The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Vintage Plate

My Wife gave me a Vintage Plate for Father's Day. In Georgia you can register a vehicle with the year of manufacture plate, you are still required to have the current year plate in the vehicle.

The real question here is will other states recognize the Vintage Plate as registered.

Oklahoma will.

" . . . In Georgia you can register a vehicle with the year of manufacture plate, you are still required to have the current year plate in the vehicle."

Same in NC - you have to have the two current NC plates and registration in the vehicle.

I think all 50 recognize other state's YOM plates. In Kansas you don't need to carry regular plates. I have YOM plates on both cars and have had both in various states and have never been stopped and asked for proof of registration so I don't think it's an issue most places. Edit: On second thought I HAVE been stopped, once, and asked for registration. I was driving my 38 with it's YOM plate when one of the local police stopped me to advise me my plate was "expired" by about 70 years. It was a young fellow who obviously had never had any dealings with the YOM law. We had a polite discussion which became a teaching moment. I now carry a copy of Kansas's YOM statute in my glove box in case I need to have another teaching moment in the future.

Florida allows YOM plates. They become legal as long as the number on it isn't duplicated on someone else's plate. I have a YOM on my '38. It get a new registration sticker every year to keep it current.

Michigan allows YOM (authentic) plates as well. After registration, no further action is required.

Yes all states would recognize the year of manufacture plate. Here in Texas on old vehicles they dont make you carry any other plates if you have YOM plates.

I live in MA and you can use a year of manufacture plate as long as it has not been used. Also in MA when you do that you only have to display the plate on the back of the vehicle. I keep a copy of the law in my truck in case there is ever a question. In ten years I have had no problems.

In WA, after 30 years, any vehicle can get the YOM plate . Registered as a collector, occasional use, not a daily driver. Currently permanent, but the latest governor wants to make it renewed every 5 years for more state revenue. I have it on my 91 GMC on the original plate it had back then. Found a person that produces a recreation of the past year tag, which is accepted. Only required on the rear and no other plate needed.

That's not allowed in Georgia, the plate must be original and not a reproduction.

I have Calif YOM plate on my truck, it is listed on the registration, I would think as long as the YOM plate is shown on the registration you are fine, if it is not on the registration I would think you would be non compliant since it would only be your word.
Btw: my 46 Calif plate is one of the few years you can have only a rear plate in Calif (ww2 thing)

Classic registration. The plate is my original to that truck in '91(60k miles currently), but I had torn off the yearly tag stickers, being they built up over time. Only one plate required for the rear.
I inquired about the year tab sticker, being that style plate ran for over 10 years (89-2000), and they don't look at that, being the plate style itself and letters and numbers combo hadn't been registered in over 20 years. LEO run the plate #'s to see if currently registered to that vehicle. If you have metal tabs, you can get for the year of vehicle if you want. They don't take reprodution plates, only original or restored. This state changes styles every few years, and they do put restrictions on certain letter/# combos to not duplicate as far as vanity plates or classics, but my combo style hadn't been re-used in current plates, so it was able to register as classic.
Montana will also take an original or restored plate but must have both to register to 1 vehicle. Only rear required on road, but they worry about someone trying to register with only 1 plate and someone else has the other. Makes me think MT is a bit slow on their plate registrations to state database in certain counties.

License plate people in the big city (Houston) read from the state regulations that "TRUCK" plates were OK, but "FARM TRUCK" plates were not. I went to a much more rural county and the clerk there just OK'd my self restored plates and sent me on my way. That was 9+ years ago. Once you are in the system you are good as gold.

Chip O, Yes, Montana is behind the times.....thank goodness.

In Indiana you need YOM plate. No reproduction or restoration. It must be readable. We also have a new plate to carry along. Both numbers are on the registration. Indiana didn't make new plates in 53 due to metal shortages. You have to have a 51 plate with the 53 topper for a 53. That was the hard piece to find. Oddly enough I have 2 of these so we must have had 2 plates then. We only have 1 now. They told me it's good everywhere including Canada and Mexico.

Certain years during WWII and Korea, they would have a windshield sticker with the plate # and new registered year instead of metal tab overlay, being that is also metal.
I might get the MT '52 window decal reproduction, being my truck is a tribute to my grandfather that had a '52 3600 for a fuel delivery from his Mobil station in Laurel.

There were MT plates issued during one of the wars that used compressed soy beans for plates to save metal for the war effort. Not many exist today because cows took a liking to them and nibbled them off the bumpers.

That's my honest recollection of the story someone told me. I saw one of those one time.

Wally, about 15 years ago I did a project in Hot Springs, Ar. Got to know the local gas company folks pretty well and and cars/trucks were often discussed. One of the older hands gave me a Arkansas plate made of pressed fiber. I haven’t seen it in years. Now the search is on.

RonR

This is the YOM plate on my 53. You can see the metal 53 tag on the upper right. They did that because of the steel shortage due to the Korean war.

I didn't get much MT info from gramps during WWII being he was on a ship in the pacific, but he did say that metal was rationed during Korea, and that new plates were not replaced every year. "Every other year they issued a renewal with the windshield sticker".
The cows at the cabin in MT love to grab the hitch ball cap from my vehicle and suckle on it for a bit then spit it out.
Only thing I can think of is the road salt from winter still stuck on it and that they are going in for a taste.

My primary medicine doctor had an original mounted and framed soybean license plate in his waiting room. I'll try to contact him for a picture but he retired into a job at the Sip N' Dip Lounge in Great Falls and may not respond.

If it wasn't for the price of gas, the next time I'm in W.S.S., about an hour south of Great Falls, I could look him up and take pics.

In Ohio your vehicle can be registered as "historical" after 25 years & a distinctive historical plate is issued. You can display a YOM plate as long as you carry the historical plate & registration

Many years ago, I found these commercial plates. I then found the year tags and with Calif DMV's help, got them registered to my truck.

….not sure how this discussion got off track but someone brought up “soybean” plates earlier. Illinois used them from 43 thru 47. Dad left me these in a duffle bag in the root cellar. They’re flat as a pancake. Actually .080” thick, no embossing whatsoever. I’ve heard also that goats were fond of them.

Wa state after 30 years classic plates can be issued for occational use, not daily driver.
This is the registered plates to my '91 Sonoma GT. The plate style changed in 2002, so as long as the letter/# combo isn't currently registered,it can be for a classic plate.
1st is the latest truck plate style, 2nd & 3rd is the original plate before and with reproduction year sticker that is now legally registered.....if I stop messing with the '51 and get the '91 out of the garage for some road use.