Era-appropriate license plate laws

[RiggsLW81]

I recently spoke to a picture-car guy I work with (someone who specifically owns/rents/babysits period-correct cars for print/tv/film shoots) who had era-appropriate plates on his car.

it was an old 70s volvo (NY registered, NY plates) - not historic or collector. just old plates that were period correct on the car.

I assumed they were not "real plates" and were just for the film shoot itself, when he assured me it was a real plate, and linked to the car legally. He only just bought the car in the last few months..I was under the impression that any newly purchase car would have "new" plates, but he told me that in NY, if you can find a set of old era correct plates, that are currently NOT active/in use, then you can legally use/put them on the car.

Can anyone clarify what the rules are for this in NJ? I have searched for awhile and come up dry in results. Does the same laws apply? if not, what is the law in NJ? any info and/or links with info would be great. Thanks

[maroman88]

pretty sure nj is the same, at least if you wanted to use an old set of plates that were previously registered to you.

[NJSPEEDER]

In NJ you can register any state issued number plate to any vehicle registered in NJ. The only things that can prevent registration of vintage plates is if the number is currently actively registered or if the plates are damaged or not legible in some way. Also has to be vehicle appropriate, no motorcycle plates on cars or vice versa.

I have scouted out vintage plates for people before. Its not a big deal, actually saves a few bucks since you don't have to pay the 40 bucks or whatever it is to get issued plates. It's only tricky when people want truck plates (NJ, like most states, used to issue diffrerent series plates for private car, truck, camper, and motorcycle) NJ no longer acknowledges the difference and this sometimes confuses the rocket scientists at DMV.

[ar0ck]

I've definitely seen a newer Camaro on the road recently with the old Blue/White plates.

[sweetbmxrider]

I've definitely seen a newer Camaro on the road recently with the old Blue/White plates.

That can be the owner registering with their old plates. On occasion, I see the tan/off white plates on "newer" cars. Like stated, it keeps you from paying for new plates.

[NJSPEEDER]

California did a cool thing a few years ago that allowed owners of vintage cars to apply for new plates, with their current registration or custom, but in the old styles. It was fairly expensive, north of $100 per reg if memory serves. I think they did 3 of the old style plates, including the 'black plates' that were issued for most of the 60's and into the early 70's.

If I had a vintage car that I was proud of I would consider applying for reissue plates as long as the price wasn't exorbitant.

[qwikz28]

My Saab, purchased in 2012, still has the old blue/white NY plates, whereas my dad's Cadillac, purchased in 2010, has the newer plates. This is because I elected to transfer my plates from my old Saturn instead of getting new ones. In theory, you could do this into perpetuity, I imagine.

[Fast92RS]

My dad has had the same plates from the 70's . He has just transferred them over to each car he has purchased. A few years ago I tried taking a set of old plates my Dad had and tried to register them to me on my car and they wouldn't do it.

[RiggsLW81]

what im trying to determine, is if say I go buy some old blue and white plates from the 80s...on say...ebay. can those plates legally be put on a car (from that era..in this case, the 80s) ?

they would not have been my plates or registered to me in any way, they would be purchased specifically for a car from that period. this is assuming that the old plates purchased from ebay, werent an active letter/number combo in the newer yellow tags.

[NJSPEEDER]

what im trying to determine, is if say I go buy some old blue and white plates from the 80s...on say...ebay. can those plates legally be put on a car (from that era..in this case, the 80s) ?

Yes

they would not have been my plates or registered to me in any way, they would be purchased specifically for a car from that period. this is assuming that the old plates purchased from ebay, werent an active letter/number combo in the newer yellow tags.

Does not matter to whom or what vehicle they were previously registered. Only way it would make a difference is if the plates have been reported and still show in the computer as stolen.

[RiggsLW81]

Thanks njspeeder for clarification.

Looks like I'll start shopping for a set of numbers/letters combo that I like!

[NJSPEEDER]

Try to go to Carlisle, Hershey, or one of the other big shows. There are usually 3-5 tables that have bunches of old plates, vintage titles(for display purposes only...wink wink), old inspection stickers (Yes, that is a legal accessory for an inspection exempt vehicle), and other similar doo dads.

[V]

Not really a hijack... lol,
but Tim maybe you can answer a similar question for me about using older plates....
My mom just bought a new car, as far as we knew we were unable to use the plates from my parents old vehicle, which was registered and titled only in my fathers name.
Shes getting new plates but I wanted to see if there was a way to keep the old plates and at some point transfer them to the new car. The old car was a grand caravan and the new car is an ATS but I think thats the same "class" of vehicle in the DMVs eyes. I just don't know how to put the plates into my moms name instead.

[NJSPEEDER]

You would have to go to DMV and fill out a form. Although at this point it won't save you any money. Once a request to issue plates is made by a dealership DMV doesn't give any refunds. The dealership should have known how to transfer the plates, it's not an uncommon thing.

[RiggsLW81]

reviving this thread..

Today, I finally transferred my dads 83 Caprice into my name...this thread was started over the plates for this car..

I asked 3 workers at dmv, including a supervisor..and no one could confirm whether or not I could do this... as it stands I have purchased a set of old blue and white nj plates (via ebay), that I want to put on my dads Caprice. they are era appropriate. The car was previously registered to my dad, but in Connecticut. obviously those plates will come off, and the car has never been registered in nj.

Since I finally got the title today and the car in my name, I asked one of the workers to run the plates, to see if they were "clear" or "in use" and she told me they were not in use, so that was good news... but still could not answer if I would be able to put them on the car, because the plates themselves were never in my name or belonged to the car. I tried to explain what im saying here, and got blank stares...(figures with the brain trusts at the dmv)

so I revived this thread...I couldn't register it anyway today, since I have to get insurance on it first. and couldn't do that, till I got the car put in my name.

sooooo.. who can chime in on this and help? I really don't want to be forced to put new plates on the car, but anything ive found on the dmv website states new plates are included with registration and I can use my own old plates, but since the car was last registered in CT, in 2014, I doubt any of that will have any revelance here.

any info would be great.

[V]

I actually looked it up a while back. Not allowed in NJ.
Here's one link I found...
http://www.semasan.com/page.asp?content=license_plate_states&g=SEMAGA#NJ

Someone else mentioned that with QQ plates, you are allowed to run a YOM plate on the front, as long as the QQ plate is one the back, not sure if that is true though.

[RiggsLW81]

thank you for the link and information...

just another example of "nanny state nj" at its finest.

[ar0ck]

I actually had a similar experience with my "LT WON" plates off my Camaro, the DMV wanted unpaid registration fees to re-use the plates, but the woman explained that if I contact the Special Plates Division at the DMV and explained that I had the plates in my possession the entire time, they may be able to wave the fee.

[V]

I actually had a similar experience with my "LT WON" plates off my Camaro, the DMV wanted unpaid registration fees to re-use the plates, but the woman explained that if I contact the Special Plates Division at the DMV and explained that I had the plates in my possession the entire time, they may be able to wave the fee.

Did they waive it? I have my old v plates i won't give up. I just figured id pay back registration and suck it up. Lol. Oakland couldn't tell me how i could keep them otherwise.