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Reg 18 California Historic Vehicle Plates

9K views 24 replies 10 participants last post by  Old Bear 
#1 · (Edited)
This is a California question.
Is anyone running CA Historic Vehicle plates?

My registration is $160/yr.
It looks like Historical Vehicle is $45. Not sure if that is one time or annual.
Does this remove the registration and weight fees yearly?

Could I save enough to pay for an hour's time of a good mechanic by making the switch.

I know they limit usage to "parades and events" of historic vehicles. I would guess I could also take it to the mechanic.

"Yes officer, I am going to my mechanics. He is going to put on seat belts, fix the brake lights and align the headlights". Surely they would think that was good thing?

My collector car insurance already limits the use and annual mileage of the vehicle, so that would not be much of a change.

This is 1970, so I am not trying to "get around" any California smog stuff that is not already allowed to be bypassed.
 
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#2 ·
I don't know if it will help, but check the "Legacy Plates" thread above.
 
#6 ·
"Historical interest"
Well Mr DMV person, of course it has Historical Interest. I am a member of the National El Camino Owners Association, a group of "Interesting People" conserving historical vehicles made in limited numbers.
 
#7 ·
#8 ·
Thanks Robert, I had read that before. It is important to read the final chapters. It eventual ends up with the info you and I have found about the clarification for 76 and newer were being misinterpreted as smog exempt. What some thought was a loop hole, got plugged.
http://apps.dmv.ca.gov/vehindustry/vin_memos/vin2012/12vin12.pdf

In the thread there is a little, yet not much on cost savings vs. normal registration. The application for HV plates wants title info for "Commercial Vehicles" that goes beyond the request for non commercial vehicles. Since El Caminos without a shell (which makes it a house car or camper) are registered as CV, I am not sure if the annual weight and commercial fees follow with the HV tags.
 
#9 ·
So, I turned my CA Commercial plates in via AAA.
Let's see if I get the California Historical Vehicle plates in the next 90 days.
If so, we will see if they want annual renewals or weight fees etc.
 
#10 ·
I expected AAA to collect $45 for the plates. They did not.
California DMV mailed everything back (except original plates).
At DMV request, I am mailing $25 and all paperwork back to hopefully complete the transaction.
More updates to come.
 
#13 ·
I'm curious as to why so much?
My 70 with commercial plates runs $107 per year. Maybe Orange County taxes more than San Diego?
I just double checked and $160/yr is the 2015 registration paid in April 2015.
I don't think OC is different, yet maybe a few dollars if AQMD has a fee.

I know on my other cars, the added fees and increases have been adding up.
 
#15 ·
Hmmm does exhibition of speed qualify as a historical exhibition?:nanawrench:
 
#17 ·
The California Historic Vehicle plates arrived.
They have the Month and year stickers for the wells. So it likely need to be renewed ($ 24 - $45/yr??? ).

Will let you know in May 2016 how much they want.
They did send the new Registration back, yet I did not get a new title back yet.
 

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#18 ·
Wish they could be like the Arizona plan. You can get vehicle licensed for 5 years at one time. They also have the drivers license expire on your 65th bday then u have to renew. :nanawrench: My son got stopped once here in Cali and the officer had to take a double take because it doesn't expire until 2060. Go figure.
 
#19 · (Edited)
OK, Now I can update with the annual renewal.

I was paying $160/yr.

I paid $25 after applying for CA Historic Vehicle Plates..
Annual renewal is $82.
That would be ( $160 - $25 - $82 ), or a $53 savings.
Next year it should be about ( $160 - $82 ) or a $78 savings, primarily from no longer having commercial and weight fees.

Not enough to pay for an extra full hour of skilled mechanic's time, yet maybe a half hour.
 
#20 ·
I was paying $26.00 a year for registration in Montana:let_it_all_out:
 
#21 ·
2017 CA Historic Vehicle Plates Fees
Annual renewal is $92.
$02 License
$80 Registration
$10 County Fee
===========
$92 total registration for CA Historical Vehicle (1970 El Camino) Tags
No longer paying commercial and weight fees.
 
#23 · (Edited)
2017 CA Historic Vehicle Plates Fees
Annual renewal is $92.
$02 License
$80 Registration
$10 County Fee
===========
$92 total registration for CA Historical Vehicle (1970 El Camino) Tags
No longer paying commercial and weight fees.
==========
2 0 1 9

2019 CA Historic Vehicle Plates Fees
Annual renewal is $98.
$02 License
$86 Registration
$10 County Fee
===========
 
#22 ·
The normal registration for my '75 Elco is $37 bucks. It's the insurance in Michigan that is the big rip-off. Each vehicle has $176 bucks tacked on to the insurance premium for "catastrophic" injury coverage by the state. When I think about how many vehicles there are in this state, at $175 bucks each for that state robbery, it boggles the mind. And of course that fund has millions, or maybe a billion bucks in it now, if they haven't tapped it for the general fund etc...
And we don't even get a kiss with it !
 
#24 · (Edited)
==========
2 0 1 9
2019 CA Historic Vehicle Plates Fees
Annual renewal is $98.
$02 Vehicle License Fee
$86 Registration
$10 County Fee
===========


==========
2021
2021 CA Historic Vehicle Plates Fees
Annual renewal is $104.
$02 Vehicle License Fee
$00 Weight Fee
$00 Special Plate Fee
$92 Registration
$10 County/District Fee
===========
 
#25 · (Edited)
I had a gentleman speak with me about the California Historic Vehicle plates at a recent car show.
I explained by removing the commercial and weight fees, it helped reduce the annual fees for this rarely used vehicle.
He explained that his show car purchase was having very high Vehicle License Fees (VLF), due to it being purchased at over $100,000.00.
He was not objecting to the one time sales tax, yet their appears to be a tiered VLF on renewal, that occurs yearly.

It does appear in the California DMV link that fee can be reduced by moving to California Historic Vehicle classification for seldom used vehicles that meet the Historic Vehicle guidelines.
21.120 Historical Vehicle and Horseless Carriage License Plates - California DMV

Should you find that this does not reduce the annual Vehicle License Fee on your California based Historic Vehicle that cost more than $100,000.00, post a reply letting us know what you learned.
 
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