Benefits of historic registration in NY?

[Big Beat]

My '79 Chevy currently has regular registration. I'm thinking of registering it as historic when I renew. The DMV site is not very informative, hopefully someone here with firsthand experience can help.

Regular registration for this car is currently $133.50 ($103.50, plus $30 use tax), but this is for two years. From what I understand, historic registration has to be renewed every year, and it's $68.75 in NYC, according to this:

http://www.nysdmv.com/forms/mv440H.pdf

So it's actually a few dollars more, plus the additional hassle of renewing annually instead of bi-annually. So what exactly are the benefits then? Is there any reason to switch? Am I missing something?

Also, will I still have to do the annual safety & emission inspection with historic registration?

Thanks!

[Rawja]

According to the website you're also restricted in that it can't be used as a daily driver.

You still have to get it inspected every year.

You can use the old orange and blue license plates that were "correct" back then if that's appealing to you.

Personally I don't see the point to getting a historical registration in NY.

[Guest AlK]

Not that it really matters, but here in Alabama, you register/transfer for a "Vintage" plate. It is good forever, never have to register it again, one time $30 fee. We have no inspection. You cannot drive it every day, but you can get around that restriction up to a point. For us that is an incentive to register for a vintage plate. For my fellow New Yorkers(I use to live there until I injected some stems cells and got smart and moved to a warmer climate), I see no advantage to registering "historical" as it costs more money and there are no incentives. Typical New York DMV thinking.

[Big Beat]

Yes, I understand about the limited use, that's not a problem. And I do know that in some states, the procedure makes far more sense. I just wanted to hear some comments from fellow forum members who live in NY and have already been through this, just in case I was missing something.

If the only actual benefit is the ability to use those ugly yellow plates, I think I'll pass.

[ex98thdrill]

Personally I don't see the point to getting a historical registration in NY.

Roger, the historical plates all depends on what you're putting them on. If you're putting them on an antique truck, the savings is HUGE!!! If you're putting them on an antique car, it may not be worth it.

We registered our two antique fire trucks for $23 per vehicle last year. Of course the state raised the prices, but in January, 2010 the plates on our 2004 Chevy pickup were $94 for two years. With regular plate registrations being determined by the weight of the vehicle, Historic plates can be a good savings, and it might not be worth anything at all.

Everything else that you said is correct.

Just so you and anyone else in New York that's in this situation is aware of, the local DMV computers will not allow you to register a vehicle weighing more than 19,000 pounds with historic plates. Our ladder truck tips the scales at over 25,000 pounds. In order to get the historic plates on the truck (which took almost two hours to resolve), the local DMV clerk had to register the ladder truck at a weight that the computer would allow, notify Albany, and have them put the correct weight of the vehicle in their computer in Albany. What the local DMV office did was gave us a letter to keep in the glove compartment stating that the weight was incorrect. When Albany sent out the permanent registration on the truck, everything was straight.

Not a complaint, but just a word of warning to avoid a two hour trip to DMV.

[Dave Mellor NJ]

Does it matter to the antique insurance co. whether you have historical registration?

[ted sweet]

thats basicly it. but i do have it on 5 of my cars so i can use the yr of manufacture plates.

legiststation is purposed every year for a 1 time reg fee, but it never passes.

Yes, I understand about the limited use, that's not a problem. And I do know that in some states, the procedure makes far more sense. I just wanted to hear some comments from fellow forum members who live in NY and have already been through this, just in case I was missing something.

If the only actual benefit is the ability to use those ugly yellow plates, I think I'll pass.

[Dandy Dave]

If the only actual benefit is the ability to use those ugly yellow plates, I think I'll pass.

Well!...I don't think my yellow plates are ugly. ... ... Dandy Dave!