MTFCA Forum

Here in the State of New York, our illustrious governor—the one who recently told the American people that America was never that great—has decided to confiscate more money from motorists and so, came up with a new license plate which will cost each car owner $25 per car. For me, that means $25 for my modern Chevy, $25 for my wife's Toyota, $25 for the old Saturn I inherited when my Dad passed away and whatever the state is going to charge me for my Model T's new vanity plates (I'm guessing an extra $50 on top of the standard $25), so I'm probably looking at $150 to change out perfectly good license plates.

I'm tired of this nonsense. Maybe it's time for me to ditch the vanity plates (which say 1915T) and try to get some antique New York plates that I'll never have to switch out. Does anybody know how I can go about finding such vintage plates and making them official?

Matching set, not great condition as far as paint on eBay now, asking 125.00 Not mine and no interest!

I would doubt that the governor by himself has the authority to arbitrarily decide that you need new plates and double the cost.

John Codman wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 07, 2019 1:48 pm

I would doubt that the governor by himself has the authority to arbitrarily decide that you need new plates and double the cost.

He did---by himself. various Lawmakers and citizens are up in arms about it. At $25/per car, that leaves me at 5 vehicles plus a car trailer-----$150. My T has original Year of Manufacture (YOM) plates on it.

He "claims" they are old and can't be easily read by the Easy-Pass scanners----the Thruway Authority (State highway dept) says the Easy-Pass has no issues reading the current run of plates nor the set before them that are over 15 years old and still in use as well.

To answer the other question, you need to find a matching READABLE set of plates (probably no easy task for a 1915---and your going to pay for them). You can call to see if the numbers are available for use, and then you send $3.75 in with a picture of the unrestored plates and a registration form. FYI, your insurance card MUST ALSO have "HISTORICAL" printed across it. Once approved, they send you a new registration back with your new plate number. At that time if you want the plates to look nice, have them restored to new.

NY does not want to have "restored"plates in use---even though almost everyone does. One of mine was one the shy side of unreadable, I touched it up so it looked good in the pic. My plates are unrestored otherwise to keep the look of the unrestored vehicle they go on. That was my choice. If I had a nice shiny black T, they would be restored to like new to match the vehicle.

Here are the full details..... https://dmv.ny.gov/apply-vintage-plates

The caveat is the historical registrations are due yearly, not bi-yearly like regular registrations.

Unless you’re driving your T as daily transportation, I would just find an old NY plate to put on and be done with it. I carry my real “antique” tag and paperwork under the rear seat in case I get pulled over which has never happened.

You should be happy that it only costs $25. Illinois fee is $101 for random numbered plate (renewals just get a sticker)- but if you want to support an ideology there are about 70 various designs to choose from (at additional cost). Here are just a few...

Try 40 Ford Steve on Ebay...that's where I got mine,

both front and rear, DMV cleared.

A matching pair of antique ny plates the year of your car is usually an easy find at Hershey. Ask someone who is going to get you some. Reregister them. State inspection is $10 at my service station.

I live in Memphis, which comprises most - but not all - of Shelby County, Tennessee. That means there are two governments, two mayors, and two sets of rules governing me. In addition, I pay Property Tax to both, and they are about equal amounts. All that I learned when I moved here, and I've pretty much gotten over the shock.

Now, however, the Mayor of Shelby County has decreed - apparently without consent of the Council - that any address in the County at which more than two vehicles (cars, trucks, RV's, trailers) are registered, will pay $147.00 each year for each one over the original two. And that the money raised will help fund the MATA (bus) program.

In my case, that means I will pay $147 for my Model T, $147 for its trailer, and $147 for my old work truck, which doesn't run but I keep it as a tool and equipment storage convenience.

And I don't ride the bus --- ever!! What I do know is that the buses are huge monsters, taking up 2 lanes of the street, and I'm told there are rarely more riders than fingers on your hands.

Just another example of civic leaders looking for more ways to make us pay for their extravagances!!

You should get a set (2 plates, front & back) EBAY has 2 sets of NY 1915 for sale ($125 needs restor3- $300 ready to go)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1915-NY-Licens ... SwyhRdXIdH
I'm in the process of refurbishing as set of 1921 IL plates. First what they looked like on EBAY (I zoomed in and they looked solid) Placed them in a bath of RustRestorer (KrudKutter brand) then brushed of the residue black residue.
New powdery rust over night. Then wire brushed it Painted front black, back with clear coat, next week white numbers

A word of caution: Be careful when and IF you restore your license plate/plates. Some states, Colorado, do not allow restored plates to be displayed on a vehicle in lieu of State issued plates ( Colorado allows YOM plates but just not restored YOM plates). SO, we are going to have the plates we purchased (or will purchase in the future) registered to the vehicle PRIOR to restoration. After the registration is complete, we may or may not do any restoration but the State will never know or really care about it then.

Check around to see if you have a license plate club/organization in your state or area. We found a nearly pristine set of 1920 plates from a local license plate collector who is a mainstay of the local license plate club (I never knew existed).

Good Luck,
Terry

Massachusetts does not allow restored YOM plates, but as was said earlier, people do it anyway. I'm not sure what their issue with restored plates is. Florida does allow restored plates, but you have to send the restored plate to the DMV in Tallahassee to be approved. There is a fee for this.
As to the OP - I would be interested in knowing what statute(s) the NY governor is citing to unilaterally decree that New York residents have to do something or pay something. That's kinda the point of having a legislature. Typically, governors and presidents are not allowed to rule by decree, except under certain emergency situations. I would doubt that license plates are a legitimate emergency. New York requires motor vehicle inspections (as does Massachusetts) Part of the Massachusetts inspection is the condition of the license plates. As a former Massachusetts inspector, I have rejected quite a number of vehicles for unreadable plates. If NY has a problem with unreadable plates (in addition to their problem with ugly plates), they need to do a bit of retraining of their vehicle inspectors.

In my leftist-run city, the dipweeds at the top fine car owners to pay for bicycle lanes
and other pet projects they dream up. What galls me is that any of these people are
personally worth millions, yet do nothing with their own money to set up a foundation
or similar to undertake these pet projects, yet they expect everyone else to pony up !

Last year they spent MILLIONS to find shelters and other BS for the street parasites.
With such programs, these urchins flock from all over to take advantage of the giveaways.
Meanwhile, good people, honestly struggling to make a better life for themselves have
all the charity resources syphoned away by those uninterested in working or being anything
but a blight, wherever they go.

And the politicos just milk this BS to death and make those of us that DO work and pay
taxes pay for it all.

FWIW, a state legislator representing the North Tonawanda area of NY is introducing legislation that would require the state to collect no more than their actual cost to produce new plates (65 cents per plate). I doubt it's going anywhere, but it puts the governor, who hotly denied that his scheme is simply a money grab, on the hot seat.

Steve, they don't know but that does not stop them from rejecting a mint plate as restored. Those morons at the NYDMV are often wrong but never in doubt! I had a mint 1913 Plate they rejected. I had a trashed plate they approved and then I had it restored. Bottom line, their stupidity cost me the $100 to have the trashed plate restored after they approved it. Now both plates look the same! One is legal and the other is not. I moved out of NY to escape their stupidity but if I still lived there I would just use whatever plate I wanted and to hell with them!

Here are the NY state DMV rules for HISTORIC and VINTAGE plates (there is a difference)
https://dmv.ny.gov/learn-about-historic ... age-plates
https://dmv.ny.gov/apply-vintage-plates

To "prove" you have an original pictures help (just say you got it from the INTERNET ) But print it off & say they can keep it for their records http://nyplates.net/gallery.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_r ... f_New_York

Whenever you run into red tape - be especially nice, review the "official" evidence of why you think you comply and
ask what you need to do to get them to approve it, get ready to write it down in front of them, but just before you do that ask for their name or badge-id "so you can follow-up if there not around when you return".