For you California guys ... black plates are back!

[camcojb]

http://blog.sfgate.com/stew/2014/06/05/classic-black-california-license-plates-are-back/

[SBDave]

I was under the impression that you could get these retro plates for any year vehicle (IE putting a black and yellow plate on a modern car). The article makes it sound like it is only for the year vehicles that these plates originally came on. Can anyone clarify this?
Thanks!
Dave

[Build-It-Break-it]

I looked up the conditions of getting these plates and they're pretty much just like a personalized plate, any car any year can get these from what I've read.

[Shark Racer]

Doesn't look like the blue and yellows are gonna make it. :(

[rustomatic]

Come on, just stick with white (or one of the other 70 varieties of license plate every state now seems to offer), unless they came with your car. Mine match my car (dents/creases/fade/etc.)...

[Tuske427]

I was under the impression that you could get these retro plates for any year vehicle (IE putting a black and yellow plate on a modern car). The article makes it sound like it is only for the year vehicles that these plates originally came on. Can anyone clarify this?
Thanks!
Dave

Yes. "YOM" (Year of Manufacture) is a different program that CA offers. This is reassigning the era correct plate to your car. It's my understanding that currently it's currently valid up to 1969 (last year of the black plates) Blue plates maybe one day, but not yet.

The "Legacy" is what you were reading about, and here is more info on that:

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/legacyplates/index.htm

I looked into this last year, and, as mentioned, it's basically a vanity plate. same cost as one, and up to you if you choose your own lettering, or take a random assigned one. These new plates will be more like new plates with the reflective paint, etc.

I much prefer the YOM as it's the real thing, and cheaper.

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/reg_hdbk/ch21/ch21_36.htm

[SBDave]

Ahh, thanks. Sounds like the Legacy plates are what I'm after. I've got a 1973 and 2011 that I think would both look good with the black plate/yellow writing. If the 73 already had it's correct blue/yellow plate I wouldn't mess with it.

Dave