California blue plates Options

[TP914]

Anyone had luck reassigning original blue California license plates, back on their
Vehicle ? I have both plates and title, showing they are from my car. I had not no luck at AAA or the DMV.

[Shivers]

"AB 378 will build off the success of the 1960s Legacy Plate reintroduction by providing California motorists a one-year window, beginning on January 1, 2024, to submit applications for a 1950s (yellow plate with black lettering) and/or 1970s (blue plates with yellow lettering) Legacy License Plate. Similar to the 2013 legislation, in order for either plate to go back into production, it must receive at least 7,500 applications."

If I wanted them that bad, maybe this is an arguement you can use. Doesn't seem right that they won't let you use your origional blue plates, but they'll sell you a pair.

[fiacra]

Anyone had luck reassigning original blue California license plates, back on their
Vehicle ? I have both plates and title, showing they are from my car. I had not no luck at AAA or the DMV.

There is no easy mechanism for getting the original plate reassigned after the car has fallen out of the system or been re-titled out of state and then brought back into California. They will allow this for collector's cars under "special circumstances" but it is not clear how that is defined and DMV employees are often confused about what the specifics of this program are. You might try calling the DMV to speak to a specialist. Alternatively you can put the same plates back on the car through the year of manufacture program. Easy to do, but does cost $45 and then $10 per year added on to your registration. Just did that with a pair of black character on yellow background CA plates for my 1962 VW ragtop (not the original plates). Be sure to keep all the documentation to prove that these were the original plates. Not for the DMV, but for when/if you sell the car as it does matter to some people. Links below to both the specific sections of the DMV industry procedures covering YOM plates, as well as the appended update to the program to include 1970-1980 vehicles. I seem to recall reading somewhere that the specific year sticker is not needed past 1970, but I can't recall where I saw that. In any case there are reproduction stickers available if you need them.

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/handbook/vehi...license-plates/

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/uploads/2020/...Appendix-1E.pdf

[saladin]

I submitted a Year of Manufacture (YOM) License Plate Application to assign (not original issued to the car) blue/yellow plates to my 1974 914. My initial application was submitted with plates that had no year and month stickers...local DMV scanned the plates and forward to DMV Headquarters in Sacramento which rejected my application. I resubmitted my application with year stickers (matching year of my 914) and a month sticker from eBay and DMV Headquarters in Sacramento approved my application. Apparently, DMV Headquarters staff have implemented a "don't make me think" procedure and all Year of Manufacture applications require a year and month sticker...ensures the eBay businesses thrive.

Ken

[JeffBowlsby]

^^^All true. I have YOM plates on one of my cars and the correct stickers are essential.

[saladin]

For those looking for blue/yellow plates (I found "630 JJH" for my 1974 914 six conversion with a 3.0L motor), below is some blue base license plate decoding information I discovered. Therefore, the year the license plate was issued is easily determined by the last three characters. @JeffBowlsby Original CA Blue/Gold License Plate list, We need info on all years 914s with original CA plates topic is a great resource to understand which characters belong to which years...determined "JJH" was close enough for 1974.

1969-87 BLUE BASE
10-6-69....."1969".....Type 1.....000 AAA - 700 LXU
May 75......"1975".....Type 2.....701 LXU - 999 WKZ
Dec.77....."DEC 78"...Type 3.....000 WLA - 999 ZZZ
4-16-80..."OCT 80"....Type 3a...1AAA000 - 1CQP896
Aug.81....."AUG 82"....Type 4....1CTH297 - 1SWC463

Description of Types:
Type 1 - Steel, thin legend, wide dies, blue back
Type 2 - Aluminum, wide legend, wide dies, blue back
Type 3 - Aluminum, wide legend, thin dies, blue back
Type 4 - As Type 3, but unpainted back

Ken