How to keep/get Calif 914s' Old Original Plates ..., ... Resources & History of Plate Types & Colors, etc. Options

[Tom_T]

OK All -

IIRC - with some 60% of the total 914 production coming into the USA, & 40% of the total going into California ALONE for first sale new - & with more Cali 914s surviving due to the milder climate out here ... . . .... that's a big chunk of the 914s still around today! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

There have been several posts with questions on how to (re-) register your 914 with expired reg. &/or old plates, etc.; as well as those who have somehow managed to hold onto their original issue plates & wondering if they can go back to them or keep them when registering their 914 for the road again.

Well, apparently Cal DMV & our illustrious Legislature have decided to clarify & expand a couple of programs for re-registering the original plates, as well as extending the date for the "Original Year of Manufacture" plates program to at least include those from 1969 build dates.

I too have an early 1973 MY 914-2.0 with its original plates, which has been out of registration & PNO for most of the time it's sat in my garage awaiting resto since 5/85 (no PNO since 12/92), so I went searching on the DMV website for more info., & found the following which may be helpful to the rest of you out there.

These are mostly hidden away in corners of the DMV website requiring some time searching, so hopefully I've saved you some time searching them out. If you've looked at them before, then please note that these were revised in mid & late 2009. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Got your old plates? ... bringing a former Cal 914 back? ... want to get repro Black & Gold plates for your 1969 Manufactured 914-6 or 914 (-4)? ... want to try out Historical Vehicle plates? ... read on & link out!

REASSIGNMENT OF OLD PLATES:
- NEW CHANGES ALLOW VEHICLES ON DATABASE TO GO BACK TO OLD PLATES:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vehindustry/vin_memo...009/09vin20.pdf

YEAR OF MANUFACTURE PLATE PROGRAM:
- ONLY UP TO 1969 my FOR AUTOS, BUT IN LATER YEARS THEY MAY EXTEND THIS FURTHER OUT AGAIN:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/about/lad/pdfs/yom/new_text.pdf
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vehindustry/vin_memo...009/09vin09.pdf

HISTORY OF CAL PLATES & DMV:
- FOR THOSE ASKING WHEN WHICH PLATES/COLORS & NUMBERING SYSTEMS CAME IN:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/plates/licenseplthistory.htm
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/about/profile/milestones.htm
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/about/profile/history.htm

HISTORICAL VEHICLE PLATES:
- ANOTHER OPTION FOR 914s TO THE CURRENT "WHITE PLATES":
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d03/vc5004.htm

DMV HOME PAGE:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/

Additionally, DMV has apparently expanded what their "Business Partners" (e.g.: AAA, dealers, etc.) can now do with these areas above, because before it changed at the end of 2009, AAA had told me they couldn't do these services, but apparently now can do at least some of them in some cases. So there may be an upside to DMV's cutbacks of service with the state's budget crisis! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Cheers! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom T
Orange CA
///////

[Tom_T]

OK - for those who have not linked to this document on the DMV website, here's the cut-n-paste full text for the DMV's new & updated policies on their Original Pate Reassignment program, which applies to all 70-76 MY 914s (& other collector cars). IIRC - this one only came out in Nov. or Dec. 2009 (or at the earliest, it was Aug.09) - so it is relatively new news on a new policy at DMV. Again - the original PDF is at this link: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vehindustry/vin_memo...009/09vin20.pdf

Of note, at the top paragraph on page 3 they unequivocally state that previous policy was to reassign the old original plates to a vehicle if both the vehicle & plates were no longer on their database records - and that is still the case under this new & expanded policy (see emphasis in bold which I added at pg. 3 top).

So one must ask, if that was the DMV policy all along - then why the "F" have they hassled folks for so long over keeping their original plates on their cars when putting them back on the road!!?? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) . . . . ...... Laziness &/or ignorance is/are the likely answer! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

PAGE 1:
Vehicle Industry News VIN 2009–20

Reassignment of Old Plates to a Collector Vehicle

New Policy
Old California plates (regular series) may be re-assigned to a collector vehicle, even if the vehicle has a database record under a different license plate, when all of the following conditions are met:

• Evidence is submitted to show that the old plates were once registered (assigned) to the collector vehicle in California (see new requirements below).

• The old plate number is not on record or reserved as a special interest plate in the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) database.

• The old plate’s combination of letters and numbers do not carry any connotations offensive to good taste and decency.

• The owner (collector) has both the front and rear old plates for an automobile or commercial vehicle or the single old plate for a motorcycle or trailer.

New Requirements
To put old, regular series California plates back on the collector vehicle, the original or a photocopy of the California title, registration card, or renewal notice must be submitted to the DMV to show that the plates were once registered to the vehicle (a copy may only be used as proof the plates were registered to the vehicle; a copy cannot be used for any other DMV purpose).

Procedures
To have the old, regular series California plates re-assigned to the vehicle submit:

• The proof that the plates were once registered to the vehicle (as noted above).

• A Statement of Facts (REG 256) from the vehicle owner stating in section G and signing in section H to certify:
— The old plate number to be assigned to the vehicle.
— The old plates will not be affixed to the vehicle unless DMV sends approval.
— The plates currently on the vehicle will be surrendered to DMV if the old plates are approved.
— Their daytime telephone number so the DMV can call if they have a question.

• There is no fee to reregister the old plates; however, any other fees or renewal fees due within the next 75 days must be paid.

• All the required original documents for the application (transfer, nonresident, etc.) in addition to old plate application requirements.

VR 2009-21 © 2009 State of California, Department of Motor Vehicles. All rights reserved. Visit our Web Site—dmv.ca.gov


PAGE 2:
VIN 2009-20 Page 2

NOTE: A collector who submitted all of their evidence that the plate was registered to the vehicle in a prior attempt to have the old plates assigned, and was denied by the DMV because the collector vehicle had a database record under another license plate number, may explain the previous denial reason and the reason they have no old plate evidence on the REG 256 in section G. The application will be reviewed and reconsidered by DMV headquarters.

Customer Information
Please inform your customer that processing may take approximately 60 days, and if the request to reassign the old plates is:

• Approved – a new registration card with the old plate number showing as the license plate number and new set of month/year stickers will be mailed to the registered owner. The owner must put the old plates with the month/year stickers on the vehicle and surrender the plates removed from the vehicle to DMV.

• Denied – a denial letter will be sent and the customer must retain their current plates on the vehicle, or if issued new regular series plates must put them on the vehicle.

NOTE: Due to database limitations, a plate that still has a record cannot be reregistered. Therefore, customers returning to California after registering their vehicle out-of-state cannot have their old California plates reassigned to their collector vehicle, if there is still an existing record of the old plate (unless the plate qualifies under the Year of Manufacture program).

Definitions

Collector Vehicle – is a special interest vehicle of any age which is unaltered from the manufacturer's original specifications. Because of the vehicle's significance, such as an out-of-production vehicle, or a model of less than 2,000 vehicles sold in California in any model year, it is being collected, preserved, restored, or maintained by a collector or hobbyist for purposes of restoration, maintenance, or exhibition.

Collector – is the owner of one or more historical or special interest vehicles who collects, purchases, acquires, trades, or disposes of such vehicle(s), or parts thereof, for his or her own use, in order to preserve, restore, and maintain such vehicle(s) for hobby or historical purposes.


PAGE 3:
VIN 2009-20 Page 3

Background
DMV previously only reassigned old, regular series California plates if both the collector vehicle and the old plate were not on the database record. Old, regular series plates (without a database record) may now be reregistered to a collector vehicle, whether the vehicle has a database record or not. Previously only an original California title or registration card was allowed as evidence that the plate was once registered to the vehicle.

Reference
California Vehicle Code sections
§5051, 5200 California Code of Regulations - Title 13, Article 3.1, section 170.00

Distribution
Notification that this memo is available online, at
www.dmv.ca.gov under Publications was made, via the E-mail Alert Service in August 2009.

Contact
Call the DMV Customer Communications Section, at (916) 657-6560 for further clarification of this memo. Upon request, this document can be produced in Braille or large print.

JEAN SHIOMOTO, Deputy Director Communication Programs Division
End of Document////

If there are any questions on DMV's details, procedures & interpretations on this, then I'd suggest that you call the DMV Headquarters number above.
..... Oh boy (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif) a real live person number in Sacra-tomato none-the-less! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/w00t.gif)