YOM PLates

tbm3fan

Old Man with a Hat
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Part of my restoration was to always get correct YOM plates for the Polara. The seven digit white and blue plates look so wrong on an older car. Maybe not to younger folks but to me they are an eye sore. Well today was the day to go down to the DMV. I went to Window 18 and when I arrived I asked the lady if she was familiar with YOM plates. She said she was and so I handed her three applications. Oh, she wasn't expecting that. One, to blue/yellow plates on the recently acquired 72 Ambassador. Two, to put black plates on the 68 Mustang. Three, to move the plates from the Mustang over to the Polara since they were originally put on in mid-1973. These are not restored plates and so the front plates show the typical wear for being out in front. This whole process took 1 1/4 hours to do. She was game and being Filipina I mentioned my wife was Filipina and so that made things smoother as we interspersed the conversation with things Philippines. The amount of papers involved was enormous along with keeping them all straight. Got to straighten out
that July sticker.

YOM_Plates.jpg
YOM_Polara.jpg
 
I'm just as impressed that you got multiple things done at once. I found it easier to do one thing at a time.


Alan
 
DMV can be a pain, but sometimes fun. I was registering a 64 Belvedere. The guy asked if I wanted anything special.
"Naw" was my reply. I'm fine with any old plate. He said "ok, I'll be back." I was waiting for quite some time . He came back and handed me a "964 LMP " He said "Tho many won't know it, this was the closest to anything 64. 964 Love My Plymouth"
 
I'm just as impressed that you got multiple things done at once. I found it easier to do one thing at a time.


Alan

The Ambassador was straight forward. Take new white plates and use blue plates I supply.

It was the other two since the Mustang plates were to be transferred over to the Dodge. That part led to uncertainty when it came time to finish the Mustang she then put the plates for the Dodge under her desk. I had to tell her again that those are for the Polara. Most people just give up the wrong plate and make a normal change. I was doing a transfer which I knew would cause some initial confusion. Might as well get it done on one visit as I didn't want to waste more Wednesdays down there.
 
DMV can be a pain, but sometimes fun. I was registering a 64 Belvedere. The guy asked if I wanted anything special.
"Naw" was my reply. I'm fine with any old plate. He said "ok, I'll be back." I was waiting for quite some time . He came back and handed me a "964 LMP " He said "Tho many won't know it, this was the closest to anything 64. 964 Love My Plymouth"
Holy crap, what luck! I’d ’ve been tempted to hit the blackjack table(s) after that!
 
YOM plates have been legal for registration on vintage vehicles here in Colorado for decades. At the same time the population has exploded and I’ve noticed new lever turners at the DMV are scrambling to collect every last cent Possible. The latest “ improvement” is to outlaw YOM plates because the electronic tolls in the Denver area will not reliably camera the plates Making the state miss out on big bucks from Dozens of old cars that go through the tolls every month.

Glad a number of you still have that option available (I’m stunned California allows it!)

Steve weim55 Colorado
 
How many old cars are on the road with those tags that the state is missing out on ? Can't be that many, there just can't be. I could be wrong.
It's more like watching and controlling, baby steps .
 
The Ambassador was straight forward. Take new white plates and use blue plates I supply.

It was the other two since the Mustang plates were to be transferred over to the Dodge. That part led to uncertainty when it came time to finish the Mustang she then put the plates for the Dodge under her desk. I had to tell her again that those are for the Polara. Most people just give up the wrong plate and make a normal change. I was doing a transfer which I knew would cause some initial confusion. Might as well get it done on one visit as I didn't want to waste more Wednesdays down there.

So the state allows the blue plates in the YOM program now? I recall they only allowed up to the end of the black plates (1969) last time I registered yom plates (over a decade ago), but I was only dealing with the early 50s plates then

I have a set of 6 digit blue plates that I'm waiting for the 5 year mark since last time they were searched from the DMV side, to be able to register them to my car. I was going to just try to do a regular registration and not go the yom route.
 
You are fortunate that things went well. The Kalifornia DMV is terrible. It took me a year to get them to stop trying to charge me for late fees and send me a title, after I had moved to South Dakota. I had either lost the title or the ex had it (it was only in my name and she agreed to allow me to take the car. Trying to get the title from her would have been worse).
 
I have YOM plates on all of my cars. Register once and your done, don't have to renew every year. These are Spokane County Plates, where the car came from.
419923831_18419348368028068_6973369501374108300_n.jpg
 
So the state allows the blue plates in the YOM program now? I recall they only allowed up to the end of the black plates (1969) last time I registered yom plates (over a decade ago), but I was only dealing with the early 50s plates then

I have a set of 6 digit blue plates that I'm waiting for the 5 year mark since last time they were searched from the DMV side, to be able to register them to my car. I was going to just try to do a regular registration and not go the yom route.
The black plates were added about 2008, the blue plates several years ago.
You would most likely not be able to just have those plates assigned to your car unless you could show they were originally assigned to it.
Trying to do a custom plate request with that sequence is a no-no and would be rejected, they eliminated that option many many years ago.

The only option you have is the YOM process, you will need a year sticker (on the plate) for what you are claiming the pates are for.

Alan
 
Anyone know the reason that in Ca, once a YOM plate is assigned to a certain year it can only be reassigned to that same year? Had yellow plates on my 61, sold it and wanted to put them on a 62 I have. cannot do it, those yellow plates are 56-62. It had a 61 sticker, but I have new 62 stickers I could put on the plate. Thanks
 
Anyone know the reason that in Ca, once a YOM plate is assigned to a certain year it can only be reassigned to that same year? Had yellow plates on my 61, sold it and wanted to put them on a 62 I have. cannot do it, those yellow plates are 56-62. It had a 61 sticker, but I have new 62 stickers I could put on the plate. Thanks
No idea why but that is the rule.


Alan
 
How many old cars are on the road with those tags that the state is missing out on ? Can't be that many, there just can't be. I could be wrong.
It's more like watching and controlling, baby steps .
My point exactly, of the hundreds of thousands of vehicles that go through those tolls per month the old vehicles with YOM plates is like a teaspoon of water in a bathtub. There are many other changes that have occurred in vehicle licensing that follow the same
‘Sweeping crumbs’ example but I won’t go down that road here……

Steve wem55 Colorado
 
The black plates were added about 2008, the blue plates several years ago.
You would most likely not be able to just have those plates assigned to your car unless you could show they were originally assigned to it.
Trying to do a custom plate request with that sequence is a no-no and would be rejected, they eliminated that option many many years ago.

The only option you have is the YOM process, you will need a year sticker (on the plate) for what you are claiming the pates are for.

Alan

Ok, thanks, good to know. The blue plates are formatted just like the current plate, so do you really need a "vintage" year sticker? I thought with the blue and black plates you could just have a current year reg sticker, since these weren't embossed with a year number on them.

Actually, the 1963 series black plates had a "63" embossed in the sticker area that was covered up with subsequent year stickers.

The YOM plates definitely requiring the YOM sticker are the 1956 series black on yellow plate, where they were all embossed with "56" and you have to put a correct year sticker next to that to match year of vehicle.

1711387406537.png


Going back to the prior series, the 1951 plates had a metal tag for the current year (after 51)....

1711387496088.png


both of the above you need to display a month and current year sticker next to the plate, the DMV gives you metal tabs to mount to the plate hole.
 
Ok, thanks, good to know. The blue plates are formatted just like the current plate, so do you really need a "vintage" year sticker? I thought with the blue and black plates you could just have a current year reg sticker, since these weren't embossed with a year number on them.

Actually, the 1963 series black plates had a "63" embossed in the sticker area that was covered up with subsequent year stickers.

The YOM plates definitely requiring the YOM sticker are the 1956 series black on yellow plate, where they were all embossed with "56" and you have to put a correct year sticker next to that to match year of vehicle.

View attachment 652113

Going back to the prior series, the 1951 plates had a metal tag for the current year (after 51)....

View attachment 652114

both of the above you need to display a month and current year sticker next to the plate, the DMV gives you metal tabs to mount to the plate hole.
With ALL years in the YOM program in California you will need a year of the vehicle sticker attached to the plate.
The 63 black plates only didn't have a sticker in 63, 64 on a sticker was assigned each year through current
the 70s blue plates always had a sticker from the first year of issue through current.

Now that being said, once you get the blue plates (or black) assigned to your vehicle you can just start with the new year right over the "original". Is this what they want you to do? probably not. They use to issue a metal tab that mounted above the plate for you to put the current stickers on.

The black plate in 63 was the first plate in California to be left in continuous use. Prior to that you got new plates every few years.
So there are some black plates that have been in use from their date of issue in the 60s and there are some that are part of the YOM program. The only difference is the fee the YOM pay.
So one on the car with the current sticker on it a YOM will look just like an original issue.

Prior to about 76 there were no month stickers and you just alternated what side you put the new sticker on.
A YOM prior to 63 I'd probably run the extra tab, after that I wouldn't bother.


Alan
 
It’s specifically written in the law that way. I don’t know what the rule is for the reproduction plates that are black with yellow letters or ?
In California reproduction plates are not allowed for YOM, they must be original plates in good shape.

Alan
 
With ALL years in the YOM program in California you will need a year of the vehicle sticker attached to the plate.
The 63 black plates only didn't have a sticker in 63, 64 on a sticker was assigned each year through current
the 70s blue plates always had a sticker from the first year of issue through current.

Now that being said, once you get the blue plates (or black) assigned to your vehicle you can just start with the new year right over the "original". Is this what they want you to do? probably not. They use to issue a metal tab that mounted above the plate for you to put the current stickers on.

The black plate in 63 was the first plate in California to be left in continuous use. Prior to that you got new plates every few years.
So there are some black plates that have been in use from their date of issue in the 60s and there are some that are part of the YOM program. The only difference is the fee the YOM pay.
So one on the car with the current sticker on it a YOM will look just like an original issue.

Prior to about 76 there were no month stickers and you just alternated what side you put the new sticker on.
A YOM prior to 63 I'd probably run the extra tab, after that I wouldn't bother.

If the DMV's YOM process makes me find a 1971 sticker, then I'll just cover it up with current year sticker. No room or desire for stickers in multiple locations.

Yup, I still see lots of black and blue plates that look like original issuance plates.

Also, I've seen a handful of these plates on non original, later model cars, such as a '88 Taurus wagon for example. Somehow they talked the DMV into this, lol....

I also have a set of early 90s plates (look just like current except the "California" is embossed in red block letters). I like the simple look of these on my car too and would avoid the YOM fee...
 
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