Antique Tags: What's The Law In Your State?

ReycleBill

ReycleBill

Part Time Tyrannicide
XS650.com Supporter
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My '83 XS has been down a while and it seemed to gain more problems while it was down than it had when it was running. Anyway, among other things I've been beating my brains out with the front brakes only to discover the rotor diameter was too big for the dual disc calipers I added.

So I found a good right caliper and matching rotor and decided to let the dual discs wait a while longer.

Of course you already know what a pain it is bleeding these brakes and I simply had all I can take without finishing the job. But just when I thought my day had gone to crap the mailman delivered my Antique Motorcycle License Plate and North Carolina registration which I will proudly display on the back of my XS.

For those who don't know, any XS650 is old enough to qualify as an Antique Motorcycle here in North Carolina. For $10 extra you can get the antique registration, motor vehicle safety inspections are not required for antiques here in NC, and depending on your driving record and who your insurance company is you might be able to buy insurance for as low as $70 a year.

I know it always gets my attention when I see a bike, truck, or car with antique tags on it. It tells me there is someone who does it for love and not just for prestige. Because he or she cares about the car, bike, or truck and not just the money.

What are the antique motor vehicle laws in your state?
 
Here in Nova Scotia...very similar to you in NC....here you are required to have a mechanical fitness form filled out and signed off by a mechanic who is qualified in the MC field before your application is accepted for antique plates
 
Here n the Land of 10000 Taxes.... collector plates... $100.oo.. last I checked... and they can be personalized... and once issued.. yours.. no long requires yearly tabs …. restrictions... " to and from a event or to effect repairs.." I asked what if the " event " is far.. far away... Doesn't matter. You are required to maintain insurance. The vehicle can't be used for daily commute or going to the store.
 
In Colorado, it has to be 32 years old and the extra FEE is $15 for a 5 year sticker. (The other fees will shock the :poo: out of you):speechless:

EDIT: the bike vehicle must be 35 years old, not 32. You are also not to drive more than 5K miles/year. I prolly haven't ridden 5K miles in the last 4 years total...
 
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I recently moved to Mississippi. I could not buy them initially. Next year I may buy antique tags. I don't know how old the vehicle has to be, but I saw one on a POS Aerostar van. Once I buy it, I'm done. The tag is good for as long as I'm in Mississippi. No more annual tax. I was told there is no operating restriction.

I just came from Georgia. There, the antique tag is meaningless. You can have one if the vehicle is 25 or more years old. It's still subject to annual renewal. No advantage.
 
Here in Arizona, a historic vehicle plate is treated like a vanity plate. $25 a year just for the plate, and you still pay your normal registration. The plate is cool though, solid copper, a nod to the role copper mining played in Arizona history. No restriction on vehicle usage.
Arizona dropped emission testing for all motorcycles a couple years ago. Insurance through Haggerty for vintage vehicles is dirt cheap!
 
Virginia.
Motorcycle at least 25 years old.
Can be used for pleasure riding within 250 miles from home.
Unlimited distance going to and from an event.
One time registration fee. No re-registering for as long as you own the bike.
No annual state inspections.
I have 3 bikes. 81 xs650, 85 V65 Magna, 92 xt225. All are antique tagged.
 
Washington
30 years old.
The vehicle has to be currently registered. We don't have inspections in WA.
I believe the one time charge is about $50.
Permanent plates with no annual tag fees.
Usual restrictions but I have never heard of anyone ever being stopped with collector plates. We have ridden ours all over the state.
To and from an event? I figure if both of them are running that's an event. :)
 
Here in the UK, at 40 years old they become entitled to no safety test (MOT) or road fund tax, though you still have to apply for the tax at no cost, unless the chassis has been overly modified, meaning if it has been hard tailed or cut about.
 
kevski said:
Here in the UK, at 40 years old they become entitled to no safety test (MOT) or road fund tax, though you still have to apply for the tax at no cost, unless the chassis has been overly modified, meaning if it has been hard tailed or cut about.
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That's right, although a friend of mine is quite pissed off that he still had to pay the annual road tax £78 on his 1979 BMW because the Driver & Vehicle Licence Agency don't know when in 1979 the bike was manufactured. He has been in correspondence with them pointing out the bike was registered in April 1979 but they won't accept that means it was manufactured before that date. Officialdom! He'll get historic status next year.

Fortunately, DVLA has my XS650 down as manufactured in 1978 so I have been able to apply for historic status.

It use to be that vehicles manufactured before 1974 could carry an old-style black and silver number plate. But the law changed earlier this year - now all vehicles with historic status can have old-style plates.


PICT1978.JPG


So here it is - even the number plate supplier was unaware of the change in the rules.

It might be worth pointing out that in the UK, vehicles with historic status don't face any limitations on use or mileage or any of that nonsense. Also worth saying that although no annual MOT safety test is needed by law, some insurance companies will still require one.
 
In NC it is also possible to just keep your normal registrstion and license plate..Currently NC gov't is debating a a reduction to 25 yrs of age to qualify as an antique vehicle...However as it stands now ..any vehicle 35+ yrs of age qualifies as an antique vehicle. NC will allow you to run any license plate ..from any state or country so long as your legal plate is brought along with you. The antique plate must show the same year as production of the vehicle..and you are still inspection exempt although you are paying yearly for your regular registration.
The antique plate isnt required to be registered with NCDMV and you can interchange the antique plates at will.. I have about a half dozen different antique plates from NJ..Arizona, Indiana and Wisconsin...Looking for a vintage NC plate is proving to be nearly impossible to find...
 
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The way it is done saves a lot of paperwork at dvla, it means any vehicle manufactured in any one year is actually eligible between the age of 40years and 3 months and 41years and 3 months, it is what it is, both my bikes are on this system now.
 
Hoosierland,
It seems there was a sheet of maybe a hundred choices for plates. If there was an advantage for antique plates I must have passed it by due to cost. I run a Classic plate. Same expense as any other plate and with the yearly registration, no restrictions on use. The advantage? Drivers from behind see a plate that they're not familiar with, once it's identified as "Classic" they NEED to see why......strokes me ego...lol
 
In Florida it was around 200 with the antique tag. Witch I think all state should do like Vermont it's less for Antique Tags than regular tags. Had to do the Vermont thing for my RD with no title.
 
madmax-im said:
In NC it is also possible to just keep your normal registrstion and license plate..Currently NC gov't is debating a a reduction to 25 yrs of age to qualify as an antique vehicle...However as it stands now ..any vehicle 35+ yrs of age qualifies as an antique vehicle. NC will allow you to run any license plate ..from any state or country so long as your legal plate is brought along with you. The antique plate must show the same year as production of the vehicle..and you are still inspection exempt although you are paying yearly for your regular registration.
The antique plate isnt required to be registered with NCDMV and you can interchange the antique plates at will.. I have about a half dozen different antique plates from NJ..Arizona, Indiana and Wisconsin...Looking for a vintage NC plate is proving to be nearly impossible to find...
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I used to save and sell the old plates when I was general manager of a junk yard but I'm retired now and the new GM doesn't bother with such things.
 
Most of my plates are not that old as they came off bikes i formerly owned...but the real vintage plates i have were mostly bought on ebay...
 
ReycleBill said:
I used to save and sell the old plates when I was general manager of a junk yard but I'm retired now and the new GM doesn't bother with such things.
Click to expand...

Hey Bill...I just came across your parts equivalent compendium thread yesterday ...thats a terrific post but I wonder how many members are even aware of it. ? :)
 
peanut said:
Hey Bill...I just came across your parts equivalent compendium thread yesterday ...thats a terrific post but I wonder how many members are even aware of it. ? :)
Click to expand...

Thanks you, I still refer back to it from time to time. I wish there were more of that sort of information easily available.
 

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