So I've been reading some different threads on here about the Year Of Manufacture program at the DMV and was wondering about plates for trucks. I know currently there are different number and letter configurations for a truck as compared to a car, was that also the case in 1947? Ive seen commercial plates for '47 on ebay but they seem to go for a premium price. My big concern is finding some decent plates in the right year, making sure the number is not currently in use, but then having the DMV shoot me down saying they are not correct for a truck. Vehicle in question is a '47 Dodge 1/2 ton. Thanks
I have a 1940 1 1/2 ton with YOM plates that are not commerical plates. They are currently non op since the truck isn't on the road but I wanted to get the plates into the system under my name. When I got the plates at the DMV I paid the weight fees along with the current year license fee since I had title only with no plates assigned. The DMV clerk didn't collect enough $$ so I got a letter from Sacramento DMV asking for more $$ and once they got the extra $$ I got the current registration with stickers in the mail. I was told by a plate dealer at the Big 3 in February that you couldn't have non commercial plates on a truck but I've got the registration and stickers to the contrary.
I learned years ago that California commercial plates began use in 1936/7 ?? because I had to fight DMV not to put them on my 1935 ford Pu. Commercial are different numbering and lettering than regular plates. I know my CHP buddies look for wrong plates on vehicles thinking someone has a false/bad registration. Besides the DMV, CHP will run the plate number in question to see if they are clear for you. Finding a good set is pricey, Don't give up.
There were some 1937 Calif plates @ the Long Beach swap last weekend that started with 2 numbers. Car plates started with a number, then a letter, then more numbers. What were these plates for? There were 3 pairs of plates in one booth like this. They had been used on a roof or as siding with nail holes in them from mounting on a building (like lots of 34 plates out there). The 37 plates didn't have any other info on them like 'comercial' or 'trailer'.
Commercial plates for 1947 will have a "COM", "BE" or "PC" on the side and are ALMOST always clear, but call the dmv BEFORE buying or get a guaranty in writing. You can TRY to get a car plate on it but it is a pain to go through with the dmv and carries some rules. You'll need: 1. a SET of plates (2 plates) 2. correct commercial clear plates 3. paperwork and money Follow the link: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8725095#post8725095
I have non commercial 51 plates with a 55 tab on my 55 pickup. I heard somewhere that the DMV would let it slide because newer trucks don't have any special plates. I think it depends on the person who helps you at the DMV. Some of them are Nazis and some just don't know or interpret the rules differently. I say try some regular car plates. It worked for me. Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
I second the motion. In 2004 I used AAA to register and license my 40 Tonner which I first used non commercial YOM plates and later changed to commercial YOM plates when I found a set. At the time the only issue was clearing the YOM license number on both sets with the DMV which as I recall was done electronically. In both cases the DMV still got their pound of flesh collecting the weight fee and the YOM fee.
My Dad had non-commercial plates on his '49 Chevy 3100 which was fine, until he got stopped for having bicycles in the bed. If you do go the non-commercial route, you can't carry anything in the bed. 9400 CVC.
A YOM plate is, in effect, a personalized plate. That is why you pay a yearly fee like you do with a PP. Commercial trucks in Ca can use personalized plates. The YOM plates on my 29 are a configuration that is currently used on motorcycle plates in Ca. No problem.
It looks like everybody has a different experience when it comes to the DMV. What a surprise, huh? I believe the code says that if it is a pickup you have to run commercial plates for the correct year. In other words you need the correct type of plates and the correct year for your vehicle. Do a search for the DMV code for YOM plates online. That being said, apparently they let some folks slide and allowed them to use standard plates on their trucks so you could chance it, I guess. I have '56 commercial plates with a '58 sticker on my truck and had no problems.
I just read the vehicle code ( http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/reg_hdbk/ch21/ch21_36.htm) and it is not perfectly clear on this and appears open to interpretation, so who knows? It probably depends on which clerk you get.
But if you are paying commercial fees and on the registration it's listed as commercial you should be fine carrying stuff in the bed. Even with non-commercial plates. Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
A Google search on 30's/40's Ca pass car plates seems to show that some plates did start with 2 numbers, then a letter, then 3 more numbers. Anybody have a good web site that really breaks down the plate sequence?
The reason you need to check if they're clear is that motorcycles, new commercial and state exempt are all taking up the old numbers. Like I said commercial plates (pre 1956) are almost always clear just because they're 4-5 digits.
It all depends on the DMV clerk. I have 1951 Plates on my truck (7 digit ) NON commercial and I went through the process with ease. I have friend that were denied for not having commercials as well. My new title has my truck listed as commercial vehicle but has the regular plate #s on them. Just depends on the clerk. Most clerks havent even herd of this process. The lady I had had to call someone over and they went through their notes from training. If they say no just pack up your stuff and hit another DMV. I went to the one in Fullerton CA btw.
1937 use stacked letters on some plates such as MV or AA. It was the only year they did that for cars. Starting in 1929 commercial used PC for Pneumatic Commercial or SC for Solid rubber tires. 1920 - 1928 used COM on the left side. 1947 and 1951 series went back to "COM" on the left side. As for our "friends" at the DMV they are consistantly inconsistant! Just getting by the nice cleark at your home office is no guarantee the clown in Sacramento agrees with their made up interpretation of the rules. They only publish a small poorly written subset of their rules and guard their "official" manual like its a matter of National security. Just because you know someone who was approved one way does not mean they will follow the same rules for you. These are disgruntled ill-trained government workers who are pissed off they may not continue their kick back job much longer. Make sure you buy from someone who guarantees them to be accepted by the DMV. I hate seeing someone sell plates they just pulled off their car and claiming they are "DMV clear". Although that term doesn't exist with the DMV, it should mean NO RECORD ON FILE ANYWHERE. If the seller had 47 plates with 50 tabs registered to his 50 truck, then even if he signs off on the release, those plates are 1950 for ever.
As long as you pay the weight fees you can carry whatever just like having personalized plates on an O/T pu. You can't determine by the personalized plate that it belongs on a vehicle requiring commercial plates like a pu or bigger truck. But, you pay the required weight fees and you are good to go.
found this on the net when looking for info on some "pc" 1937 cal plates i picked up..hope this help some Scored a PAIR of 1937 California Commercial License Plates that are "clear" with CA DMV - now registered to the 1937 Dodge Commercial Panel truck to complete the vehicle's historical authenticity. The lettering on 1937 CA license plates originally is an orange matching "Pantone 1385C", but quickly fades to a lighter orange matching "Pantone 138C". Verification to "Pantone 1385C" was matched to a NOS 1937 CA license plate - consider this reference when restoring or repainting vintage 1937 CA license plates. (Note: The "P" = Pneumatic Tires; the "C" = Commercial License, however neither the "P" or the "C" are part of the registered license number.) Year-of-manufacture (YOM) license plates can be re-registered back to any vehicle in California provided that: ~ A matched pair of California license plates must be obtained (a single plate will not work). ~ The pair of CA license plates must be of the same year as the YOM of the vehicle (as noted on the CA Title for that vehicle) and the plates must be legible. ~ The letter/number sequence on the matched pair of plates must be "clear" in the California DMV registration system - that no other vehicle currently has that letter/number sequence assigned to it (DMV checks your request against all currently registered cars, trucks, motorcycles, "exempt" vehicles, emergency vehicles, etc.). ~ It is STRONGLY advised that any "clear" plates be IMMEDIATELY registered to the vintage vehicle at any local DMV office . . . . before the desired letter/number sequence may coincidently be assigned to someone else's vehicle (rendering your vintage license plates ineligible for registration). ~ Before you buy any matched pair of vintage California license plates, make sure for yourself that they are "clear" (do not rely on the Seller's word). Call the California DMV "Special Processing Unit" in Sacramento at: (916) 657-7654 . . . they will verify whether or not your desired letter/number sequence is "clear". Note: ALL California license plates issued before 1964 are considered "private property" (re: can be freely sold). However, ALL California license plates issued in 1964 and after are considered "state property" and could be confiscated if brought to any DMV office (re: per CA DMV code) . . . just be aware of this.
Going thru this crap right now, I bought a set of "clear" YOM 1956 plates for my dads '56 Dodge, DMV would not let him register the plates because they had a 1962 sticker on them and they said that those 1956 plates can only be used on a 1962 car. And removing the sticker still would not allow him to register the plates.
OK, here is some more info that I have collected over the past few years. This is pertaining to 1932 in California in particular and my experience. First there were no 'COM' plates in Ca in 1932 - they did have the aforementioned P over C and S over C (although I have never seen an S over C 32 plate) that oldpl8s talked about that were supposed to be for Commercial use. I have also seen a S over T and I'm not sure what that was and P over T which was a Trailer plate. Additionally there were different combinations; #, letter, 3 numbers - like 8N 123 #, Letter 2 numbers and 2 numbers - Like 7Y 23 46 DMV told me that the difference had to do with Passenger car versus "Light Truck". They also told me that the plates that I was registering under the YOM program for my coupe were indeed commercial but that they no longer make a distinction on 1955 and Older vehicles when it comes to the plate - they don't care. One other thing, on my 29 RPU I had 29 plates with no COM or PC, SC designation and DMV told me they were indeed commercial plates ....
I don't understand. Did they tell you that if you removed the stickers you still couldn't use the plates? I don't think that's correct in your case. If the vehicle is a '56 then a '56 plate with no stickers is exactly what you should need. I think I would remove the stickers and take the plates to another DMV office and try it again.
This is a letter sent from the DMV in Sac. " LICENSE PLATE ****** CAN ONLY BE ASSIGNED TO A 1962 VEHICLE. DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR YOUR 1956 VEHICLE" The plates never left my hands and we went to 2 DMV offices. the plate is in the system now , so I dont think removing the sticker would change anything. Understanding the DMV is like understanding women--- both imposable
What they are saying is true, as long as the '62 sticker is on it. Use a blow dryer to soften the sticker(s) and carefully remove them then go back to the DMV and try it again. I don't think it will make any difference that the plate is in the system, because it's not registered to a vehicle. Because of the year, you own these plates not the DMV. Try it again. I don't think you're going to have any problem. The sticker just has to match the year of the vehicle. In your case, that's no sticker. You've got nothing to lose.
I would carefully peal the sticker off, clean it up real good so there is no residue or signs that there was a sticker etc. and try again - it worked for me once
Sac DMV never saw the plates as they were only submited the plate number. The first local DMV said no right away, Second one said that they would try and the result was the letter from SAC. The number is in the system NOW, and just removing the sticker would probably have the same results, Right now the seller is willing to take the plates back and I do not want to hold him off any longer.
Call the main office in Sacramento and talk to the proper department because they know what they're talking about because they make the decisions.
I did, nobody answers. later on I will get another set of plates and this time no stickers and try again, But these plates seem to be cursed and want no part of them and the quicker I return them to the seller, and get my money back the better.
Yup, time to move on. If those plates were registered at one time in the OM programs as a 1962 they I do believe they are for '62 only at that point. Anyway you look at it they are already in the system as a '62.
The Jalopy Journal
