Texas Antique Vehicle Registration ?????

If I register my 55 Olds as an antique vehicle will I still have to get it inspected?

 

no

but you are not to drive daily with that tag, only to shows and such.

 

what i want to know is the 55 going to make the roundup?

 

Pay the $12.50 for the inspection and avoid being hassled by the cops.Some of my friends have been pulled over by officers that are not sure if an inspection is required or not.

 

NO! You should know that fool!

 

Texas Antique Vehicle plates don't require a vehicle inspection and last 5 yrs. You're not supposed to drive the car daily, only to shows, parades, special events. If pulled over, there's a few excuses you can use to get away with driving daily. My dad drives his '64 C-10 everyday and all my old shit is registered "Antique", here's a few BS excuses we've used...

when pulled over late at night : "I'm coming home from a car club meeting"

when pulled over to or from work during the day : "I'm going to (or coming from) getting the brakes done (muffler, tune-up, tires works too)"

Since there's no stickers in the glass with Antique registration, along with only 1 plate, some cops will pull you over because they have something on you, til they realize it's registered as Antique. Usually most are cool and let you go regardless as long as there's nothing really illegal about the car, your record, or as long as you haven't commited a traffic violation.

 

Just get some 55 texas plates and register you car with em' I think you still have to get inspected but I like the old plates better. Got black and white 58 plates on my truck. Cops don't even look at me twice.

 

Whether you use the ugly freebie antique plates or year of manufacture plates, you do not have to have an inspection.

It's 55 bucks for 5 years for registration.

They did recently start using window stickers on antique registrations though. Previously, if you had Y.O.M plates, they gave you a little metal tag to bolt onto the corner of your plates. Now, they give you a window sticker instead. Still no inspection required. I just carry the window sticker in my glove box to show them when I get pulled over. They don't care though. Cops have bigger fish to fry.

 

ok here is the low down on texas antique plates i have reserched this because i get asked about this at least once a month at the shop. in the law for antique plates it states that viehcle is only supposed to be driven for exebition use only. so the key word here is exebition use. so everytime you drive your car you are exibiting it are you not. this does hold up in a argument with police officer (proven first hand). so if you use your car for every day driving like i do you can use anitque plates given to you at the regestration office or use the original 55 plates either way drive the shit out of it and don't worry about it. and there is no need for an inspection sticker and the officer can not inspect your car legaly on the side of the road. if you have any qustion let me know i have alot of experience and done research on the this alot. BTW i also found out that the lawyer that made this law was a hot rodder that is why he put the loop hole in the law. kind of cool.

 

I know I am bringing a thread back from the dead, but does anyone know If you need the title first, or is this all you need?

 

The real danger is your Insurance. I 've got cheapo "classic" car insurance but if I'm in a wreck know the adjuster's gonna look harder than a cop at whether I'm daily driving or not

 

I've had antique plates for a while now. No issues at all. Most copes are are really cool about it as long as you're not driving like an ass. My pocket excuse is that I'm on a "test run" after making some repairs. I doubt I'll ever need it.

That being said, the inspection for older cars is pretty simple. Brakes, lights and wipers.

 

You'll need a title to register it in Texas regardless if you register it as an "Antique" or regular plates. You can use YOM (Year of Manufacture) License Plates, so if you have a '53 car, find a nice pair of 1953 Texas plates, and take them with you when you go to the registration office. If you have a truck, you must use plates that say "Texas Truck". Alot of people with trucks mess up and buy car plates for their truck and the DMV won't allow that if the title says "truck". Also, when you use YOM plates, they'll give you a small tag that bolts to the rear license plate. This tag is your validation tag and will tell the po-po when it expires. I've gotten away with bolting it to the back side of the plate so it can't be seen from the rear of the car.

You are NOT required to have insurance to have your "antique" vehicle registered, but you ARE required to have insurance to drive on Texas roads. Keep that in mind, cops won't let that one slip, and that ticket costs alot, believe me, I know.

You are NOT required to have a Texas Motor Vehicle Inspection on your "antique" vehicle, but it is an option. I don't see any reason to pay an extra $12.50 every year to have some ugly modern looking sticker in the windshield of my old car, but if that sticker gives you peace of mind, that's your decision.

If you live in a big city, sometimes they can be difficult to deal with at the registration office, but you can go to any one of the registration offices in the entire county. Best bet is one of the less populated towns in the county you live in. They deal with all the rednecks, farmers, and such, so they are usually a bit more patient when you drop a crusty old title and a pair of vintage license plates on the counter with a big grin on your face.

 

Thanks to all. Just got registered today. The car is registered as a 58 VW beetle, but it is one of those late 60s re-bodys. It's gonna be fun trying to explain that the first time I get pulled over.

 

Thousands of miles driving out of state to events and local driving I have never been pulled over.My preference is the Antique plates and no modern sticker crap.Also some of my period correct cars don't have seat belts and actually there not required either on Antique cars other than if they were originally factory equiped or have the factory floor connection devices.

 

NY requires a LARGE registration sticker and a yearly (almost as big) inspection sticker ($14) on the windshield, plus a front plate...that's why I titled my 32 in FL with Antique plates. One plate in back and that's it...with no restrictions on driving. If you register it with a Street Rod plate, there are restrictions...which doesn't answer your question...

 

I jut did this on my Ranchero. Here is the "real deal".

Register it as a "classic" not an antique. The you can drive wherever, whenever you want as often as you want.
1) You have to have a title.
2) You have to have it inspected
3) You have to have it registered & plated (you CAN USE "old" plates. I used 59)
4) 1960 and earlier cars, turn signals, high beam indicater and parking lights were optional and are not required for inspections.

Yes, my Ranchero will be at the Roundup along with the Gizzle Hopper.

 

Does anyone know if a Sedan delivery has to be registered as a Truck or Passenger car?

 

If you register 'Antique' using YOM plates, you can run either car or truck plates, so you should have some flexibility. Section 504.502(c).

I've always registered as Antique, driven all over the state, and never had any trouble with law enforcement. It is a good idea to carry a copy of the 'Antique' statutes with you, including the motorcycle section which clarifies that only a rear plate is required for Antique vehicles, just in case you run into an overzealous official.

As BEEP said, registering as Classic makes you 100% legal, but also requires safety inspection headaches and a windshield sticker... I didn't want that.

 

I picked up an antique plate this week. $68.50 = good for 5 years. Also got State Farm Insurance with "full coverage" for $28/month.

I like the suggestion of keeping the state statue in the car. It does almost seem there were loop holes built into the statue.

 

Not always. We just got our Y.O.M. plates on the 62 we just got and still got the little metal tag that goes on the license plate. That was 2 weeks ago.

 

antique tags and vintage plates work for me.cops dont seem to notice or care.

 

How long will it take to register as Antique if I have YOM plates and a title? Will I have to wait for someting in the mail or can this be done quickly.

 

You'll be out the door in 10 minutes if you have all your shit in order. They'll give you a receipt, and the little metal tag. Put the tag on the rear plate, and drive all you want. Of course, if you're titling your car in your name at the same time, you'll have to wait for the actual title to come in the mail. Doesn't mean you can't drive til then though.

 

Public Service Announcement:

- I registered my F100 with YOM Texas Farm Truck plates. I recall some folks questioning in other threads whether this was allowed. The Tax Office worker scrutinized the rulebooks for quite awhile but let it pass.
- At the same DMV (but with a different Tax Office worker) I had my '65 YOM Texas Motorcycle plates rejected because the paint was faded. I drove straightaway to another office. They mentioned the fading but let it pass.

That is all.

dka

 

I had the exact opposite problem, on my '32 plates local tax office said they looked brand new, explained they had been restored, told the guy to look at the back of the plates real good, no more comments. Suprised he then didn't say they weren't original if they were restored. Just depends on whether the person you are dealing with wants to be a dick or not.

 

I had a visit by the po po a few days ago about my two vintage cars. My vehicles are not junked or inoperable just happen to be older hot rodded vehicles just like anyone else on here. I never had any trouble with any of my projects in the past until recently while working on one of them in my driveway.

The law says Im not protected by just placing a car cover over them even if its under a house attached car port. Its made clear in my area (Round Rock, Texas) the garage needs to be completely enclosed and not just covered.

However, the Police Dept says that a special interest vehicle or antique is required to be screened from public view by a fence, trees, shrubbery or other appropriate means. Must have current registration.

Outlined -it says courts have ruled a car cover does not protect a special interest vehicle or antique. (Does this mean currently registered Antique?)

So my questions to someone on here is, If my vehicle is registered as antique and I happen to park it in the drive way most of the time will this law work against me?

Will they come and remove my "I drive mine occasionlly" car at some given point after Ive already been advised to remove it from public view?

Is this another way for them to crack down on people who register their vehicles as antique or special interest and drive them on a regular basis?

 

If your cars are properly registered, licensed, inspected and insured then no one can tell you to hide them or cover them or plant bushes around them to screen them from view.

If they are NOT registered, not licensed, not inspected or not insured, or any one of these, under many county and city codes they are considered junk, inoperable vehicles and are subject to concealment or removal restrictions per your county, city regulations or Home Owner's Association's deed restrictions.

You're in the big middle of Yuppyville and they, particularly the women, are not amenable to projects sitting around being worked on and disrupting the scenery. Heck, there are subdivisions in Pasadena TX that do not allow cars to be worked on (no open hoods) in public other than being washed. Yes, to change the oil, air filter, plugs, you must be behind closed garage doors or yard gates where no one can see you getting your fingers dirty.

 

All Sedan Delivery Texas titles I've seen were Commercial/Truck titles.

 

I agree with pasadena you are in yuppyland with some people who do not like what they see as junk. It is not the po po but rather your subdivision rules or city codes. That is why most of us do not live in those type of subdivision.. Also to add you do not have to have liability insurance if you sign the form that states you are financially responsible for state minimums.