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I have just now successfully (and legally) registered my 67 Delta 88 for daily driver use in Virginia using Year of Manufacture plates. Turns out that there is a little-known provision in the Code of Virginia (Section 46.2-730, Paragraph E) that allows this. Essentially, you treat it just like any other regular unrestricted registration (year and month stickers "attached" to the plate, annual safety inspection sticker required) but you can use the old plates. I went to a DMV Select office in Purcellville, VA (off the beaten path) to do this. The agent there had never heard of this (no surprise) but a quick phone call confirmed what I was telling her. It took two additional calls to figure out how to enter this transaction in the computer, but it was actually pretty painless.
One thing about the "attached" to the plate provision for the stickers. There is apparently some wiggle room on interpreting this requirement. Most people probably think that means stuck to the plate as they are on new plates, and I was fortunate to find 1967 Virginia plates with five digits and enough clear space for the stickers. Most VA YOM plates don't have the room. You can buy small tags for the month/year stickers that "attach" to the plate with the mounting screws. I didn't push that issue this time, but may need to for another car.
I also expect that local police will not be familiar with this obscure provision in the law, so I plan to keep a copy in the glovebox for when I am inevitably stopped.
This has been available hear in the Lone Star State for quite sometime. There is a plate attached with the plate mounting screw that you adhere the 5 year registration sticker to. This way your not trying to peel the old sticker off or like in the past have a stack of stickers taped to your plate.
Carrying the letter copy in the car is probably wise so you don't wind up in a video like the elderly couple with the Impala.
Actually the five year YOM tags here in Texas are intended for minimal driving, i.e.: parades, shows, ecetera. Once upon a time ago one could opt for regular use YOM tags, but they no longer offer that option. It was a standard annual renewal fee rather than the five year renewal on antique tags. This subject was covered on this forum back when it was rumored that it would no longer be offered to new registrants. I ran down and registered my '70 wagon on an annual basis for the sake of being grandfathered in. This means that I've registered that car for probably eight or so years while it has been in pieces The crazy things we do for this hobby!
I know you can get YOM plates in OK. I've never investigated it though. Maybe I will do it this fall since I will have to change to the new OK plate. It's almost as ugly as the customized plates
Here is the plate on it now:
Can't beat the old ones though, I just wonder if I could find one for my county:
I had a hunch people would be confused by this. Let me start again.
Virginia, as with most states, allows use of YOM plates for restricted use, antique registrations. You are only allowed to drive the car to shows, club functions, or similar use or occasional pleasure drives. Since the antique/restricted use does not require annual safety inspections, you cannot use the car for daily driving or commuting.
The path I was talking about was a method to legally use YOM plates for daily use just like any other regular registration, without restrictions.
Yes, I am fully aware that people run the restricted use plates all day long and don't get caught. My motto is "don't poke the bear", since with my luck I'd get stopped and arrested.
I have no idea if the OK YOM plates are allowed for daily driver use. Since my 71 98 sits in the shop at home every day I drive to work I would be golden though. I'm glad OK hasn't gone to "safety" inspections... yet.
I could see why someone would want YOM plates on their daily driver though. The picosecond my house sells (I'll measure it with my o-scope at work) I'm going to buy an IDI Ford truck (83-96).
I like the OK license plate from the 80s/90s.
Last edited by Olds64; March 23rd, 2017 at 07:18 AM.
Reason: Oops...
I'm glad OK hasn't gone to "safety" inspections... yet.
I don't understand that. I know my cars are well maintained. It's the other clowns on the road that I worry about. Calif didn't require equipment inspections when I lived there. One week, while driving to work, I saw two different cars stopped on the side of the road with broken ball joints.
Whenever OK catches up to most of the other states and requires "safety" inspections my vehicles will pass. The thing about "safety" inspections is that they have nothing to do with keeping a car safe. It's just another way for Uncle Scam to levy a tax.
Call me a hick, good ol' boy, or whatever you want as long as you don't call me late for dinner! Here's the license plate I run on the front:
Apparently RI has it. 1966 RI plates are butt ugly though. I guess this calls for a vanity plate.
Again, only for restricted use as an "antique registration", not for daily driver use. Nearly every state allows this. Few allow YOM plates as unrestricted use for daily drivers.
Safety inspections are a state thing, not Federal. The same goes for the emission inspections, it is a state thing, not a Federal. The Federal government dropped that requirement over 10 years ago, so I was told. Today, it is just another form of taxation by the States that still have these inspections. California might not have a safety inspection, but they do have "smog" inspections that you have to pay for. A friend that lives in California, has told me of cars being in the pick a part yards that look perfect in every way, but won't pass the "smog" test, and it is too expensive to fix them.
Moving onto the next part of this discussion, Connecticut offers a YOM plate use, but if your plate has a year tag, they will not allow it to be used, or so the DMV told me when I went in with my 1962 plate with a removable metal tag. The reasoning was that I could change the tag, and use it on a different car. Doesn't make sense to me, but that was the ruling when I attempted to get it "certified" at the local DMV. I will have to try a different office when I have more time.
"If you want to use your antique vehicle for everyday functions, you should apply for a dual registration. This means that the vehicle would be registered as an antique and would also have a separate regular registration. This option does require it to pass a safety inspection. However, an antique is exempt from emissions testing. Once state inspection requirements are met, the vehicle may then be operated on roads in R.I. and other states, displaying both a standard registration plate and an antique license plate. Only one name is allowed on the registration."
Not sure exactly how it works. RI requires two plates, front and rear. Maybe one of each. It's not something I would pursue. Knowing this state they will charge you full price for each doubling your registration fees.
Much easier to go with a 'Vanity' plate for one fee, get what you want on it (within reason) and drive my car any time I damn well please. I have no problem with a safety inspection and actually prefer it over not having one. Emissions tests are done on old cars here but not required to be able to drive them as it's over 25 years old. Whether or not it passes the emissions test is not required.
I'm actually more surprised that I haven't been pulled over yet for not having a shoulder belt. I know it's not required on my car as it's grandfathered in but the young cops in my town are a different story. They can be exuberant if you know what I mean.
I did some research and apparently OK allows both types of registration. A Classic Vehicle License Plate is intended to be used on a vehicle for "historical or exhibition purposes only." While a Vintage Decal has no such requirement.
In Indiana, we have no safety or smog inspections & we do have YOM plates. You can display the YOM plate on the back of your car but have to have the regular state issued plate along with vehicle registration somewhere inside the car to show the copper if you get pulled over. I forget what the restrictions are, if any, as far as pleasure driving etc...
March 22nd, 2017, 12:26 PM
