Vintage/Classic Plates

[UpNorth]

Hi all,

Just out of curiosity; if ever, in what state is it the easiest to get a Classic/Vintage licence plate for a newly built Cobra or Daytona?
Here it’s impossible and a regular plate is tough to get.

[RBachman]

Been to Myrtle Beach lately?

South Carolina is fairly easy to register your car as a '65. Once that is done, you may apply for special plates. There are two types of plates in that fit your description, and both can be customized/vanity plates. The information below is copied from the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. (SCDMV)

Qualifying for an Antique Plate

To qualify for an Antique license plate, all of the following must be true:

You own a vehicle, automobile, or motorcycle that is at least 25 years old.
You use the vehicle only for club activities, exhibits, tours, parades, or similar events.
You do not use the vehicle for general transportation.
Applying for an Antique Plate

You may apply for an Antique license plate by mail.

You should complete the License Plate Application for Antique Motor Vehicles and Antique Motorcycles (SCDMV Form MV-95B) and mail it the address below:

SCDMV
Personalized Plates
PO Box 1498
Blythewood, SC 29016-0038

When the vehicle is sold, junked, or otherwise disposed of, you must turn in the antique plate.

Year of Manufacture Plates

If you own certain vehicles that are at least 30 years old, you can apply to use a license plate issued by South Carolina in the year corresponding to the model year of the vehicle. If approved by the SCDMV, the Year of Manufacture plate can be used on the vehicle as a regular plate. These plates can only be used on automobiles and light trucks with a gross vehicle weight of 11,000 pounds or less and an empty weight of 9,000 pounds or less.

Qualifying for a Year of Manufacture Plate

You may qualify for a Year of Manufacture license plate if all of the following are true:

You own a vehicle that is at least 30 years old.
You drive that vehicle like a regular vehicle.
Your automobile, light truck, or vehicle that you own does not have a gross vehicle weight more than 11,000 pounds and an empty weight more than 9,000 pounds.
Unlike an Antique plate, you may regularly drive a vehicle with a Year of Manufacture plate.

Applying for a Year of Manufacture Plate

If you qualify for this type of license plate, you may apply for it by completing the Application for Year of Manufacture License Plate (SCDMV Form RG-505A) and including additional information that's found below.

The SCDMV does not sell or issue these plates. You can buy these plates through a store, but you are responsible for understanding and meeting all requirements before buying a plate.

Certain number sequences are not available for use as a Year of Manufacture plate. Other number sequences are available only on a limited basis. If you’re seeking to use a Year of Manufacture plate, contact the SCDMV’s Personalized Plate Unit at 803-896-9638 to determine whether a desired plate number is available before you buy the plate.

Once the plate number has been reserved, you may apply for the plate by mailing all of the following documents to the address below:

SCDMV
Personalized Plates
PO Box 1498
Blythewood, SC 29016-0038

Completed Application for Year of Manufacture License Plate (SCDMV Form RG-505A)
Copy of paid property tax receipt
A clear color copy or photograph of the plate to be registered
Proof of insurance for the vehicle
$30
Normal biennial vehicle registration fee

[kgkeys]

Hi all,

Just out of curiosity; if ever, in what state is it the easiest to get a Classic/Vintage licence plate for a newly built Cobra or Daytona?
Here it’s impossible and a regular plate is tough to get.

Oklahoma is pretty straightforward. My roadster is titled as a "1965 FFRI 2DR". With the 1965 year on the title I qualify for vintage plates, so I bought a '66 Oklahoma plate, in good shape, off of e-bay and registered it. I can run the vintage plate as a vanity plate as long as I keep the regular plate in the car, and apply a small decal to my windshield. Registering the vintage plate is an additional $21.55/year.

The OK form for that is: https://www.ok.gov/tax/documents/750-B.pdf (Vintage Decal Application)

"I do hereby make application to display an expired official Oklahoma license plate
which is at least 21 years old and is described as follows..."

Kyle

[UpNorth]

Thanks a lot guys!

[Gumball]

Surprisingly, Illinois is fairly simple to qualify for antique plates on a FFR roadster. Illinois considers the FFR to be a "substantial replica" of the original 1965 car, so allows it to be titled and registered (plates) as a 1965 (or you could argue that it could be a '66 or '67). Once the car is titled as such, it falls under the antique license plate rule. Illinois offers two versions of those plates - AV (antique vehicle) and EA (expanded antique). There are more restrictions on an AV plate - i.e., limited purposes of use such as show, parade, maintenance during the summer months and no use except for limited purposes in the off-season. AV plates are good for four years and are really cheap. EA plates act as a standard license plate - i.e., no driving restrictions during the summer months, but then revert to the restrictions of an AV plate in the off season. Regardless of whether a car has EA or AV plates, the state allows you to then display a "year of manufacture" plate, provided you keep your actual AV or EA plate in the car and show it to a law enforcement officer, upon request. The cool thing about Illinois' "year of manufacture" plate program is that it can either be a real or replica plate and it doesn't have to be from Illinois. My wife's '67 Camaro has actual Illinois '67 plates, but my FFR has a replica of Shelby's manufacturer plate from California (with a '65 registration sticker). Another cool thing is that the "year of manufacture" plate isn't even required to be actually registered to the car.... it's just a display thing, so no paperwork required.