HOW TO CLEAR YEAR OF MFG. PLATES IN CA .

[Mr Riviera]

Does anyone know how to clear YOM plates in Calif. DMV ?  I have a nice set of black and yellow that I want to sell but dont know how to clear them . I went to DMV , stood in line for an hour only to be told that I cannot sell the plates ????  Any help would be appriciated by me and someone that needs them . thanks. Dick

[ply33]

Back about 15 to 20 years ago when I did it, I found I could call the 800 number for the DMV and explain that I wanted to see if I could use a set of plate numbers for YOM registration. They were able to give me a yes/no answer (if no they were not going to tell me anything about the vehicle currently registered with those numbers.

 

My notes from way back when were: "You can contact the DMV to see if a set of plates is clear. Their number is 1-800-777-0133. Dial 1 to get English, then 0 to get an agent. The 800 number agents know of the YOM law and can quickly check to see if the number is in use."

 

I don't know if that still holds true or if the 800 number has changed, but it might be worth a try.

 

My full write up is at http://www.ply33.com/Misc/yom

Edited November 29, 2017 by ply33 (see edit history)

[Mr Riviera]

I will give it a try tomorrow and report back . Thanks

[1953mack]

6 hours ago, Mr Riviera said:

......I went to DMV , stood in line for an hour only to be told that I cannot sell the plates ????.....

 

Assuming that you have the 1963-1968 black plates with the gold alphanumerics, your plates might be good for hanging on a wall only.....or.....good for the vehicle that they were originally issued if you could find it. It could also be due to the fact that they want you to buy their reproduction plates that are available under the California Legacy License Plate Program. Scroll down close to the bottom of this link and read all about it.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_registration_plates_of_California

 

Al Malachowski

BCA #8965

"500 Miles West of Flint"

 

[JFranklin]

Why can't you sell your plates? I haven't heard that one before. A plate being clear to reuse means not having a  number already in use (any year).

Edited November 30, 2017 by JFranklin (see edit history)

[Mr Riviera]

Good point , I will know more tomorrow . Tks

[Barney Eaton]

Dick,  just put them on the car and if you get stopped, show them your retired cop ID.

[Mr Riviera]

LOL -  Problem is I want to sell the plates and dont want the buyer to have a problem !

[39BuickEight]

You are certainly well-intentioned in making yourself a wonderful seller, but generally anyone selling old license plates doesn't go through the trouble to ensuring they are clear nor does the buyer verify that upon purchase.  Most buyers are license plate collectors, not someone who wants to put them on a car.  In fact, you may be creating trouble for yourself if, indeed you verify they are clear, but then a buyer runs into a cruddy DMV employee who gives them a hard time.  Guess who the buyer will then contact about the problem?

 

I would just sell them as a collector's item and leave it at that.  Let the buyer verify everything if they intend to use them on a vehicle.

[60FlatTop]

If you sell the plates to honest citizens they might have a problem, others, not so much.

Bernie

[Grimy]

1 hour ago, 39BuickEight said:

You are certainly well-intentioned in making yourself a wonderful seller, but generally anyone selling old license plates doesn't go through the trouble to ensuring they are clear nor does the buyer verify that upon purchase.  Most buyers are license plate collectors, not someone who wants to put them on a car.  In fact, you may be creating trouble for yourself if, indeed you verify they are clear, but then a buyer runs into a cruddy DMV employee who gives them a hard time.  Guess who the buyer will then contact about the problem?

 

I would just sell them as a collector's item and leave it at that.  Let the buyer verify everything if they intend to use them on a vehicle.

It's a little different in California, whose plates are the subject. Most Calif prospective buyers want to run them on an appropriate car.  The primary fly in the ointment is that these prized yellow-on-black plates issued 1963-70 ARE STILL VALID AS "REGULAR" PLATES--two of my cars have had those plates since 1963 under other owners as well as myself.  In Calif the CURRENTLY VALID plates (initially issued 1963 forward) stay with the vehicle through subsequent in-state owners.  So it's different from 1925 or 1935 or even the black-on-yellow plates issued 1956-62 which are NOT valid as "regular" plates. 

 

Another thing to consider is that "DMV clear" means only the moment in time when the plates were actually run, and not even five minutes later.  The only potential conflict is with 1956-62 yellow-on-black plates which also used the "SAM123" alphanumeric scheme as the black-on-yellow 1963-70 plates.  That is, only in the unlikely (but possible) instance of someone having 1956-62 plates with the identical alphanumeric registered as YOM plates, would there be a conflict.

 

Yet another issue is if the OP's black plates are currently registered to a vehicle in Calif, or under non-op, meaning those plates are assigned to a specific vehicle in the DMV's records.  If they are and the owner wants personalized or special plates for the vehicle to which those yellow-on-black plates are currently assigned, he would have to surrender the yellow-on-black plates to get the other plates--because the yellow-on-black are currently valid "regular" plates.  On the other hand, if these plates have been out of the DMV system for four or more years, they can be sold separately.

 

The exception to the "plates stay with the car" rule is that when one buys a vehicle with YOM from BEFORE 1963 or personalized plates, he must get the seller to sign a separate DMV form releasing those plates.  Been there, done that with both YOM and personalized.

Edited November 30, 2017 by Grimy
added clarification to last paragraph (see edit history)

[Bleach]

Back when I live in CA, I had two cars that had the yellow on black plates. Both cars were sold before 1963 when new so these plates were not original issue to either one. I ordered historic plates for both of them but I was never asked by the DMV to surrender the black plates. I still have both sets of those black plates. Could I sell them to someone in CA so they could use them or are they only worth as wall plaques?

[Grimy]

Hi Bleach, I *think* you can sell them and someone else can put them on as YOM plates if their cars are 1963-70, but best if your cars were changed to HV more than two or so years ago so that the black plates aren't still in the computer.  BUT:  Different letter combinations are associated with different years:  A plate beginning with Z is probably only for a 1969-70 car, as the different format yellow-on-blue plates came in mid-1970.  And in 1963 the black plates were a complete new issue to every car in Calif registered at the time, so a 1963 car could probably have plates beginning with F or G.  So DMV would probably not accept a Z plate for a 1963-65 car, but that's for the new owner to discern.

[JFranklin]

They only care if the # is already in use, any year or month. When I have purchased yom plates I register them that day. The plate design needs to be correct and usable of course.

Edited December 1, 2017 by JFranklin
Addendum (see edit history)

[Mr Riviera]

In my case with one set , they were on a car that I sold . I removed the plates and the car went to Wisconsin . I sent DMV the report of sale .

[Grimy]

12 minutes ago, Mr Riviera said:

In my case with one set , they were on a car that I sold . I removed the plates and the car went to Wisconsin . I sent DMV the report of sale .

Sounds like you're golden.

[NTX5467]

Would their "master records" reflect that plate set's history and the sale to an out-of-state buyer?  Just curious.

 

NTX5467

[JFranklin]

It is the plate # that is either in use in your state, or not. Your # should now be available if someone else dosn't have another year with that # ready to register today, or next week. 

[Grimy]

33 minutes ago, NTX5467 said:

Would their "master records" reflect that plate set's history and the sale to an out-of-state buyer?  Just curious.

No master records that I know of.  However, an exception to the drop-after-four-years that I know about personally is that every two years DMV sends me a renewal on a 1983 Ranger p/u I sold to Sweden 10 yrs ago (as a mule carrying parts for low duty) that I drove into the container myself.

 

Now I need to discuss the relatively new special-order black plates CA is offering:  They are extra cost and their alphanumerics are totally random.  To my understanding, one cannot buy a set of 1963-70 black plates and have them as YOM for anything other than a 1963-70 year model car IF those plates were not once assigned to that car (latter can be done from old garage wall plates if you have a reg document or title with that specific number on it).

 

And this is why registration services / DMV expediters make good money in this state....

[1953mack]

6 hours ago, Grimy said:

.....To my understanding, one cannot buy a set of 1963-70 black plates and have them as YOM for anything other than a 1963-70 year model car......

 

Curious to know why in all your three posts here, you say Black plates with Gold alphanumerics were still issued in 1969 and 1970. All the info that I have along with the link I posted in Post #4 above shows that Gold on Blue plates were first issued in 1969. HMN had an article on the proposed Legacy Plate program for the three eras before the orders started rolling in a few years back. Just trying to update my files. Thanks.

 

Al Malachowski

BCA #8965

"500 Miles West of Flint" 

[60FlatTop]

8 hours ago, NTX5467 said:

Would their "master records" reflect that plate set's history and the sale to an out-of-state buyer?

 

I bet that "Master Record" is right in their with my "Permanent Record" from school. Boy, did the teachers ever use that on me. Maybe it still exists in California, but New York went digital and a company called Thumbs Computer Services got the low bid for data entry. Current data is all that is available.

Bernie

[Grimy]

3 hours ago, 1953mack said:

Curious to know why in all your three posts here, you say Black plates with Gold alphanumerics were still issued in 1969 and 1970. All the info that I have along with the link I posted in Post #4 above shows that Gold on Blue plates were first issued in 1969. HMN had an article on the proposed Legacy Plate program for the three eras before the orders started rolling in a few years back. Just trying to update my files. Thanks.

Good question, Al.  There was overlap in the period you cite between the two different formats and color schemes.  I bought a 33,000 mile 1964 Cad 60S in VA in June 1970 while on active Army duty in MD, and AAA got it registered in my domicile state CA (as I was entitled) with the number ZJH943 in yellow on black.  I do not know the details of how new/old plates were allocated, but I *suspect* that my old style plates were sent from a DMV HQ stash.  I was back in CA 18 months later and noticed occasional sequentially later plates on the road.  As you may know, the ZZ* series was reserved for livery / commercial limo service. 

[NTX5467]

For the record, when TX was on annual plate replacement, the letter series indicated which county/region the plates were issued from, starting from the state capitol Austin, TX and working outward.  If you happened to see a plate that was more like "AAA" than "AXJ", for example, out of the central TX area (as in Travis County especially, it probably was some "administrative" vehicle of the state (incl unmarked law enforcement vehicles, if it happened to look like a pursuit vehicle, Plymouth Fury or Ford Galaxie).  When we went to yearly stickers on the plates, that little bit of trivia ended.

 

NTX54676

[ply33]

11 hours ago, NTX5467 said:

For the record, when TX was on annual plate replacement, the letter series indicated which county/region the plates were issued from, starting from the state capitol Austin, TX and working outward.  If you happened to see a plate that was more like "AAA" than "AXJ", for example, out of the central TX area (as in Travis County especially, it probably was some "administrative" vehicle of the state (incl unmarked law enforcement vehicles, if it happened to look like a pursuit vehicle, Plymouth Fury or Ford Galaxie).  When we went to yearly stickers on the plates, that little bit of trivia ended.

 

NTX54676

 

I recall when Arizona issued plates annually that you could tell what part of the state a vehicle was from by the number sequence. I suspect lots of states did something like that. It made it fairly easy for small towns to figure out who to target when setting up a speed trap.

 

[RivNut]

Before Kansas went to the 6 character alpha-numeric system, you could tell in which of the 105 counties in Kansas the vehicle was regisrered.  On the left side were two horizontal letters which were the abbreviations for that county.  I grew up in Hutchinson which was in Reno County, hence there was an RN on the tag. I also lived in Rice county - RC, went to college in Lyon County - LY, and now live in Johnson County - JO.  My personalized plate for my 64 Riviera is from Edwards County - ED.  It's a 64 plate, #4747.  If you analyze it, you can deduce that it's Ed's 1964 model #4747 (Riviera). 

Edited December 3, 2017 by RivNut (see edit history)

[MrEarl]

9 hours ago, RivNut said:

My personalized plate for my 64 Riviera is from Edwards County - ED.  It's a 64 plate, #4747.  If you analyze it, you can deduce that it's Ed's 1964 model #4747 (Riviera). 

 

Now that my friend is COOL!!!  But as always, , picture or it didn't happen?

[RivNut]

1 hour ago, MrEarl said:

 

Now that my friend is COOL!!!  But as always, , picture or it didn't happen?

 

?

[MrEarl]

Cool big time! ?

[1953mack]

Want to be really cool looking and noticed?  Picture these on your ride:  http://www.caslaw.net/85-whiskey-plates-in-minnesota

Here’s what they look like:  https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=whiskey+plates+in+minnesota&qpvt=whiskey+plates+in+minnesota&FORM=IGRE 

The most expensive plates that you will ever buy.

 

Al Malachowski

BCA #8965

"LAND OF 10,000+ LAKES DWI DRIVERS”

 

[JFranklin]

No Thanks, thank you.

Edited December 4, 2017 by JFranklin (see edit history)

[oldstyle]

On 11/29/2017 at 11:06 AM, Mr Riviera said:

Does anyone know how to clear YOM plates in Calif. DMV ?  I have a nice set of black and yellow that I want to sell but dont know how to clear them . I went to DMV , stood in line for an hour only to be told that I cannot sell the plates ????  Any help would be appriciated by me and someone that needs them . thanks. Dick

I did this about 2 years ago. I just called the 800 number and asked if I could use the number. They were able to tell me if the number was in use. It was still a issue though when I went to the dmv office to do the paperwork. They were confused and recommended that I don't turn in the paperwork. I did anyway and the plates were approved by Sacramento.  This was for a 37 plate by the way. I have to do the same with my 65 and I'm not looking forward to it.

Good luck.