Black-and-gold California license plates return after nearly 50 years

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After a two-year pre-order program, the first batch of new black-and-gold California license plates in nearly 50 years are making their way to drivers. The tags start at $50 and can be ordered for any car, motorcycle, commercial vehicle, or trailer.

Continue reading Black-and-gold California license plates return after nearly 50 years

Black-and-gold California license plates return after nearly 50 years originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Jun 2015 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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California historical license plate reissues in jeopardy

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Cruise Night

California hands out its license plates differently than some other states. As opposed to the tag being associated with the owner and switching whenever the vehicle is sold; the plate belongs to the car and remains for its life in the Golden State. Over the decades, the Department of Motor Vehicles there has redesigned its plates going from black-over-yellow during some of the 1950s to yellow-over-black and eventually yellow-over-blue through the '70s and early '80s. We thought it was pretty cool when a law potentially allowed for these vintage looks to come back, but some owners haven't been quite so enamored.

For the state to actually produce these legacy plates, a given color scheme had to receive 7,500 pre-orders from January 1, 2013, through January 1, 2015. That seemed pretty doable given Californians reputation for loving their cars, but according to Truck Trend the program hasn't exactly been a raging success. It claims that only the yellow-on-black tags have received their requisite applications. Black-on-yellow has managed around 2,000 requests, and yellow-on-blue has received about 1,700 of them.

The lack of popularity for the yellow and blue tags makes some sense because enthusiasm for restoring models from the '70s and early '80s is just starting to build. However, it seems like owners of '50s classics would be eagerly hopping onto this program. Perhaps many of them still have their original black plates and don't need a reproduction. Obviously, there are still a few months to go for the other two schemes to meet their requirements. Applications are still available, here, and if a design doesn't nab 7,500 orders the $50 pre-order is refunded.

California historical license plate reissues in jeopardy originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Sep 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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California DMV opens door to reissuing classic license plates

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Like in the UK, California's license plates follow the vehicles they originate on, not the owner, so residents can easily pick out cars that have been in continuous California circulation since way back in the last millennium. A car with yellow tags with black lettering was registered between 1956 and 1962, one with yellow tags with black lettering is from circa 1963 to 1969, and one with blue tags with yellow lettering got them sometime from 1970 to 1982.

State Governor Jerry Brown has signed a bill allowing for the return of those plate styles. If the Department of Motor Vehicles receives 7,500 pre-orders between January 1, 2013 and January 1, 2015 for the vintage replica plates, it will begin issuing them for any vehicle for a personalized plate fee of $50. If fewer than 7,500 pre-orders are received in that two-year span, those who submitted $50 payments will have their money refunded. According to the Los Angeles Times, if the program goes through, buyers of the plates will also have to spend a further $40 every time they renew their registrations.

Hemmings has a little history on why the color of one's plate is such a big deal in The Golden State. For those who don't need the lesson, you can check out the press release below for more information on the program and how to order.

Despite some classic car enthusiasts who apparently only want original vintage plates and not these new, so-called "legacy license plates," we have a feeling this one is a done deal.

Continue reading California DMV opens door to reissuing classic license plates

California DMV opens door to reissuing classic license plates originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Jan 2013 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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