Guest jimstulga Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 I'm new to this forum. Usually follow the "technical", but my question didn't fit. Anyway, had a very unpleasant experience with a police officer last night while on my way to a restaurant driving my '61 Imperial. It was a great weather evening with the car overdue for some exercise. It's a fully restored stock original car and looks great on the road. Lots of thumbs up. I display a matched set of very good condition '61 Illinois license plates on the car. Have been driving it this way for over 12 years. A Police officer stopped me and asked about my plates / registration?? He was very curt and wanted a minimum of conversation. After he checked my drivers license, I presented him with my properly registered IL plate stored under the passenger side floor mat along with my registration and insurance sheets. Also gave him a copy of the IL ordinance that states it's ok to display a matched set of historic plates as long as they match the year of the car, however I made that copy over 10 yrs ago. After a long time, he said he was unaware of the ordinance that allowed these plates, but would "give me the benefit of the doubt" and I was free to go. I was shaken by incident and considered reporting him, not for stopping me, but for a very nasty attitude. He seemed intent on giving me a ticket and angry that I was clean, but, today I see on google, it looks like technically, I should be at or on my way to a car show or something antique car related. Did the rules change? Has anyone else had an experience like this? Should I just put the ugly modern plates on my antique cars and forget the originals? Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46 woodie Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 Jim, Don't get upset, it happened to a friend. From what I understand all states don't allow year of manufacture plates, so I can understand the police officers concern. My friend was issued a citation from out of state and he had to go thru the motions of copies of his registration, insurance etc, to get it dismissed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plyroadking Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 Iowa has a similar code, I keep multiple copies of the code in the glove boxes. Sometimes they hand them back, sometimes they crumple them up and throw them back, had one tear it up. One even went as far to say that they'd stop harassing me if I put the state issued plates back on. Local pd in Ames is starting a "voluntary" list of people's pseudo plates, had it out with them one time and ended up taking the YOM plates off the truck and giving them to them. They didn't know what to do then, I told them I was just going to go home and bolt on another set. I should also mention that this only occurs in my 1983 and 1986 trucks, only been pulled over once in the 1940 because of them and never in the 1930. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 (edited) The keyword for a search is "YOM" (year of manufacture). Each state is different. In Florida it must be an unused plate (many around) and for 1975 or earlier (later plates are not dated). And the sticker goes on the plate (rear only in Florida). Florida has over a hundred (really) "specialty and personalized plates" (most are $25 extra a year) so most police just look for a current sticker with the tag number on it. The statute I always keep in my tow car is the one that says neither a tow dolly nor a car being towed on a dolly needs to have a plate. Edited October 10, 2016 by padgett (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plymouthcranbrook Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 Illinois does allow this unless you are using "Expanded Antique" plates Then you must display the plate issued to the car. Sec of State site explains it quite well. http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/vsd355.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 (edited) Interesting, I have year of manufacture plates on two cars, and have driven thousands of miles with no questions. I have driven in more than twenty states. I also use modern replica plates with low / interesting numbers and letters that are not even registered to the car and carry the correct plates in the car. The replica plates are for the show field, and look very correct. I forgot to remove them last month and put on fourteen hundred miles with them.........Ed Edited October 10, 2016 by edinmass (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jimstulga Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 Thanks for the input everyone. I did look at cyberdriveillinois.com and can see the law has not changed. I'm going to keep doing as I have in the past, but have copied additional information to hand out if I get stopped again. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFranklin Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 One question that has not been asked, are your yom plates registered to your car or are they somebody else's numbers? In Oregon they need to be registered in lieu of modern plates to be legal I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amphicar BUYER Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 I would kindly speak with his CO and let them know that he was disrespectful to you and he was ill informed of the laws as to which he should be aware of. Sad to say, typical that he decided you were wrong and he could not be bothered to contact his CO for clarification. At any rate, he should be informed of the laws. He will be the 1st to tell you "Ignorance is no excuse" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plyroadking Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 (edited) 2 hours ago, JFranklin said: One question that has not been asked, are your yom plates registered to your car or are they somebody else's numbers? In Oregon they need to be registered in lieu of modern plates to be legal I believe. In iowa you just slap on a set, technically you're supposed to take them in and have them "approved" all they look for is if the letters and numbers are easily visible. I don't know why as they are in no way "registered" to you. Edited October 10, 2016 by Plyroadking (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterc9 Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 (edited) In New York state the YOM plate number is registered to your car. You find or buy yourself an old YOM plate or pair depending on year and if is in legible condition and that number is not already in use then you can register it to your car. No replicas allowed. There is an annual fee, $28 any car I think. You still have to get an annual NY inspection. I've never had a Police problem in over twenty years and lots of driving. Edited October 11, 2016 by misterc9 (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shinyhubcap Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 sounds to me like a very unwise practice to operate a motor vehicle on a public road with license plates that do not match what your certificate of registration shows. Many states, but not all, have adopted all or much of California's "YOM" (year-f-manufacture) law. If you have a pair of license plates that match, and the numbers on them do not conflict with some other vehicle using those numbers ( In Calif, we had some "refusals", because some motorcycle plate numbers were the same as some old plates !) you can take those, and your vehicle, to your local motor vehicle dept. They will re-register your vehicle to your old plates, and, of course, take up what you had. You then get a new registration and title certificate, and, of course, a "current sticker" if those are appropriate. You can use your imagination to come up with some unpleasant scenarios if you go running around in public displaying license plates that do not match your vehicle's current registration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plyroadking Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 59 minutes ago, shinyhubcap said: sounds to me like a very unwise practice to operate a motor vehicle on a public road with license plates that do not match what your certificate of registration shows. Many states, but not all, have adopted all or much of California's "YOM" (year-f-manufacture) law. If you have a pair of license plates that match, and the numbers on them do not conflict with some other vehicle using those numbers ( In Calif, we had some "refusals", because some motorcycle plate numbers were the same as some old plates !) you can take those, and your vehicle, to your local motor vehicle dept. They will re-register your vehicle to your old plates, and, of course, take up what you had. You then get a new registration and title certificate, and, of course, a "current sticker" if those are appropriate. You can use your imagination to come up with some unpleasant scenarios if you go running around in public displaying license plates that do not match your vehicle's current registration. I just about fell out of my highchair when I found out about it too! I moved here from CA and had CA yom plates on one of my cars that was registered to that car. In Iowa they register the plate to the owner and nothe the car so you keep and turn in your plates when you sell a car, maybe that has something to do with it? I like the look of YOM plates on my vehicles and would register them to the vehicles if it were possible here. Although it is nice when you're sliding sideways through an intersection in the winter and the red light camera people can't figure out who to send the ticket to.... I drove my 40 out to CA several years ago, was out there all summer driving around and had several officers notice the plates and they only asked if I had driven the car out or hauled it. I've been pulled over several times out of state with my iowa Yom plates (not because of the plates) and once the read my code handout they usually move on to the purpose of the stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jimstulga Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Jim here again, I find no wording in Illinois that says Y.O.M. plate numbers should be registered, but perhaps not a bad idea. In my opinion, the antique car hobby has changed during my time because so many technically correct antique cars blend into general traffic more than they used to. i.e., 1980s cars that don't look as dramatically different from modern traffic. Back in the '70s I drove a '57 Chevy, a 17 yr. old car at that time and people beeped and yelled positive comments all the time. I like the Florida rule stated above about cars with YOM plates having to be pre-1975. To Amphicar Buyer: I took your advice and, as you said "kindly" wrote to the Chief of Police to report the bad treatment from this officer. Don't mind being stopped EVER, but people in authority need proper people skills training. Many years ago in Chicago, I was stopped in an antique car and the smiling police officer came to my window and said "you are under arrest for having such a nice car". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike6024 Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 On 10/9/2016 at 5:33 PM, jimstulga said: After he checked my drivers license, I presented him with my properly registered IL plate stored under the passenger side floor mat ..... Jim You must realize, that from an officer's perspective this is just plain ridiculous. Officers want to be able to "run plates" just by looking at them as a car is going down the road and calling it in. They want to run the plate before making making the stop or contacting the driver. Could the officer have been able to run the plate you had displayed on your bumper? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amphicar BUYER Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 8 minutes ago, mike6024 said: You must realize, that from an officer's perspective this is just plain ridiculous. Officers want to be able to "run plates" just by looking at them as a car is going down the road and calling it in. They want to run the plate before making making the stop or contacting the driver. Could the officer have been able to run the plate you had displayed on your bumper? The problem here is that the officer was not trained in the laws he is supposed to enforce and more importantly he failed to find out without being disrespectful rude (which is why people don't like most cops). It is NOT up to the civilian to train the police. As I said before, the officer will be the 1st to tell you "Ignorance is no defense" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39BuickEight Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Maybe they have been looking for a similar stolen 1961 Imperial? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillip Cole Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Too few cars, too little advertising, too far from most buyers, but some great looking cars. Judging by the last two auctions I've seen, there are a lot of cars not making reserve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesBulldogMiller55Buick Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 (edited) On 10/10/2016 at 5:44 PM, misterc9 said: In New York state the YOM plate number is registered to your car. You find or buy yourself an old YOM plate or pair depending on year and if is in legible condition and that number is not already in use then you can register it to your car. No replicas allowed. There is an annual fee, $28 any car I think. You still have to get an annual NY inspection. I've never had a Police problem in over twenty years and lots of driving. Alabama is the same. Except, no inspection And, the fee is one time charge of $25 you can see in my signature photo my YOM plate Edited October 12, 2016 by JamesBulldogMiller55Buick (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vila Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 I personally don't understand having a state law that allows you to use a license plate on a vehicle it is not registered with even if the plate the vehicle is registered with is maintained inside the vehicle. Like some other states, Pennsylvania has a Year of Manufacture (YOM) program that allows the vehicle owner purchase an original plate from the year the vehicle was made and then register the vehicle with that YOM plate. The YOM plate is the official plate the car is registered with. The state even has a website that allows you to research the plate number to verify it is not currently used, to verify the number is allowed before purchasing the plate. You are not allowed to register using a YOM plate with a number already in use. When you register the vehicle PennDOT does another number search to verify the number is not currently in use. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 On 10/10/2016 at 1:09 PM, JFranklin said: One question that has not been asked, are your yom plates registered to your car or are they somebody else's numbers? In Oregon they need to be registered in lieu of modern plates to be legal I believe. Yes, registered to the car, but you only need one. However I usually run a pair. And a one time fee. But supposed to be only to show, parades etc. I figure if I ever get pulled over I will be on a test run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bollman Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 I have mixed thoughts on YOM plates needing to be registered to the car versus just having the real antique plates in the car. There are not many YOM cars on the road, why does the police need to run your plate if you're not doing anything wrong. If you're doing something wrong you should be stopped and then you can hand them the real plates. Of course you may not have a real plates and are driving the car illegally. I sold a 50 Ford F3 and told the buyer to bring plates because mine were coming off when it was paid for. The buyer didn't bring plates but claimed to have insurance. I had a 1950 plate on the truck that was in addition to the correct plate and I left it on the truck. He drove it home about 300 miles to another state and called when he got home to tell me it ran great and he had no problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_padavano Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 (edited) The OP is in the state of Illinois and is complying with the laws and regulations of that state. While I agree that displaying plates on a car that are not the ones used to register the car doesn't make sense to me, it is the law of that state. I don't really understand how a discussion of laws in NY or PA or any other state even apply to this thread. Every state is different. The brochure I've linked below is from the IL Secretary of State. Note the fifth bullet down on the LH column of the second page: Quote Historical License Plates, representing the model year, may be displayed on an antique vehicle; however, current Antique Vehicle/Motorcycle plates and registration ID card must be kept in the vehicle at all times. Note that the brochure also says this: Quote Vehicles displaying these plates may only be driven to and from an antique auto show or exhibition, service station or demonstration. The mechanical and physical condition of the vehicle, including brakes, lights, glass and appearance, must be the same or as safe as originally equipped. Bottom line is the OP was completely within the letter and intent of the law. The police officer was uninformed. http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/vsd355.pdf Edited October 13, 2016 by joe_padavano (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amphicar BUYER Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 The talk about specific laws is related to the conversation as this is a natural progression of conversation and very relevant. You don't know who may be reading this and it could lead to positive changes in the laws. Information is power. Maybe the lawmakers don't realize how these laws are just dumb. I think the plate you have displayed should be the plate that it's registered to. I can't believe any cop would disagree. They should expect that the 1966 plate on the 66 car is the pate they will see in the records. Not a plate under the seat they can't see to associate with the car and/or owner. Running you plate even though you aren't doing anything wrong is key to finding stolen cars, plates, criminals and such. I'm legal so I don't care if they run my plate. This is one reason that my 66 Cadillac that was stolen was found after almost a year. Had the officer not ran that plate, I may never have seen my car again. There are a significant number of criminals in prison, stolen cars found due to a tail light out or the random plate being checked. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_padavano Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 18 minutes ago, Amphicar BUYER said: The talk about specific laws is related to the conversation as this is a natural progression of conversation and very relevant. You don't know who may be reading this and it could lead to positive changes in the laws. Information is power. Maybe the lawmakers don't realize how these laws are just dumb. I think the plate you have displayed should be the plate that it's registered to. I can't believe any cop would disagree. They should expect that the 1966 plate on the 66 car is the pate they will see in the records. Not a plate under the seat they can't see to associate with the car and/or owner. Running you plate even though you aren't doing anything wrong is key to finding stolen cars, plates, criminals and such. I'm legal so I don't care if they run my plate. This is one reason that my 66 Cadillac that was stolen was found after almost a year. Had the officer not ran that plate, I may never have seen my car again. There are a significant number of criminals in prison, stolen cars found due to a tail light out or the random plate being checked. Again, I don't disagree with you, but the OP was completely within the law in his state. The fact that the IL state law doesn't make sense is a different issue. It wouldn't be the first law that was illogical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 Bottom line: know what the laws are in your state and carry documentation if you leave the state. In Florida there is a large segment that does not bother with insurance so must acquire plates elsewhere. There are also an incredible number of different legal (including YOM) plates in use. So officers look for the sticker first since all legally registed plates must have one and that includes the owner's birth month, expiration year, and the number of the plate it is supposed to be attached to. So if I have a '70 6W-400 plate on my car, it had best match the sticker and be current. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amphicar BUYER Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 55 minutes ago, joe_padavano said: Again, I don't disagree with you, but the OP was completely within the law in his state. The fact that the IL state law doesn't make sense is a different issue. It wouldn't be the first law that was illogical. That is true, you would think that the police would be well aware of the laws which would eliminate the problem the OP experienced, but that's just me! ;-) Here in Colorado it's the same. The YOM plate is displayed on the car (must have front and rear) but they give you another plate that must be in the car that matches on the registration. What the ...? Why do they not just use the number from the YOM pate and not have a 2nd secret plate? This is no different that a vanity plate. Seems the police would be all over all the things wrong with this scenario. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46 woodie Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 Amphicar, you mean that the plate on the car is not the plate that the car is registered to? In New York we have red light cameras, so how would the DMV know where to send the citation? I agree with you, I can see several scenarios where someone that is dishonest could use this crazy law to their advantage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amphicar BUYER Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 1 hour ago, 46 woodie said: Amphicar, you mean that the plate on the car is not the plate that the car is registered to? In New York we have red light cameras, so how would the DMV know where to send the citation? I agree with you, I can see several scenarios where someone that is dishonest could use this crazy law to their advantage. Yes, here the YOM plate is displayed but the modern plate is not (but must be in the car) and that is the one it's officially registered to. I do not know what the police see if the type in the YOM plate and it shows the modern plate or not (or how the toll and red light cameras). I just don't know why there is a modern plate at all. I know that a temp tag doesn't get read for the toll roads so it becomes a free pass! Love that part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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