California Plates

[cheseroo]

I have a 58' TR3a parts car with a blue California plate. Is that worth anything?

Oh I'm sure there are lots of good parts and sheet metal that could come off it. If the floor pans are bad, then that 1 CA plate could be useful :banana: 1 plate = scrap metal, 2 plates = something that possibly could be used. California requires 2 license plates so if you are transferring plates to another car or resurrecting a car that will use them, they want to see both before they will allow them to be used.

I have the CA black plates (and registrations from the early 80s) for my 3A. Is there a way to trace ownership before my regs? Car was originally from Hawaii and I have some history but I'd like to find out more.

Ever since some guy whacked the actress Rebecca Schaeffer using address information obtained from the DMV, it's high near impossible to obtain information from the DMV. Even if you have a buddy that is a cop or works for the DMV, they will pass on helping out as it's not worth their job or pension. They take it real serious. And I only imagine it will get tighter after that UCLA hospital worker outed Farah Fawcett's cancer to the National Enquirer (or whoever) before she could tell her own family

 

[tdskip]

I don't think so unless you happen to have copies of the earlier document. CA DMV is generally prohibited by law from releasing anything.

You can back into some history by looking at the Black Plates themselves as to when it was issued, thus placing the car in CA at a given time range.

 

[PeterK]

Thanks. I have a few CA registrations and both plates. From the info below it has to been registered after 63 and no later than 1970. The car was delivered to Hawaii in 58 (probably military as this was before statehood). So all I am missing is when it was brought to CA.

<span style="font-style: italic">History of the California License Plate
Basic information on 1963- present plates:

•1963 was the last year a complete new plate issuance to all vehicles occured (the plates had a black background and chrome yellow characters).
•1970 is the year the basic plate was changed to a blue background with yellow characters. It was also the last year any black/yellow plates were issued.
•1976, year round registration started which requires a month expiration sticker afixed to the upper left hand corner of the plate.
•1982 is the year when the standard plate was changed to a white background with blue characters with a sun graphic and CALIFORNIA in red block letters. It was also the last year any blue/yellow plates were issued. </span>

 

[Deleted member 8987]

One of my cars (bought in Oakland in 1970....January, to be precise) I still have the black plates AND registration. Communication with California DMV a couple of years ago indicated that if I should ever get my frontal lobotomy done and move back to California, I could re-register this car with those plates.
They SEEMED to indicate the plates could only go on the car they were originally for.
Now, I think if they were yellow plates, and matching, on a car that qualifies as antique or horseless carriage, probably any car, like in WA state.
I cannot imagine the SOC (state of california) using blue plates for antique registration, but, who knows.

 

[TR3driver]

I don't think so unless you happen to have copies of the earlier document. CA DMV is generally prohibited by law from releasing anything.

In addition, they really do destroy the information for cars that are not active (registered or on PNO) within just a few years. They literally have no information on cars with blue (or black) plates.

There are two different ways that old plates can be used on old cars in CA. One way is known as "Year of Manufacture" (YOM), and allows you to use any original plate that was issued for the same year the car was made. Thus I could have bought 1956 yellow plates and had them assigned to my 56 TR3. However, YOM plates are only allowed on cars up to 1969, so no blue plates allowed (and TOC would not be eligible under this program).

The other way is basically that the car can keep whatever plate it was previously registered with. This applies to all plates, but only ones that were previously for that particular car. This is the program that Tom & I (and presumably TOC if he can afford his frontal lobotomy) are using.

"Historical" plates are something else, you have to get new plates from the state.

 

[GilsTR]

Randall seems on track (again?) with the California plates.
We found a beautiful 31 Model A Delux Roadster (came with no plates). Sometime later we found a matching pair of very nice plates....for 1931. Local DMV would easily allow us to register the car with these plates....but the plates had to match the car...year for year. Gil NoCal

 

[AngliaGT]

I bought a '68 Cortina in Washington State.The owner bought it new
in LA in '68,so it still had the original Black/Gold plates on it.
I had an old registration with the plate/ID information on it.It took
over a year,but they finally approved it.
I also have a '78 Triumph Bonneville,with the original Blue/Yellow-
plate.It only took a week for that to come back approved.
CA DMV only keeps records going back 4 years,so you're out of luck.
With the Gold/Black & Black Gold CA plates,they used "AAA 000" starting at
the Oregon border,& used "ZZZ 000" at the Southern end of the state,so if
the car has the original plates,you can get a rough idea about where it came
from when new.
I have a brand new set of Black/Gold plates that have never been put
on a car.Worth $$$$.I'm tempted to sell them,but once they're gone - they're-
gone.

- Doug

 

[HealeyBN7]

To take off on Randall's explanation. The CA DMV Vehicle Industry News memo covering plate reassignment (reassignment of old plates to collector vehicles) is memo VIN 2009-20 and is found at this link.

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/vehindustry/vin_memos/vin2009/09vin20.pdf

The YOM plate program is VIN 2009-09.

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/vehindustry/vin_memos/vin2009/09vin09.pdf

These programs are completely different. The local offices get them confused and in my experience (having done one of each) do not understand how they are supposed to work. Typically the local office screwes it up and it is not until someone from Sacramento calls does the ball get rolling.

You can use this link to see all their recent memos...

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/vehindustry/vin_memos

Dean
yellow/black plates assigned to my 59 Peerless via VIN 2009-09 (YOM program)
blue/yellow plates REassigned to my 71 Lotus via the VIN 2009-20 (reassignment program)

 

[Deleted member 8987]

I don't think so unless you happen to have copies of the earlier document. CA DMV is generally prohibited by law from releasing anything.

In addition, they really do destroy the information for cars that are not active (registered or on PNO) within just a few years. They literally have no information on cars with blue (or black) plates.

There are two different ways that old plates can be used on old cars in CA. One way is known as "Year of Manufacture" (YOM), and allows you to use any original plate that was issued for the same year the car was made. Thus I could have bought 1956 yellow plates and had them assigned to my 56 TR3. However, YOM plates are only allowed on cars up to 1969, so no blue plates allowed (and TOC would not be eligible under this program).

The other way is basically that the car can keep whatever plate it was previously registered with. This applies to all plates, but only ones that were previously for that particular car. This is the program that Tom & I (and presumably TOC if he can afford his frontal lobotomy) are using.

"Historical" plates are something else, you have to get new plates from the state.

Don't know....wasn't talking historical or YOM plates. Since I have A) the car, B) the registration, and C) the original plates (2), they told me I could re-register the vehicle in the State of California with those plates, as issued originally to the car.

 

[Deleted member 8987]

I bought a '68 Cortina in Washington State.The owner bought it new
in LA in '68,so it still had the original Black/Gold plates on it.
I had an old registration with the plate/ID information on it.It took
over a year,but they finally approved it.
I also have a '78 Triumph Bonneville,with the original Blue/Yellow-
plate.It only took a week for that to come back approved.
CA DMV only keeps records going back 4 years,so you're out of luck.
With the Gold/Black & Black Gold CA plates,they used "AAA 000" starting at
the Oregon border,& used "ZZZ 000" at the Southern end of the state,so if
the car has the original plates,you can get a rough idea about where it came
from when new.
I have a brand new set of Black/Gold plates that have never been put
on a car.Worth $$$$.I'm tempted to sell them,but once they're gone - they're-
gone.

- Doug

Yup, that's what they told me.
Didn't know it took a year to do.
Maybe, since the registration is in my name, it might be a tad quicker.
Dave

 

[Darrell_Walker]

I have a brand new set of Black/Gold plates that have never been put
on a car.Worth $$$$.I'm tempted to sell them,but once they're gone - they're-
gone.

I also have a new, unissued set that I was going to use for my 66 TR4A, but at the time they wouldn't do YOM for a car that "new". After a quick check on eBay prices, I think I may part with mine. The only way I can see moving back to CA would be to win the lottery, at which point I could buy a new set....