I have a pair of '63 black Calif. license plates that came off of a truck that went to the squisher. Can these be transfered to another '63 vehicle? Anybody know anything about this?

 

Call the DMV or go to the Auto Club if you are a member.

10,000 posts saying "you should be able to" or, "In (enter the name of a state where no one lives) we just swap plates all the time" or whatever is going to do you no good.

 

Yes they can as of this year, CA black plates up to 72 can be reissued to the proper year vehicle if the plate number is clear. Before it was only up to 62. I think they assign it like a personalized plate and make you pay a yearly amount as well for the privilage to have the correct plates!

 

Cool deal. I believe these are commercial plates, too.

 

Check with the Calif DMV. Several states (I believe California is one) including Louisiana (where I live) has adopted a Y.O.M. Plate policy for antique/classic vehicles. I just registered my 64 F100 with a 1964 Truck plate and am sending off the registration papers for my 63 Uni tomorrow. Basically you pay a total of $33 to register and it's good for the life of the vehicle. No renewal ever. If you sell the vehicle it's a $3 transfer fee. Pretty cool, huh? The best part is you don't have to have the annual state inspection (hee,hee,hee). The restriction for both is that your not supposed to use the vehicle as a "daily driver" and have to certify that it is original or restored to original condition and only use for tours, parades, car shows, etc.

 

Thats cool gritsngumbo! No such luck in CA, DMV likes its $$$ though, so they charge you every year $20 or $30 for the re issued YOM plate on top of commercial registration which for my F-100 is around $70. Nice hu!

 

Yes, and charge you they do!! My 66 has the original Black CA plates, and has stayed current with reg. and they STILL have me pay $134 each year, the reg. isn't bad, it is the doggone weight fee, AND I pay that on my 77 150 each year too,,,, and my 63 is non-op until it gets ready to roll and it has the original Black plates that came on it. Find a smaller DMV office, I use the one in Mariposa, they are more commonsensical, and will work with you, and they are not just trying to make it to break or lunch time like the ones I used to use down south.

 

Yeah, it's sort of hard to believe that Louisiana finally got something right.

 

You aren't kidding, are you?

Prior to 2008, only the 1962 and earlier plates could be used.

I suppose DMV is gonna handle it the same way they have done.

You'll need the appropriate year tag (1965, 1967, etc...and that bracket to retain the current tag) on everything after 1963.

1963 (first year) black plates have 1963 stamped into them.

I hope this is true, because I have a 1963 Galaxie with the new ugly plates, and a set of new un-issued black plates I've had for over 30 years.

The plates match the year and the county (LA).

If y'all are into this stuff, you can look at a black plate and tell by the first letter what area the plate was issued from.

You can also look at a black plate and tell by the first letter what year the plate was issued.

Examples 1963: Santa Monica: IME / IMH // Culver City: JLG / JLJ

Culver City 1965: SQF / Commercial plate: S

BTW: Cars (and trucks without commercial plates) didn't use black plates after midyear 1969. Commercial plates were issued thru early 1972.

How do I know? I remember seeing some early 1970 Mavericks sold in 1969 with BLUE plates.
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BTW part 2: Commercial plates cost a ton when it comes to re-registering them.

I'd check with DMV before entertaining the idea of putting BLACK COMMERCIAL plates on a truck that presently does NOT have commercial plates.

Knowing how DMV operates, I'll betcha the price of re-registering those black commercial plates on your truck will be MUCH higher than you're paying now!!

 

In your case, I'm going to say maybe...because IF the title was turned in when the truck was scrapped, that nullified the plates.

How long ago did you scrap it?

CA DMV only keeps records for 6 or 7 years, so you might get lucky.

If it was recently, you're prolly SOL.

Go to the CA DMV website and run those plate numbers...see what happens.

 

In CA if it is a truck, ie has a bed, it gets commericial plates period end of story no exceptions. My friend had a 72 capri that he whacked the back and made what he called a "Caprino" DMV said it's a truck now and needs commercial plates. I had to put commercial plates on me 63 ranchero $97 a year regisering it now. Payload rated at 500lbs. Hell thats two fat chicks as passengers. It Aint Right but thats the price I pay.

 

Sorry that is in-correct.

Only in the past 15 years or so have commercial plates been required on pickups, and adding a camper shell to these trucks, means you are not required to have commercial plates.

Camper shells: Check with the CA DMV, they'll tell you the exact same thing as I just did.

I know the law, after all...I've owned 10 used trucks since 1959, and 12 new trucks since 1965, five of them since 1992.

My new 1968, 1971, 1979, 1988 Ford trucks did not have commercial plates.

My 1957 Ranchero, which I owned from 1974 thru 1989 didn't have commercial plates.

My two used Studebaker trucks, one I owned from 1968 thru 1975, another I owned from 1962 thru 1967 didn't have them either.

If I think about it, I can prolly come up with a few other beater trucks I owned that didn't have those plates.

 

Bill a friend of my wife works at DMV so any of that business I do goes to her. I just went through all this on the ranchero. To qualify as an RV (non commercial) the shell must be more less permenant. If it is removed to haul anything at all it needs to be registered as commercial. She also told me it is a sightable offense under improper liscense rules wich can get the vehicle impounded for up to 30 days. These rules aren't that old and if you have had your vehicles registered non commercial in the past and just kept renewing it wouldn't change status. But try to register from fresh and thats what your looking at.

 

One of my old car club buddies is the manager at the local DMV office.

She has helped me many times over the years getting some of the old piles I buy registered.

When I showed up with my new pickup, she gave me the info about the camper shells, and yes, they have to be permanent.

The sales rep at the dealer told me...no problem, you don't need commercial plates if you install a hard tonneau cover, so I did..several months later.

Guess what? When I went to my DMV pal to change the commercial plates I had to get when I bought the truck, * I found out that tonneau cover story was CACA del TORO!

700 bucks for that friggen tonneau cover.

The salesman at the dealer was long gone. I found that out, because I drove straight over there after I left the DMV.

The scheisskopf is prolly telling someone else that same BS at another dealership.

* I had the plates already, they're DP plates, but when installed on a pickup, they become commercial handicap plates (unless a camper shell is installed).

 

My '63 currently has commercial plates so it's not going to be a big deal. I use them too. I park in loading zones a lot. I also have a plaque that exempts me from timed parking zones, paying at parking meters, parking in alleys, etc.
The black plates off of the squished truck had not been registered since '90.