"Historic" License Plates

[vince_A]

Check your state and see if they have a "year of manufacture" law, If they do and you can find an age appropriate plate you can register and run it.

I buy and sell (pre-1975) Texas motorcycle plates and have an excellent restorer that I deal with.

Unclviny

[Re-cycleInc]

Rich - One of these days I plan on taking a trip out to Harrisburg to see if I can charm somebody into issuing me some plates. It's only about an hour a way but I never remember to do it when I have a day off. If I do get there and have success I'll post any information that might be useful to someone here. Until then I'll just run my other plates on it around the neighborhood.

[Buzz Kanter]

I feel lucky to have found and bought a genuine 1915 Connecticut motorcycle plate that I plan on registering and running on my Motorcycle Cannonball 1915 Harley.

Talk about hard to find, I have been looking for almost a year for this one and can't believe my luck in finding this one.

[rwrun]

Re-cycleInc, I would try to get the antique plates if that is what you want. It doesn't hurt to send a few pictures in with the application. When I got the antique plates for my flathead it had bobbed fenders on it at the time (no longer). They still gave me the plates, it all depends on who at the DMV gets your application and what kind of mood they are in that day

[Sargehere]

I've heard that about PA before. I've also heard that it depends upon who you talk to/get as a tag clerk at Harrisburg. These self-appointed taste-police anger me.
I know that it was not the intention of the law that only pristine restorations qualify, when Past AMCA President and Honorary Member, the late Dr. Art Sigal, almost single-handedly got the provisions enacted into PA law in the 1960s, and wasn't the practice when Past President, etc., (ditto) Doc John Patt, V.M.D., R.I.P, registered his entirely rust-patinaed 1930 VL he found leaning against a tree in an orchard in Pennsylvania, in the 1970s.
Why don't you just wash it and give it a thorough detailing one time, what you have, and take the four requested photos of it? If you get an idiot at Harrisburg, come back.
]I'm certain that extreme restoration is not written into the PA antique law. Next step would be to a marshal some political muscle to lean on Harrisburg a little. It shouldn't take much. Who are your PA legislator and State Senator?
BTW, when I'm talking of "Historic," or "Antique" or "Pioneer" or any other of the dozen of different tag names, they all mean the same thing. Every state (and Territory, and Province), it seems, have their own pet titles for what we're talking about. They're just different in the details, regarding the age required, and all the other possible requirements and qualifications.

[Re-cycleInc]

Gerry - I picked up a '48 pan and attempted to get an 'Antique' plate here in PA....I'm not aware of a 'historic' plate. Since PA uses tag shops and messenger services you really don't get an opportunity to talk to a DMV representative face-to-face. I went to my local tag shop and figure I'd get an antique tag for the one time price of $75 and be set for life. The guy at the counter said he would try and do it for me, but the State requires insurance and 4 pictures (front, right side, left side and back) in order to issue the plate. He said 'try' because according to his experience (and others that I've found) the State will deny anything that looks either non-factory or that is not perfectly shiny and new. My issue is that the panhead looks like it hasn't been cleaned in 30 years. It's not the orginal paint, but I at least like the patina. The guy said that it would most likely be denied becuase of the condition. He said the State will deny anything that doesn't look tip-top because once the plate is issued there is no annual safety inspection requirement. So, it pretty much has to look new so that the State thinks you're not causing a safety concern for other drivers. Anyway, the irony is that he said my best bet would be to restore it, take pictures and then tag it. My contention was that, under the rules, an unrestored/original paint bike would never pass the test for the antique plate in the eyes of the State. He pretty much agreed. So, I'm going to tag it as a regular bike and then keep up with the safety inspections each year.

This thread is helpful but is there another thread warranted for titles? I have the worst luck with titles and I'm curious to hear what the other requirements are across the states. I know there are (were?) services to title vehicles where a title has been lost through the years, but it's tough work to get one. My favorite response is when I ask (in PA) "How do I title a vehicle that doesn't have a title?"....response "Bring the title from the former owner with you."

[Sargehere]

Thanks, Oz, but Seaboard Chapter has thanked me, voting me "Honorary Membership" for what went on 35 years ago. One of those is past-chapter president Lyle Manheimer, who posted above. That was one of the greatest thrills of my life.
Having gotten a feel for it, I moved around the country after the New Jersey experience, still in the army for a few more years, and every state I landed in that didn't have cycle-sized antique plates heard from me.
Maryland usta give 6" x 12" car plates for mounting on the rear fenders of antique bikes! They were cute. (right!) Some Marylanders had already cut up the car plate they were issued for the little words, and used old Md. bike plates and made their own with the appropriate numerals. Antique bikers are nothing if not resourceful!
I organized what became the Chesapeake Chapter in 1980, just like we had the Seaboard Chapter: I made phone calls and wrote a letter to all 50+ Md. AMCA members right off the club roster (postage was 15 cents in those days) and invited them to a meeting at Pikesville Armory to get organized for a plate-fight, helped by Mort Wood, Dave Panella, Bill Potter, Ken Watson, Bill Blankner and others.
Twenty-seven Md. AMCA members showed up, on Oct. 23rd, 1980, and became charter members of the "Chesapeake Antique Motorcycle Club," which finally became the Chesapeake Chapter, AMCA. I was reassigned overseas in 1981 before the fight was won, but it was.
It always seems to be a battle, but every state is different. I'm offering again to provide advice to anyone who can't get cycle-sized antique plates for their old motorcycles that otherwise qualify under their state's antique vehicle law because they're only available for "automobiles," or some such excuse. Drop me a PM on this forum, or my address is in the club roster.

[45OZ]

Steve, we already HAVE gotten into YOM ("Year-of-Manufacture") plates in the back channel (PMs). That is a whole 'nother ball of wax, and is easier for bikes if the state already has a YOM law, and allows them for CARS. Then, the motor vehicle authorities are just discriminating against motorcycles, and you can often correct it administatively. The alternative to making headway with the MV authorities is a legislative campaign, marshalling forces (like your local AACA chapters, maybe hot rod clubs and the nearest AMCA chapter, for instance) and talking to your state legislators and State Senators, and getting a leetle amendment to the existing Antique Plate Law passed. Usually, not really hard, just drawn-out.
Yeah, my avatar is the actual first Historic plate issued to a motorcycle by New Jersey, in 1976, and is permanently registered to my '37 UL Harley. To the motor, at least. Here in Florida, the '41 motor that's in it, & titled to, is registered to a motorcycle Handicapped Vehicle plate, with a little wheelchair on it.
Before we succeded in 1976, Joisey had issued "QQ" plates for decades for antique cars (that was their code for antiques) refusing them for motorcycles of the same age and otherwise qualified (restored, or original-condition). But, in 1974 I found in a local library of NJ lawbooks that the Jersey law said, "any resident of the state who is the owner of a motor vehicle over 25 years old, owned as a collector's item," etc. was eligible for permanent Historic license plates. That was enuf!
We members of the AMCA who already knew each other in New Jersey organized the Seaboard Chapter to unite our voices to petition for the plates for motorcycles, and it took almost two years of letters and phone calls and The Seaboard Sidecar newsletters.
Seaboard Chapter's now been in existence for over 35 years. By 1976, we had the owners of over fifty bikes lined up to buy the $25 permanent plates as soon as the state bought the die for the little word "Historic" to stamp it on otherwise ordinary 3 1/2" x 8" NJ motorcycle plates. Over 5,000 have been issued, since.

Gerry, All of us in Jersey Should thank you & the Seaboard Chapter for your Time & Effort in getting us the Plates, It had to be a lot of bull to sort thru to get them, but it was worth it, so
Thanks
Joe Oz

[Lyle Manheimer]

The Great Garden State

Gerry,
NJMVC now requires, proof of insurance, a clear title, and two or three pictures of the motorcycle being registered that are kept by MVC. The pictures, I believe are meant to be somewhat of a deterent to prevent the chopper crowd from obtaining historic plates.
Last year I registered a couple more of my rides as historic. It is a very painless process. The best way I have found is go straight to East State St in Trenton and do it there. The longest I have ever waited was ten minutes. With annual registrations for motorcycles at 65 bucks it is a bargain as well.
When I inquired about the spots for stickers, I was told all plates are made that way, but there is no annual registration fee, yet. That was very comforting, if you know what I mean.
Thanks for all the hard work,
Lyle

[Sargehere]

Is that avatar of yours a standard issued plate or a vanity plate?

In Ohio the standard issued historical plate is also a life time plate assigned to the bike and has no annual renewal fee. So even if your bike is off the road for several years for repair, you retain the rights to that plate forever.

The vanity historical plate here is a bit different, it requires a yearly fee of about $20. and if you fail to renew it each year then you lose the rights to that plate.
Then we could get into YOM plates………

Steve, we already HAVE gotten into YOM ("Year-of-Manufacture") plates in the back channel (PMs). That is a whole 'nother ball of wax, and is easier for bikes if the state already has a YOM law, and allows them for CARS. Then, the motor vehicle authorities are just discriminating against motorcycles, and you can often correct it administatively. The alternative to making headway with the MV authorities is a legislative campaign, marshalling forces (like your local AACA chapters, maybe hot rod clubs and the nearest AMCA chapter, for instance) and talking to your state legislators and State Senators, and getting a leetle amendment to the existing Antique Plate Law passed. Usually, not really hard, just drawn-out.
Yeah, my avatar is the actual first Historic plate issued to a motorcycle by New Jersey, in 1976, and is permanently registered to my '37 UL Harley. To the motor, at least. Here in Florida, the '41 motor that's in it, & titled to, is registered to a motorcycle Handicapped Vehicle plate, with a little wheelchair on it.
Before we succeded in 1976, Joisey had issued "QQ" plates for decades for antique cars (that was their code for antiques) refusing them for motorcycles of the same age and otherwise qualified (restored, or original-condition). But, in 1974 I found in a local library of NJ lawbooks that the Jersey law said, "any resident of the state who is the owner of a motor vehicle over 25 years old, owned as a collector's item," etc. was eligible for permanent Historic license plates. That was enuf!
We members of the AMCA who already knew each other in New Jersey organized the Seaboard Chapter to unite our voices to petition for the plates for motorcycles, and it took almost two years of letters and phone calls and The Seaboard Sidecar newsletters.
Seaboard Chapter's now been in existence for over 35 years. By 1976, we had the owners of over fifty bikes lined up to buy the $25 permanent plates as soon as the state bought the die for the little word "Historic" to stamp it on otherwise ordinary 3 1/2" x 8" NJ motorcycle plates. Over 5,000 have been issued, since.

[Sargehere]

"we're a little different here, we trust eachother more, and a farmer's common sense can prevail.

I guess that's why I usually like the West, and the South for lifestyle, Phil. Things move a little calmer than up in the NE, where no one seems to trust anyone as far as they can throw 'um.
I've heard from a couple of people, already, as a result of this thread, and I'm going to try to help them out. I gotta emphasize that individual states are all different, with fifty sets of laws (and 11 provinces?) and the authorities in each one only listen to their own citizens.
People interested in getting "Historic" or "Historical" or or "Collector" or "Antique Vehicle" or even "Year of Manufacture" plates approved for motorcycles in their state will have to do most of the legwork, but I can be of help in pointing out where to look and who to find, and who you may need to talk to, to get the laws, or often, just the motor vehicle people, to agree.

[fillibuster]

From experience, I know that South Dakota's issuance of "Historical" license plates for motorcycles didn't happen by itself. Someone, or some group must have organized to badger the motor vehicle authorities to issue bike-sized historical plates." .. quote sarge

Gerry, another amca member with a 1200's number whispered in my ear that a prominent elder member (he's plenty famous, but I'm going on a whisper) convinced the Treasury that they'd gain more revenue from $50 permanent historical plates than from $10 annual plates for bikes that wouldn't be ridden annually, and therefore not licensed annually, or ever. But if some big group or lobbying effort did this for me, they haven't asked for credit. ... we're a little different here, we trust eachother more, and a farmer's common sense can prevail. I wish you the same good fortune.

[Sargehere]

From experience, I know that South Dakota's issuance of "Historical" license plates for motorcycles didn't happen by itself. Someone, or some group must have organized to badger the motor vehicle authorities to issue bike-sized historical plates.

Having been through it in ten percent of the United States, it's gone from Kentucky, the easiest, which required only a couple of phone calls to the Pittsburgh Die Company, that makes the dies for "prison-made" license plates all over the country, and a phone call and letter to the Frankfort Div. of Motor Vehicles to get them, back around 1983, to New York State, where a particularly obstinate Motor Vehicle bureaucrat dug in her heels, and through pure stubborness, finally required that N.Y. antique motorcyclists organize their political muscle and get a an actual law passed in the state legislature to include motorcycles under the historical vehicle law (she also found herself in a new position, by the end of it, not dealing with the motoring public).

All credit for N.Y. goes to Jack Weber, then president of the Long Island Indian club, who picked up the ball and ran with it; ran with it like a bulldog with a sirloin steak in his mouth! He and I spoke at the Colonial national meet in 1988, and off he went, with a only a little further guidance and help.

If anyone else is having trouble getting antique vehicle plates in their respective states, I'm here. Just PM or email me. I'd like to update the information I have on the historical plate laws of the various states and provinces. I also love making state bureaucrats earn their paychecks.

[fillibuster]

What are the regulations on license plates on antique motorcycles there? In 1988, last time I inquired of all the states and provinces for The Antique Motorcycle, the S.D. Director of Motor Vehicles wrote me that "only cars" were "eligible for 'historical' license plates." I would be glad to hear that's changed, in a state that sees a half-million motorcyclists visit every August.

Gerry, sometime in the mid-90's we were allowed a permanent historical plate at cost of $50. Only thing to be careful about is power-washing them, as the paint can peel. .. but my Chief doesn't like baths anyway......

[Ohio-Rider]

Is that avatar of yours a standard issued plate or a vanity plate?

In Ohio the standard issued historical plate is also a life time plate assigned to the bike and has no annual renewal fee. So even if your bike is off the road for several years for repair, you retain the rights to that plate forever.

The vanity historical plate here is a bit different, it requires a yearly fee of about $20. and if you fail to renew it each year then you lose the rights to that plate.

Then we could get into YOM plates………