The state of California's historic license plate re-issue, originally suggested here by your humble correspondent is soon to become real.
In 2009, I wrote a post for this blog suggesting this idea that you can read by clicking here. I forwarded the link to then governor Arnold and my state representative. And now the idea has taken flight.
Up til now, historic plates traveled with their original vehicle. As long as it was never registered out of state, the car could continue to use the plates it was first registered with. This gave great cache to original "black plate" cars, for instance. In recent years, California has allowed owners of vintage cars to use plates appropriate to the year of their car even if the plates weren't native to that vehicle. But now, the state is proposing to re-issue the gold with black lettering, black with gold lettering, and blue with gold lettering plates for use on any vehicle.
California Assemblyman Mike Gatto introduced Assembly Bill No. 1658 that “would create the Legacy License Plate Program to allow the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to issue plates that replicate the look of the plates from the state’s past.”
But there's a hitch--the state is insisting that, once the bill is approved, there must be orders in hand for 7,500 of the retro plates by January 1, 2015. But that does not seem like it will be a hurdle too tall, as many California drivers still lust after these classic looking plates that add so much to a car's look, especially compared to the plain jane white plates currently in use.
The new plates will probably be made of reflective material like our current ones, and thus, sadly, will not have the stamped-in raised numbers of the originals. But the color scheme and design alone should make them a welcome addition to any car currently on the roads of the golden state.
Details on ordering the plates from California DMV can be accessed by clicking here. Tell them I sent you.
Comments