Any benefits with a vintage motorcycle license plate at the dmv?

[cafetools]

The criteria is 40 years or older so when I went to the dmv to register my 79 I paid for the vintage plate. I belive it was just $6 more.

But then I asked what the benefits were and she said nothing. It's the same, and I have to register it every year. I think vintage car plates you only have to register them every decade.

If the only benefit from an extra $6 is a cooler looking plate with a little picture of a motorcycle and the word vintage then that's great, but I was hoping for something else as well.

 

[OHRider]

In Ohio are are good for 50 years.

 

[cafetools]

I was hoping for something like that. Maybe there is some benefit and the dmv lady had no idea (highly likley).

 

[Paul Sutton]

Another benefit is the vintage bike will usually match the rider.

 

[ThatXS650Guy]

It may be different now but in GA it used to be pretty reasonable. But, in an effort to drive revenue they raised the price. No other benefit other than knowing the State appreciates the donation.

 

[Wulfbyte]

Here in Virginia if you put antique or vintage tags on you are not supposed to use it except for weekend rides and to shows! Va. Is all about the money! It’s a law they passed about 10 years ago! And your supposed to be limited on how many miles you put on it per year or month ,can’t remember which one! When it first passed ,if the local cops seen you everyday driving with them they would stop you, especially the junk men ,they would always have antiques on they’re trucks! I think it’s still a law put not really inforced anymore! So since I ride just about everyday I keep the standard tags! But I am going to find out exactly what that law is!

 

[gggGary]

WI we pay one license fee (two years, currently $23) and it's good forever, BUT only on that bike, each time you transfer the plate it's another $23. The use restriction is onerous: You cannot ride it in January.

Ride it? heck I can't even walk to the shed of ill repute in January. Oh you also must have at least one regularly registered vehicle..

 

[MaxPete]

I was hoping for something like that. Maybe there is some benefit and the dmv lady had no idea (highly likley).

I was going to say - if I were you, I’d check her word on the annual registration with a couple of other DMV offices. If a vintage car reg is good for 10 years, it isn’t clear to me why a bike would be different. In my experience, folks in those places often have only a sketchy understanding of their regulations as they apply to motorcycles - especially old ones.

In Ontario, you need an appraisal to register a car that is more than <I think> 20 years old. I have been told that I needed an appraisal for my old bikes too - BUT I DONT! The regulations do not require any bike to be appraised to get a license plate or be registered in Ontario.

Now - my insurance company wanted an appraisal to make me eligible for their vintage insurance which is much cheaper than regular bike insurance - but the license place doesn’t care about that.

Soooo...I’d check that annual registration requirement carefully with another office before I’d believe it.

The legalities around old motorcycles vary a lot from place to place and I suspect that a lot of DMV offices really don’t have a full understanding of them because old bikes are relatively rare in most locales.

 

[Mailman]

Here in Arizona a historic plate for a car or motorcycle is considered a vanity plate and it is $25 extra EVERY YEAR

There is no additional benefit to owning historic plates. They are very nice plates though, solid copper, a little nod to the historical importance of copper mining in our state.

 

[MaxPete]

Here in Arizona a historic plate for a car or motorcycle is considered a vanity plate and it is $25 extra EVERY YEAR

There is no additional benefit to owning historic plates. They are very nice plates though, solid copper, a little nod to the historical importance of copper mining in our state.

OUCH! Even our greedy-bastard governments don’t charge $25 EACH YEAR for a vanity plate.

Once you buy it - it’s yours and you only pay for the annual sticker.

 

[motormike]

V/Plates in the Land of10000 Taxes... $100.oo, I have several. I put the names of my two sons and grandson on the bikes they get after I have the dirt side view of the grass.. that way there's no sniveling. But that didn't stop the other half. She got a plate on her car and a m/c.
The restrictions are.. " to and from to effect repairs or a event." .. the distance to and from the event isn't restricted ( I ask'd).

 

[Mailman]

Wow! I can’t believe the states that put restrictions on usage, just for having historic vehicle plates! That’s just wrong!

 

[cafetools]

Even if I get pulled over there is no way for the cop to enforce or check that you are coming from an event or light usage. If I get pulled over I'll be confident I will never have a problem as long as I keep my story straight.

 

[OHRider]

In Ohio if you have a plate of the same year as your bike you can take it to the DMV and register to your bike if that plate is not in the system. I have a 1973 plate I am hoping to get registered to my 73 BMW. In Ohio they stop giving out new plate every year in 76 or 77 so I can not do that with my 78 XS.

 

[madmax-im]

NC does not have a Collector or Antique Vehicle license plate...Anything 35 yrs of age or older is considered antique...
As such said vehicles are inspection exempt...While theres no Antique plate you are allowed to use a plate from the same year of production as your vehicle...as long as your vehicle is properly registered and licensed in NC and you must bring the legal plate with you...in case you are pulled over..
there are NO limitations for useage or miles per year...

 

[madmax-im]

Since my bike is a 1980..this plate is what I plan to run after i get the bike legalized...Yes any plate..any state..or even country...Love embossed lettering but a stickered embossed plate works too...No this plate is not entered into the NCDMV database... bought plate on fleabay for $15

 

[Wulfbyte]

Even if I get pulled over there is no way for the cop to enforce or check that you are coming from an event or light usage. If I get pulled over I'll be confident I will never have a problem as long as I keep my story straight.

I feel you on that ,but here in Virginia, they like to inforce their traffic laws! I’ll keep riding confident that my story is always straight and true!

 

[NashGTI]

Wow! I can’t believe the states that put restrictions on usage, just for having historic vehicle plates! That’s just wrong!

Tennessee I'm not even sure there are vintage motorcycle plates but there are vintage auto plates and they are crazy restrictive. Vehicle must be stock (!!) and you can only drive it freely on Sundays, other days it's only to shows or a mechanics. Amusingly a coworker got pulled over driving a customers car for being in violation of that law, of course they didn't issue the ticket after they pulled him over since we are a mechanics shop and were test driving for a complaint at the time. It was an essentially stock 1979 Trans Am.

The kooky thing about that, and I wish I still had the picture I took of this, was that the same guy was driving this rat rod one day at 4pm on a Friday with no windshield or rear glass and with the exhaust header dumping right at the front edge of the doors when he ended up stopped at a red light sitting beside a patrol car and that guy just smiled and went about his day.