[Oldsfan]

I was at a show the other week and there was a '59 Corvette there with an original '59 PA license plate on the back. My buddy asked how that guy was getting away with it. His dad said it was recently made legal to run Year of Manufacture plates on the back in PA. I hadn't heard that. I've been waiting for years to run a Y-O-M plate on my car. Can anyone confirm this?

Paul

[nearchoclatetown]

That would be great news if true. I have not heard this yet, hope you are right.

[charlier]

The PENNDOT Driver and Vehicle Services web site does not mention anything about Y-O-M plates.
There is also a page that contains "Legislation Affecting Drivers and Vehicles" but even this page does not mention the Y-O-M plates.

These findings do not mean there has not been a change.
I guess time will tell if there has been a change made or not.

[Dave@Moon]

According to this article by John Gunnell at Hagerty.com (Hagerty Insurance), and the web site linked in that article, YOM plates have been legal in PA since at least 2005. This is the first I've heard of it myself.

[charlier]

Originally Posted By: Dave@Moon

According to this article by John Gunnell at Hagerty.com (Hagerty Insurance), and the web site linked in that article, YOM plates have been legal in PA since at least 2005. This is the first I've heard of it myself.

Thanks for the article link.

The optimist in me hopes this information is true.
Unfortunately, the skeptic in me says the web site linked in the article does not provide a link to the official
PENNDOT or official State of PA web site so at this point I am not convinced.

Maybe someone from AACA National can contact PENNDOT in Harrisburg or one of the legislators there for
Official information concerning this issue????

[Restorer32]

Penn-Dot's web site makes no mention of YOM plates that I can find nor do they list any forms to accomplish YOM plate registration. I renew all of my PA registrations online and suspect that if YOM plates were in fact legal there would be a form and a fee to register them. I do know folks who use a YOM plate and keep the legal plate in the trunk in case they are pulled over. Just cause people do it doesn't make it legal. I hope I'm wrong as I have a beautiful set of '32s I'd like to use.

[Bhigdog]

A few years ago I spent a few hours in Harrisburg trying to convince the MV people to allow me to use a restored 1939 plate on my pick up. A got a few layers up the chain of command before I was told "NO WAY". I don't think anything has changed. I run the plate but keep the real one in the glove box. If (when) I'm stopped the plan is to smack my self in the forehead and say "I forgot". If the cop is a hard a** it will be about a $100 lesson........Bob

[Dave@Moon]

Originally Posted By: Bhigdog

I run the plate but keep the real one in the glove box. If (when) I'm stopped the plan is to smack my self in the forehead and say "I forgot". If the cop is a hard a** it will be about a $100 lesson........Bob

When I moved out of PA in 2001 they weren't legal yet. I don't know who or when or if they're legal now, but I hope they are.

BTW, if the cop's a "hard a**" I'm pretty sure it's actually a much bigger fine than $100.00, plus court costs. [img]<>/shocked.gif[/img] The $100.00 penalty is for obscuring the display of the correct registration plate [25 PA Code Sec. 1332(c)]. The penalty for not displaying the plate at all isn't specified, and that's the least of your problems.

The big penalty will be for displaying a false registration plate. Neither penalty (no plate/false plate) is specifically spelled out in the regs, which usually means it's a statuatory violation. Also after the fine, which I imagine based on experience will probably be in the low four digit range, I'd be very surprised if you were allowed to keep the car! You could even do light time or community service for this. [img]<>/shocked.gif[/img] [img]<>/shocked.gif[/img] [img]<>/shocked.gif[/img]

As a relative measure I know the fine for failing to register at all was $650.00 15-20 years ago. I think they'll take this to be a worse violation.

Still want to go trolling for "hard a** cops"? [img]<>/frown.gif[/img]

In Ohio, and I believe all other YOM states, the YOM plate is registered to the car offically. You may or may not need a current plate kept in the car (like in OH), but certainly the police have to be able to ID the car as belonging to you using the numbers displayed. You can bet if PA has OKed YOM plates it isn't a casual, "go ahead and hang whatever you want on your car" type thing!

See: PA Registration of Vehicle regulations in PA Code

[Dave@Moon]

Quote:

Penn-Dot's web site makes no mention of YOM plates that I can find nor do they list any forms to accomplish YOM plate registration. I renew all of my PA registrations online and suspect that if YOM plates were in fact legal there would be a form and a fee to register them.

I believe antique registrations are still permenant in PA, and therefore they wouldn't show up in the renewal web site whether YOM plates are legal or not. Unless PENNDOT has done something really innovative, (I'll pause while some of you stop laughing [img]<>/grin.gif[/img]), I don't think there's an online initial registration service or form in PA. Everything's still handled at the notary.

[Oldsfan]

I don't know why PENNDOT fights these plates so. ALL of the states surrounding us allow them, and you'd think PENNDOT would want the additional revenue it would generate (and I beleive it would generate a lot!). I mean, after all, this is the state that allows the Flagship Niagara plates which can't even been read. If the surrounding states can devise a system for the use of YOM plates, PENNDOT should be able to.

Regarding the current YOM legislation referred to above, I believe this relates to the use of YOM plates on the FRONT for display purposes. I was told in the early 90s that YOM plates displayed on the front were actually illegal, although it was common practice. I think the 2005 ruling made it legal for YOM plates to be displayed on the front.

Paul