CA license plates

[khaledejaz]

Does anyone know how to get a black or blue CA plate for a 1973 2002? I have regular plates now but would like to get those old ones. I always wanted a black CA plate. Any help on this?

[albawhore]

As far as I know the only way to pull it off is to find some POS with a black plate on it, buy it, transfer the plates to the o2 and throw the POS away.

Good Luck

JB

[johnhup]

I have heard it is legal in CA to put period (blue plates) on your car. I am going to do it at some point. I have heard you can find an original blue plate and register that number (if it isnt taken) as a vanity plate. Makes sense to me but who knows

[esty]

in order to retrofit period correct plates in california, you must have the "year sticker" that is applicable to your car...then they are registered somewhat, the same way as vanity plates

i have several sets of black/gold & blue/gold plates...you can find almost anything you'd want at the pomona swap meet or thru hemmings...they're getting very expensive to buy in good condition

[jerry]

i have asked these same questions at the local DMV and was told in no uncertain terms, no dice.

i have two 'blue-plate' 02's and i asked if i could swap plates over to my more desireable 02 that did not have its original plates.

i even asked if i could obtain the original license number for my car as i had an earlier photo of it with its original 'blue-plate' until some lowlife stole it for the registration sticker. unfortunately, the PO traded the remaining front plate for a newly issued replacement plate.

apparently, the plate stays with the VIN, period. unless vanity plate.

EDIT: of course, the person i spoke with at the counter could have been misinformed. that is entirely possible and if credible info to the contrary exists, please share with the board

[esty]

California....Land of the Disgruntled DMV Employee

No need to mince words: the California DMV is not the most public spirited bureacracy on the planet. It can be a trying experience attempting to convince the clerk behind the counter that the law does allow vintage license plate use in certain specific circumstances under the "Year of Manufacture" (YOM) statute, Section 5004.1 of the California Motor Vehicle Code. I have had DMV employees tell me that there is no such law, and that what I am trying to do is impossible. So take a printout of that webpage with you! And for S.F. Bay Area residents, here's a tip: the Santa Clara DMV is much more hip to the YOM rules than some other DMV offices. They even have a huge display on the wall of every CA plate style since they first started issuing them in 1914, which is interesting from a historical point of view.

California law allows owners of 1962 model year cars or older to use vintage plates issued in the same year on their car if the plates are legible and "clear", meaning not currently in use. Since each plate number is unique, and you have to bring into the DMV a matched pair of plates, that should prove they are not in use, but it's not always that simple. Errors in the DMV records may show they are in use when they are clearly not (assuming your vintage plates are legitimate and not modern copies!). Note that the law does not require that the vintage plates be the same as those originally issued with the car.

1951 California license plate The 1951 – 1955 "Black/Yellow" Plate

Up until 1952, CA plate styles for almost all years showed a year number stamped into the plate, or a metal tab showing the year was attached to the plate. 1951 plates had "51" stamped at the lower right. From 1952 through 1955, the plates still show "51" and to indicate the year change a small metal tab with the later year was fixed over the "51" stamp

The 1956 – 1962 "Yellow/Black" Plate

1956 yellow/black California license plate with 1959 stickerStarting in 1956, the state changed over to the "yellow/black" plate style (yellow background with black letters) with "56" shown in the upper right corner, and then kept using that same plate through 1962 without changing the year stamp. Instead the year was indicated by a sticker affixed just to the left of the "56" stamp which showed the year the plate was first issued. So every CA plate from 1956 through 1962 was stamped "56", only the year shown on the sticker changed.

This means that to use yellow/black plates on your 1956 to 1962 car, you not only need a matched set of vintage plates, you also need a year sticker (on the rear plate only) that matches the model year of your car. If your plate does not have a sticker, amazingly you can purchase them from private sources (not from the state). See the list shown below.

Note that if you meet those requirements, you can use any yellow/black CA plate stamped "56" on your 1956 to 1962 car. However, if you are a real stickler for originality, keep in mind that plates were issued alphabetically so that for any given year, plates starting with a particular letter were used.1956 yellow/black California license plate Here are the ranges: A-G (1956), D-O (1957), M-R (1958), R-T (1959), T-V (1960), U-X (1961), W-Z (1962). Of course these are not hard and fast rules, and exceptions are possible. Addison Yeaman reports that a Convertible D he purchased new in late 1959 came with the plate MFC 542.

So, with your yellow/black set of plates in hand, you also need to take to the DMV the current plates on your car, current vehicle registration, and $35 (check or cash). I would advise also taking the vehicle title slip and proof of insurance. When the DMV approves your use of the vintage plates, they will send you in the mail some additional stickers and a pair of small metal tabs. The stickers are modern-style year and month stickers just like you have on your current, modern plates. They are to be affixed to the metal tabs which must be attached to the vintage plate. They are ugly, but required. Shockingly, many 356 owners "forget" to display them, and "lose" them in the glove box.

If you are trying to register a 356 in California that has never been registered in that state, and you want to use vintage plates on the car, you will need to show the vehicle title to the DMV. If you just want to use current (modern) plates on the car, you may only need to show a current registration from the state of origin.

The 1963 – 1968 "Black/Yellow" Plate

In January 1963, the state changed back to a "black/yellow" plate style (black background with yellow letters) and did a complete reissue of plates to all CA registered vehicles. All old plates had to be turned in by years end in exchange for the new black/yellow plates. This new plate style was used through 1968, and always had the year "63" stamped in the upper right corner no matter what year it was issued. Every year, owners received a new year sticker when they paid their vehicle registration fees.

State law currently says you cannot change from modern plates to black/yellow plates on a 1963 or later car. If you have a set of black/yellow plates that you want to use on your 1963 to 1965 356, you must have proof that they were originally issued to the car. This could be a CA vehicle registration slip from that time period. If you have the proper documentation, convincing the DMV to do this can be even more of a challenge that getting a correct yellow/black plate registered to a pre-1963 car, but it is possible. If you have a set of black/yellow plates but no proof they were ever legally used on your car, you are tilting at windmills: forget it.

Note: one 356 owner has reported that in January 1962 he brought into California a 1961 B coupe that was purchased in France, and he was issued black/yellow plates, stamped "63", by the DMV. So it seems that the black/yellow plate style started showing up before January 1963.

The 1969 – 1986 "Blue/Yellow" Plate

The California "blue/yellow" style plate was first issued in 1969, so it would not be an original plate for a 356. You may see a 356 with that style plate, possibly because sometime in the past an owner lost the original plates and the blue/yellow plates are replacements. This could also be the case for a pre-1963 356 running with black/yellow plates.

[e46slc]

I may have some blue/gold plates that I don't have any use for. If I can find them in the garage (I know it's in there somewhere) someone is welcome to them, you pay the shipping, of course. PM me if interested.

[f1reverb]

so a blue plate would not be periord correct especially if '69 or older. When I bought my '66 Porsche 912 in July 1971, the new plate was blue 942AQY (but I think I kept the plate that was on it). When I bought a new Ford van in Feb. '72, the plate was blue 251FLE. When I bought my '69 1600-2 in Dec. '72 the plate (new again) was blue 895GPN. When I bought my '61 VW bus in Feb. '69 I kept the black plate that was on it, QBE596, and when I bought my '65 Ford van in May 1970, I kept the black commercial plate that was on it, S36756.

I have a sickness for remembering all my plates.

I'be been running my blue Press Photographer plate since the '70s, and had it on the 1600-2, Plymoth Valiant, Dodge Aspen wagon and now it resides on my 533i. A couple of years back I finally decided to pull off the old pile of reg stickers as it was now about 1/2" thick. My '74 2002 has white PP plates as I didn't want to go through the hassle of changing everything just to have a blue plate on the '02, although I can do this if I want. I believe the style of my white plate is the earliest, with block lettering (1990 vintage) . . .

[esty]

blue plates were issued from 1969 thru 1986

vntage plates

[esty]

here you go guys....it appears to have changed since i moved away from the fruitcake state....

the scoop on vintage plates in california

[Slavs]

Recently I acquired a 1967 1600 with black plates. The PO had the plates on the car, but they were not the original plates issued to the car. They came off another 67 1600 he had owned in the past and sent to the crusher. He took off the newer style plates and simply swapped in the black plates. The guy didn't care. i tried registering the car with the old vintage plates, but the manager at the Glendale DMV explained to me: "Under no circumstances".

If I had a pre 63 car, then it may have been possible.

Slavs

[Slavs]

Recently I acquired a 1967 1600 with black plates. The PO had the plates on the car, but they were not the original plates issued to the car. They came off another 67 1600 he had owned in the past and sent to the crusher. He took off the newer style plates and simply swapped in the black plates. The guy didn't care. i tried registering the car with the old vintage plates, but the manager at the Glendale DMV explained to me: "Under no circumstances".

If I had a pre 63 car, then it may have been possible.

Slavs

[Slavs]

Recently I acquired a 1967 1600 with black plates. The PO had the plates on the car, but they were not the original plates issued to the car. They came off another 67 1600 he had owned in the past and sent to the crusher. He took off the newer style plates and simply swapped in the black plates. The guy didn't care. i tried registering the car with the old vintage plates, but the manager at the Glendale DMV explained to me: "Under no circumstances".

If I had a pre 63 car, then it may have been possible.

Slavs

[SteveJ]

Thanks for the info Esty!

That killed an hour already skimming through the CVC.

As they say, know thy enemy.

[f1reverb]

as, if I had black PP plates, I could have them transferred to any car I want. There's a guy by me with black PP plates on his '76 Porsche Turbo. As long as I keep my blue PP plates in good condition (I never run a front plate so my front is brand new, and the month tag on my blue PP does not match the registration year as the DMV forgot to send me a month tag one time in a transfer. The reg year for the 533i starts in June, but the month tag says August) I'll be able to use them on any car until the day I kick. I could get a '61 Porsche and have blue plates on it or a '67 1600ti, a 2006 M3 or any car I want.