Discussion Forum - Northstar Chevelle Club

Jon, thanks for clarifying.  This has been a favorite topic of discussion amongst the car community...

A few years ago I had one of Bloomington's finest follow me for a couple of miiles one early Friday morning when I drove the Chevelle to work.  He followed me all the way until I turned into the parking lot, then he kept going.  One of the 'friendly' accountants walked into work with me after I parked, and he sarcastically said "You know why the police followed you here don't you?  It's because you had collector plates and aren't supposed to drive it for regular purposes, and it's only meant for parades and pleasure driving purposes."  I told him "I have pleasure every time I drive it whether to a car show or occasionally to work!" 

Now Jon, in your other spare time, can you clear the air on whether or not a front plate is needed on cars 20 years or older?  That's the 2nd part of this debate... Thanks!

SShink wrote:

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Jon, thanks for clarifying.  This has been a favorite topic of discussion amongst the car community...

Now Jon, in your other spare time, can you clear the air on whether or not a front plate is needed on cars 20 years or older?  That's the 2nd part of this debate... Thanks!

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 Stan,

I like your definition of "pleasure driving"!

This is from the DMV website.  One is good. 

Applications for registration in one of the collector classes must be made at a Deputy Registrar Office or by mailing an Application to Title and Register a Vehicle (PS2000) and the appropriate fees to:

Driver and Vehicle Services
445 Minnesota Street Suite 164
St. Paul, MN 55101

 Collector class vehicles may display a single plate, on either the front or back of the vehicle owned or jointly owned by the applicant.  (Emphasis and color added.)

Restrictions: Vehicles registered in any of the collector classes are restricted to operation solely as a collector's item and cannot be used for general transportation purposes.

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Also, I have been looking for some original plates for my '69.  I finally found some I liked and went into DMV to see if they were being used.  The DMV is using a new format of 1 numeral, two alpha and 3 numeral plates like the original '68-'70 series, so that series of plates can no longer be used.

-- Edited by Jon H on Sunday 13th of November 2011 05:23:24 PM

-- Edited by Jon H on Sunday 13th of November 2011 05:24:27 PM

Lost in the 60s wrote:

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Jon H wrote:

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 Collector class vehicles may display a single plate, on either the front or back of the vehicle owned or jointly owned by the applicant. 

Also, I have been looking for some original plates for my '69.  I finally found some I liked and went into DMV to see if they were being used.  The DMV is using a new format of 1 numeral, two alpha and 3 numeral plates like the original '68-'70 series, so that series of plates can no longer be used.

-- Edited by Jon H on Sunday 13th of November 2011 05:23:24 PM

-- Edited by Jon H on Sunday 13th of November 2011 05:24:27 PM

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I just bought a set of '65 stamped with '66 sticker plates for my Chevelle with that same sequence. I suppose they won't register them now. So what happens to the vintage plates I already have registered on my '67 Camaro and '70 Chevelle?? Are they going to revoke them ? I've already paid for 2 sets of plates that the DMV rejected and guess what ....they won't return the money !!! They will credit it toward registering a different plate to the vehicle, which I haven't done, so they have over $90 of undeserved funds from me. 

I have only had a rear plate on all my 20 yr old cars and never had any problem.

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 I would guess they will revoke them and you may be out of luck.

Lost in the 60s wrote:

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Jon H wrote:

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 Collector class vehicles may display a single plate, on either the front or back of the vehicle owned or jointly owned by the applicant. 

Also, I have been looking for some original plates for my '69.  I finally found some I liked and went into DMV to see if they were being used.  The DMV is using a new format of 1 numeral, two alpha and 3 numeral plates like the original '68-'70 series, so that series of plates can no longer be used.

-- Edited by Jon H on Sunday 13th of November 2011 05:23:24 PM

-- Edited by Jon H on Sunday 13th of November 2011 05:24:27 PM

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I just bought a set of '65 stamped with '66 sticker plates for my Chevelle with that same sequence. I suppose they won't register them now. So what happens to the vintage plates I already have registered on my '67 Camaro and '70 Chevelle?? Are they going to revoke them ? I've already paid for 2 sets of plates that the DMV rejected and guess what ....they won't return the money !!! They will credit it toward registering a different plate to the vehicle, which I haven't done, so they have over $90 of undeserved funds from me. 

I have only had a rear plate on all my 20 yr old cars and never had any problem.

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 If you havent already registered them by now. Its probably too late now to use them if this is the case. Anyone that got in before they changed could have got grandfathered in and will get to keep thier plates. Emphasis on could, who knows where they really stand. You could get replacement plates, or should I say, silk screened "sheets" with numbers and letters on them.

Bungy L-76 wrote:

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Since I've been a LEO for the past 15 years and a collector car owning gearhead, I get asked this question A LOT. The confusion comes from the laws lack of clarity.

The law states the collector car it is to be operated soley as a collector's item and not for general transportation purposes. NO WHERE in the law does it state anything about driving it to car shows, or Sunday driving, repair shops, or to work. And the most common one that everyone quotes to me "occasional pleasrure driving" DOESN"T SAY THAT anywhere in the statute.

So "operated soley as a collector vehicle"  takes on many many interpretations. As Jon H said, As always common sense prevails. (unless of course you run into one of those "trafic Nazis") I myself am just going to keep using the common sense approch. It's worked for me for the past 20 years that I've had a vehicle with collector plates on it.

Also, if running one plate, it must be displayed to the rear.

-- Edited by Bungy L-76 on Monday 14th of November 2011 08:14:57 AM

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 I would also think the plate should be displayed on the rear of the vehicle, I am just quoting the DPS DVS website.  In states where they only run one plate in must be displayed on the rear.  If you put it on the front it is certainly going to get you stopped by a LEO more than you would like to be.  Not a lawyer, so I can't answer that one.

dashboard wrote:

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I do cross my fingers when I make a Home Depot run.

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"I'm bringing home materials for the garage it parks in...what's the problem Occifer ?"

 

-- Edited by Lost in the 60s on Monday 14th of November 2011 03:16:29 PM

My story was going to be. It’s for a calendar photo shoot Officer.

Back in 1996 I was going to school in Fargo and bought a 70 Z28 with collector plates in the cities. I stayed with my parents and on sunday drove the car back to school and got nailed by a trooper on I-94. He nailed me with a "illegal use of plates" ticket which was insanely expensive. His comment was that you couldn't drive a car with collector plates on an interstate freeway. I wish I would of fought that ticket because I think it was BS. I carry the statute in my car now just in case.

I was pretty mad with the dmv when they wouldn't let me register with my 68 plates. Sucks just so the state can collect money on all the specialty plates. Why can't I just pay the same custom plate fee and run them?

Lost in the 60s wrote:

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Where's Pushrod ?? This should get him fired up...

 

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 Mitch,

Do you really want to poke the sleeping bear?

So I guess if I want to build an old school 31 coupe or a rat rod style car. I cant use the original 20's and 30's era rusty license plates either then. The street rodders are not going to be happy with that.

 Well, im awake but if i get going on our current administration ,you know, chimp boy, and all the other crap going on.... ( occupy mn, our governor and i use that term loosely, GOP candidates , why they have to mess around with regulating the HE double hockey sticks out of every thing ,my freedom to make my own decisions and so on and so forth ) ill go NUTS!!!! besides this isn't the place to discuss my opinion on "politics" i woulnd't want to OFFEND anybody.   oh-oh my face pic is on here, here comes the thought-police

-- Edited by Pushrod on Wednesday 16th of November 2011 08:38:16 PM

I just got back from the DMV to pick up tabs. I asked the person behind the counter about this. It seems its correct, at least from what I gathered from what I was being told. Although, I was referred to a phone number to call and really get these questions answered. The office in St. Paul whom has all the answers.

Appearently the last few years, the state has really started cracking down on the use of collector cars as collector car plates started to become more abused lately. Guys have been using collector cars as normal transportation a lot now and the state finally started to do something about it and enforce it.

She gave an example of a guy that drove a car with collector plates for years as basic transportation and the law caught up with him. They went back into the history and charged him with paying for registration for at least the last 5 years, he got multiple fines, plus he was fined another 5 grand and they wont allow him to get collector plates on any car ever again. That was an example I was given. The only thing we can really do is call the state and bring the actual plate into the DMV and show them what you have. Ill grab the card I was given and post the number if anyone wants.