I wanted to see if I could get a set of vintage California blue plates that match my current license plates.

Does anyone know of a source that reproduces these to the original specs?

Not off the top of my head, but I found some when I was looking for my car for shows. google state vanity plates

eBay has them

Call Jeff.... http://www.fortech-online.com/

Please let its know if you have any luck finding someone who can reproduce the blue/yellow plates. The State stepped in and stopped these vendors several years ago. I would not post the actual info on a public forum if you do find someone or the State may contact them and shut them down.

Anyone can buy a set of old blue plates and do a DMV check to make sure they are out of the system. You can just register those plates to your vehicle.

But I think then you have to pay a vanity fee? I know it may not be a lot but in a state that just keeps the fee's coming I just cant justify it any more.

Troll.

Cal DMW is not doing this anymore....lots of people are having their white plates stamped and painted blue. Cops and Firefighters are the biggest customers on this. Went to a Police Car Show and 60% of the cars had fake black and blue plates...
I'll be doing this soon.

I don't know if you can do this, but up here you can have old plates (set) restored then you send them to the MOT (like your DMV) for approval and registering.
Expensive, something like $250 here and that doesn't include the yearly renewal fee.
You can DIY but there's are also companies that will do the restore for you.

I have a set of 1967 plates like below and I've been thinking of doing this for my bus.

Vanity plates are different from from re-registering old plates. It can be done and yes it will cost fees. I am not sure if they are still doing it or not. You can check with the DMV web site. I had my original blue plates restored last year and they came out great. They guy that redid them redoes re-registered plates all the time. From my understanding from him, you need to just make sure no one else is using that number sequence.

If you don't want to do that then paint your white reflective plates. Cops can get away with it....but I'm not sure about the average Joe. Maybe you won't get stopped because it is an old car.....maybe.

Ah....sorry re-read your post. No, they won't do that to match your current plate.

Went through this years ago.

First website I went to (looks a lot like the one posted above) sent a cheesy plastic/paper plate that didn't look at all real, and then refused to stand behind their promises for a high-quality plate. Can understand why, I suppose, but man was it junky—and the guy wasn't very nice. "I do ALL the work for Hollywood...and that's not good enough for you?!" Hopefully, that outfit is out of business. Good riddance.

Eventually, I found another place to do a plate to replace a missing front plate (which I have since found, but need to restore). When it arrived, the product was aluminum and pretty nice, but the blue was too light and "fruity", and the yellow paint on the letters too light and too wide, too. Yes, I am picky, but when you want something right, you want it right.

YMMV, but be careful out there.

I've met Jeff and seen the work. Excellent. He had several samples and one that he did half the plate. Half was new original white and the other had california and the squares stamped, painted blue and yellow. Can't tell. They look like NOS.

Also I tried to get a new vanity black plate in some old style,original configurations. These are not in use but they were original issue numbers so they aren't considered vanity.

Like ACE 914 or 914 ACE. 1BAD914 etc. Black plates rejected....

This site has stamped license plates but California is noticeably missing:

http://www.licenseplates.tv/usa-state-plates.html

There are a bunch of sites that will make a fake license plate with any text you want. These are not stamped ... they're printed to look like they're stamped. Do a Google search for "license plate reproduction California" and you will get many hits. Example:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/256670597/cust..._home_active_13

As for reassigning legacy plates, unless the DMV has recently changed its rules, my understanding is the blue plates are not part of the program ... only the old black and even older yellow plates can be reassigned to a different car.

Recently changed the rules:


https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/?1dmy&...bk/ch21/ch21_36

This is what you are looking for.

For you CA guys:

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/?1dmy&...bk/ch21/ch21_36

Perhaps I.m on ignore.....?

Carry on and good luck.

Thanks (to both of you guys) for setting me straight.

Somewhere in my stash is a set of 6-digit blue plates. Maybe now I can get them reassigned to my '71 2002.

Sorry there. Didn't see your post on my small cell phone screen.

If I understand the CA DMV site referenced you have to have existing plates and they will certify and register them under your name and car?, is this correct?

I have also reached out to Jeff.

Lots of good information hear folks, thank you.

One of the issues the cops have with fake plates is that they are non-reflective. So you can buy a rattle can of clear spray imbedded with a clear reflective material to make them happy. Rustoleum makes this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000LNVC1M/?tag=g...sl_84sxwurzbi_b if you care. If you don't, good on you.

The old Blue plates were non reflective...

Did it cross your mind there just might be folks in other states thinking about doing the same which do require reflective plates?