Authenticated Vintage License Plates in Florida?

Fishfan

Fishfan

Active Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2014
Messages
474
Reaction score
227
Location
Miami, FL
So I've got license plates on my mind because I just renewed my car registrations, including the 66 Polara, and the renewal notice said I need a new plate. I've had the Florida "Antique" plate since I bought the car 10 years ago. It got me to thinking about getting a vintage license plate from 1966.

I found this site that sells them. http://classiclicenseplates.biz/store/page15.html

Originally I was thinking of putting such a plate on the front since we don't use official front license plates in Florida but I'd have to remove my new custom "Cacharro" plate. Then I noticed that the seller mentions getting these vintage plates authenticated.

...may be eligible for the Authenticated License Program (using an old plate that matches the year of your 1960's or 1970's vehicle). Please contact Florida's vehicle registration office (or their website) for additional details, and to see if the plate number itself is okay to use (as Florida used the same numbers on many different year plates).
Click to expand...

I did the research and sure enough. You fill out a form, send in the plate and the state will authenticate it and make it your official plate.

http://www.taxcollector.com/documents/authenticatedplate.pdf

Now my timing might be terrible because the new "antique" plate is being processed but I still am interested in this.

Has anyone done this? How much does it cost? What are the chances they reject the plate I send it?
 
I can't speak for Florida, but FWIW up here in Ontario there's a similar program and a phone number you can call to confirm that the number is eligible for registration before you send it in. IIRC the fee up here was about $200 and the process went smoothly. As a side note I would say that they probably only visually inspect them and won't spot the difference between a well-preserved and a well-restored plate.
 
Fishfan said:
So I've got license plates on my mind because I just renewed my car registrations, including the 66 Polara, and the renewal notice said I need a new plate. I've had the Florida "Antique" plate since I bought the car 10 years ago. It got me to thinking about getting a vintage license plate from 1966.

I found this site that sells them. http://classiclicenseplates.biz/store/page15.html

Originally I was thinking of putting such a plate on the front since we don't use official front license plates in Florida but I'd have to remove my new custom "Cacharro" plate. Then I noticed that the seller mentions getting these vintage plates authenticated.



I did the research and sure enough. You fill out a form, send in the plate and the state will authenticate it and make it your official plate.

http://www.taxcollector.com/documents/authenticatedplate.pdf

Now my timing might be terrible because the new "antique" plate is being processed but I still am interested in this.

Has anyone done this? How much does it cost? What are the chances they reject the plate I send it?
Click to expand...

I did this in Texas with the black 1968 plates you can see on my Fury in other threads. Several folks I talked to at car shows said to do it in person with the plate in hand rather than try over the phone. I can't believe I'm saying this, but the whole DMV experience was fantastic... very well organized, very helpful people, the line seemed huge at first but then I realized it was moving very fast (like Costco, where it's mobbed but they're so efficient you spend 90 seconds in line). I sat down with a helpful lady who was into vintage cars. She used various reference books and databases to check the style of plate and make sure the number hadn't ever been assigned before, then I paid my $50 for 5 years of registration on that original plate.
 
Every state is different. Seems a lot have a YOM program or Year of Manufacture.

IL allows YOM plates and you don't even have to register them. You just register it as a antique vehicle for something like $50 for 5 years and you can run a YOM or in my case 70 or 68 plates. You just have to have the registration and antique plates with you in the car in case you are pulled over

Funny thing is in IL they don't specify it has to be a IL plate so I bought some never issued black 68 Hemisfair plates for my 68 R/T
 
Montana allows you to run vintage plates as well. The car has to be 25 years old or older and you have to have a pair of the proper year plates.....same year as your car. I've been looking for a pair of 1965 montana plates for quite a while. It's been hard to find a pair for starters, then the plates were stamped in 63 I believe and stickers were added for the 64-67 years. Pain in the butt.
 
I just did a Florida plate for my 68 last month. The plate has to be original and in good condition. Follow the instructions in http://www3.flhsmv.gov/dmv/Proc/RS/RS-25.pdf . Make up a letter requesting authentication for use on your car with all the required info and send it and the plate to Tallahassee. I didn't know how much it would cost so I sent a check for $100.00 and they refunded the difference. The cost was around $60. Turn around was fast, about a week. Also, send a postage paid self addressed envelope for return to you.
 
New York has the same deal with YOM plates.

I wouldn't consider running them as the 1970 plates is just one plate on the rear and current plates are front and back. Knowing the local cops don't like not running a front plate, I foresee getting pulled over and questioned about it on a regular basis. The town cops in the next town over from me love to write "out of class" and "no front plate" tickets... and they have regular road blocks... So I've decided to take the easy way out.
 
North Dakota doesn't charge extra to display year of manufacture plates. All you have to do is find a clean serviceable pair with at least a 5 digit number and take them to the DMV for inspection. Once they confirm the plates are good and the number is not already in use, they will add the number to the registration information for the car.
 
Big_John said:
New York has the same deal with YOM plates.

I wouldn't consider running them as the 1970 plates is just one plate on the rear and current plates are front and back. Knowing the local cops don't like not running a front plate, I foresee getting pulled over and questioned about it on a regular basis. The town cops in the next town over from me love to write "out of class" and "no front plate" tickets... and they have regular road blocks... So I've decided to take the easy way out.
Click to expand...

ny has two plates for 70. 69-73 used blue with yellow numbers. different sticker in the corner for each year. when i registered mine i had to take pictures and send them to albany for verification. no restored plates allowed and no duplicates of existing numbers.
 
I guess that means a part of you still loves texas then right?? Since you use the Texas plates in Il.

tallhair said:
Every state is different. Seems a lot have a YOM program or Year of Manufacture.

IL allows YOM plates and you don't even have to register them. You just register it as a antique vehicle for something like $50 for 5 years and you can run a YOM or in my case 70 or 68 plates. You just have to have the registration and antique plates with you in the car in case you are pulled over

Funny thing is in IL they don't specify it has to be a IL plate so I bought some never issued black 68 Hemisfair plates for my 68 R/T
Click to expand...
 
1970cat said:
ny has two plates for 70. 69-73 used blue with yellow numbers. different sticker in the corner for each year. when i registered mine i had to take pictures and send them to albany for verification. no restored plates allowed and no duplicates of existing numbers.
Click to expand...

Yep... you are right, I was thinking of my '53. That was only one plate.
 
68plymouth383 said:
I guess that means a part of you still loves texas then right?? Since you use the Texas plates in Il.
Click to expand...

Defiantly Jason. I feel part Texan in fact I spent so much time in Texas and Texas junkyards in my youth I almost felt Texan. I spent 8 years there, then later another 5. When I left the 1st time I'd been in TX for 1/3 of my life, when I left the second time I'd spent almost 40% of my life there.

And I loved the 68 Hemisfair plates since the 1st time I saw them

slideshow_1209_obs_license_ss.jpg

slideshow_1209_obs_license_ss.jpg
 
tallhair said:
Defiantly Jason. I feel part Texan in fact I spent so much time in Texas and Texas junkyards in my youth I almost felt Texan. I spent 8 years there, then later another 5. When I left the 1st time I'd been in TX for 1/3 of my life, when I left the second time I'd spent almost 40% of my life there.

And I loved the 68 Hemisfair plates since the 1st time I saw them

View attachment 38008
Click to expand...

umm I meant definitely not defiantly although both are kind of right
 
Just a quick hint on running same year tag as car in Florida. Tallahassee wants you to send in tag for verification along with fees. Usually they attach the annual tag to your vintage plate and it's stuck there. Before you send your tag in for verification, spray the front side lightly with WD-40 and wipe it down. When your tag comes back, use a hair dryer or heat gun on low-med setting on low level on the back side of the plate and the annual tag will slide off. Keep the renewal tag in your special car with your registration. Remember the old license plates were given annually and didn't have stickers. We are going for the look.
 
I'm working on getting the proper 1978 decals reproduced for 2 sets of 1978 Maryland plates so I can put those plates on both my Formals.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
  • Locked
For Sale Vintage Illinois plates 50's, 60's and 70's
Replies
7
Views
741
Roadhog
R
Lycidias
  • Locked
WANTED Idaho Licence Plate "Elk"
2
Replies
27
Views
2K
Lycidias
Lycidias
MoPar~Man
Michigan changes rules for Antique / Historic cars
Replies
5
Views
358
70bigblockdodge
70bigblockdodge
Snotty
A Funny Thing Happened to Me on the Way to the DMV!
Replies
5
Views
926
Snotty
Snotty
chippers65300
Proper Fuel Cap
Replies
5
Views
1K
chippers65300
chippers65300
Back
Top