate before they will register it with a photo or a visit. They will not accept a "restored" plate so if you want to register your car in NY be sure to have them see the plate before you get it cleaned up. It costs 3.oo if you already have "historical" plates on your car.

[Wayne W.]

Re: Old License Plates

Down in the Red State of North Carolina, all you have to do is carry your real plate with you in the car somewhere. You dont even have to regester the old plate. We havent had two plates in so long that anyone remembers. Always was curious about that front plate anyway. Usually if someone runs over you they aint backing up.

[John G.]

Re: Old License Plates

My '64 had been 'out of the system' because I was no longer registering it on a yearly basis. I had previously filed a 'non operational' vehicle registration during the time my car was in storage. I found out my car VIN was not in the system when I went to re-register it at the DMV. I brought the car to the DMV office so the VIN tag could be checked and verified - first order of business. Once inside the office to complete the paper work the sticking point was when I told the lady behind the counter that I wanted to keep my original license plates that this car came with. After an exchange the lady became adamant and said NEW plates had to be issued - NO old license plates were allowed to be reissued once out of the system .. .. That was the LAW, she said! .. She went on and said the license numbers I previously had could have been reissued to someone else and that was THAT. I told her it was highly unlikely that this was the case as in CA 7 digit/alpha numeric license numbers had been in use for many years. Mine were the old black/yellow 6 digit/alpha numeric style. Round and round it went. Finally, a supervisor got into it. A 'mini conference' ensues. . Turns out the lady is WRONG .. ! .. All it took was a different form in which to make the request. My old license numbers were entered onto the form and that was THAT .. . NO WAY was I going to give those plates up .! ..
John