I was thinking along the same lines. Something like shown here:

Tamper Resistant Screws

Gustave

 

CA law requires two plates...if you get caught without the front plate by the polizei, you'll have to thru the hassle of getting the "fix it" ticket cleared.

Julie, what some 'enterprising' people have done in order to run black plates is. They order personalized plates with a certain letter/number sequence on them.

They make sure FIRST that the letter/number sequence is clear by running it thru the DMV website.

Then they have plastic or aluminum BLACK plates made to match, then install them on their vehicles with the year and license tags that come with the personalized plates.

Is it legal? Uh... A pal of mine in the Studie club is a local DMV office manager. I asked her about this, what would happen if stopped by the polizei?

She said: "As long as the number on the plates matches the number on the registration, they won't have a clue."

 

That's the same thing that I did with my 51 reproduction plates and also the same that I suggested in earlier posts.

 

I didn't read thru all the posts, so I'm sorry if I repeated what you said.

My family were Olds dealers for 80 years. When dad finally folded the tent in the 1990's, I went thru all the filing cabinets, took all the pink slips (titles) and license plates that "skips" never received for vehicles thru the 1970's.

I still have one set of un-issued non commercial black plates, new in the folder and the titles I haven't look at since I brought them home.

 

Yes I agree with all you've said. Once you get through the process, 99% of the authorities are clueless, and if numbers match, then they must be legal - th eDMV issued th epaper work on them right?

But I though there was a post where someone wanted to try and get their 63 CA black plates legally restered onto their 50s vintage truck. That they won't let you do unless you were the one issued those plates with the vehicle. Did I misread?

Those they will take away from you. As a matter of fact when I took the 51 YOM trailer plates to get them registered onto the trailer, the cleark told me she was comfiscating them as she "had orders" to take any existing "Black plates" that were brought in. We had a chat with the supervisor - $300 license plate and she's going to comfiscate it - don't think so.

 

Cannot be done in today's world, Julie.

In 1963, we had to turn in the (first used in 1956) yellow plates with the black letters, because CA had just come out with the black plates.

If you look at the front plate, you will see 63 stamped on it where the tag adheres (on the rear plate).

If black plates did not come on any 1962 or earlier vehicle you have or just acquired, you are oughtta luck. 1963 plates cannot be installed on any 1962 or older vehicle.

The only thing you can do is...go the personalized plate route.

 

With all the posts along this line--I'll think I might do some security planning too. I've been running both plates without any problems--yet--the vintage plates and stuff can be a temptation for a stupid stunt when someone impulsively sees something cool and available. Its not like they could use them-they're registered to me etc, but they could put them on their wall or try and sell them to the unsuspecting etc. So for the moment I think I'll at least take off my front plate--most of the cops i chat with--are car people and don't seem overly concerned with enforcement of this sort of thing. At least not around my county. And I'll get some sort of tamper resistant screws for the rear as well. A number of you made suggestions and there's no reason to not be careful.

Goodluck

 

i have the drilled spanner ones. i thought the dmv wont let you get a regular number/letter combos for personalized plates?.

 

Wait, so your saying that my truck could have come with the original "56" colored plates, but the owners turned them in for the "63" plates later on!

That' sort of cool, but also sucks.



OT: The parents recently found an old box with a stamped-on postage stamp from '85. It had 3 "56" plates in it. One pair, and one on it's own.

Unfortunately the pair is a non-commercial. But the singular one is a comm.
They are all in BRAND NEW condition if I remember correctly.

 

OT: The parents recently found an old box with a stamped-on postage stamp from '85. It had 3 "56" plates in it. One pair, and one on it's own.

Unfortunately the pair is a non-commercial. But the singular one is a comm.
They are all in BRAND NEW condition if I remember correctly.


Bet you could get the non comm. on your truck, as long as you pay comm. fees the plates should work. Otherwise they are worth $$$ on FleaBay

Or you can get a copy of the comm. plate made.

 

All 1956/62 yellow plates had to be turned in when the registration became due in 1963. You then got 1963 black plates.

This is how things worked back then...for the last time.

The black plates are still valid today, because when the blue plates were introduced circa 1969/70, and all the subsequent plates since, you did not have to turn in the black plates.

This is why you still see original black plates on vehicles today.

In March 1965, I bought a new 1965 F100, the same black (commercial) plates I installed in 1965 (S283XX) were still on the truck when I sold it in November 2009.

I dunno what the laws are for commercial/non commercial plates on older vehicles in today's world, but I do know what applies to the newer stuff. It may be the same, it may not be.

I didn't want commercial plates when I bought a new 2004 Lariat. The salesman told me I could install a tonneau cover, then I could install non commercial plates.

I soon discovered that was a BALD FACE LIE! The salesman didn't know scheiss.

The only way you can have non commercial plates on a pickup is...if you have a PERMANENT camper shell or slide in camper, otherwise you are SOL.

 

Pick-ups are "designated" as commercial vehicles in Ca because they are "designed to carry property" (according to the Ca DMV. Note that "In quotations")

Here's some interesting reading from e-bay of all people - not sure about the accuracy. As a collector Bill knows what he's talking about.

eBay Guides - DMV Clear California License Plates 1951 1956 1963 YOM

Here are some of the CVC statutes for Commercial Vehicles/YOM, etc. I have seen non "COMM" YOM plates on quite a few pick-ups.

Here's the application for YOM plates with the Criteria notes (Take note of item #2 - Shhhhhhh!):

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/forms/reg/reg352.pdf

V.C. Section 5004.1 - Model Year Date License Plates

V.C. Section 260 - Commercial Vehicle

V.C. Section 471 - Pickup Truck

So again the reason California designates "Pick-up Trucks" as commercial vehicles is because (and as far as I'm concerned this is a manipulative excuse to charge more fees) it is "designed to carry property" per the definition of a "Commercial Vehicle" in the link above. But honestly, the DMV folks are confused enough by the regular YOM plates. I'm not sure they actually know enough to realize there are "COM" "YOM" plates too or what goes where. I really don't think they care about the "COM" part of the YOM plates as far as the actual plate is concerned, but they WILL charge you commercial fees for your unmodified pick-up no matter what plates you put on it.

And OBTW, the local DMV office simply looks at the plates, makes a photo copy of them - front and back, and forwards the paperwork to Sacremento - where a BOARD makes the final decision on whether to allow you to use your YOM plates. That doesn not happen at the local DMV office when you go in. The local office will issue a red paper "Temporary Operating Permit" (and take your money for the YOM plates btw) for you to tape in the window and drive on until Sacremento sends you an approval with a printed registration, or a refund.

That "Like New" pair of 56 plates you found are worth about $350-400 this week.

But more important, BILL! What happened to your avatar? You are hard to find now!

 

I got tired of lookin' at it, so away it went.

Since I'm unable to downsize any pics small enough to use as an avatar (on FTE, other sites I have no problemo) without being blurry, I asked SoCal chapter member IB Adrian to take the SoCal logo and insert it for my avatar.

 

OK, so some very interesting news(to me) for today.

So I went to the DMV today(in Arvin) and started the registration of my '56 for the first time in 20 years. Had to start all over again. The truck was not present to be inspected so we didn't finish. The woman gave me a 30-day permit to get the truck to the DMV to finish registering it.


Got some bad news. The "63" plate that it has on it now--AND HAS ON IT'S REGISTRATION FROM 20 YEARS AGO!!!!--is not good, and won't pass. Apparently, even through the plates was issued by the DMV and used for a number of years, it isn't good now. Why, I don't know. She said the only plates that would work in it at this point would be YOM plates or newly issued.
Not to mention I only have one so it won't pass anyways. So I'm done there.
However if I had both I could bring them in to see IF it could be done and if it could, it would.


But then I mentioned I had a set of NON-COMMERCIAL "56" plates in perfect condition and she said those also MAY work(not they would, but may), and to bring them in if I were serious.

All else fails I'll have to just take the new plates they give me.
-----------------------------------------

OK, now we get to the juicy stuff.
I was reading today from some links posted in this thread that the sticker on a "56" plate shows the year the plate was released and NOT the year registration was renewed--unlike nowadays.

But look at my NON-commercial plate that I have:


According to the guide I just read, if I didn't know any better that looks like a "1960", "1961", and "1962" year stickers...............ALL ON ONE PLATE.

What the fck?????

I have a feeling that someone in this thread didn't quite get this right because it sounds like one plate should only have one sticker on it. PERIOD.



Does this somehow mean I can't use this plate for my 1956 F100? I am so confused.

 

If you have the pink slip with the 63 plates you can keep them. Thats the way I understand it.