CA black plates....just picked up a car....

Cuda Al said:

At one time having black plates on a California car indicated the car was originally a California car, some people seam to think that is important.

Now (from about 2008) you can have old black plates assigned to a car (63-69) that never had them so having the plates no longer is an indication the car is an original California car.

Always it was possible to have a car not from California have black plates on it if it was brought into the state between 63 and 69.

I think a lot of the mystique just comes from the car culture, it is a cool looking plate that was on cars at a great time in automotive history. California has always been at the center of all things automotive.


Alan

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Yes, there is a program called YOM (Year of Manfacture) where an owner is allowed to locate a pair of black plates that are lein free and get them approved for use on a 63-69 vehicle. That is what mine are. First letter is critical for accuracy.

ocdart said:

I just checked the California DMV website and it didn't send up any red flag notice when I checked the availability of my old long-out-of-the-computer license number from the '69 Dart I sold over twenty years ago (and still wish I'd kept). It looks like I could re-order the original plate number for my current '69 Dart project.

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Re-read posting #7 from pishta, on what you would be getting with the "new" black plates.

ocdart said:

I just checked the California DMV website and it didn't send up any red flag notice when I checked the availability of my old long-out-of-the-computer license number from the '69 Dart I sold over twenty years ago (and still wish I'd kept). It looks like I could re-order the original plate number for my current '69 Dart project.

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Whereas that may be true, you could check any plate even current ones, but the DMV will not allow you to request the sequence as a custom plate.

What that does tell you is the plates are 'DMV-Clear" otherwise free to use on the YOM program.

Now with a little effort you can have those plate reassigned to that car and not go through the YOM process and pay the extra $10 a year. I have done this a couple times, once with the black plates and once with the blue plates. Basically you need documentation (title, an old registration, etc.) showing those plates on that car (plate/VIN) and fill out a Statement of Facts form defining to origin and add a sentimental statement in for good measure. A couple sentences are all you need. Heck the DMV tech the first time told me what to write verbatim.


Alan

autoxcuda said:

Sound like the plates the car was originally born/issued with.

Born with the car = stays with the car.

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Are you saying that in Calif. the plates stay with the car when it's sold?? That's weird.
Must be a PITA when you get a new car finding it in a parking lot...unfamiliar car, unfamiliar plate.
Why do they do it this way?

Oaktree said:

Are you saying that in Calif. the plates stay with the car when it's sold?? That's weird.
Must be a PITA when you get a new car finding it in a parking lot...unfamiliar car, unfamiliar plate.
Why do they do it this way?

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I've lived in SoCal all my life and it's always been that way. Why? Don't know.