Special License Plates for Antique, Classic or Vintage Trucks

By Rod Hemmick
Special Contributing Author
for Motorheads Performance

Many classic or vintage truck owners like being able to have a special license plate that uniquely identifies your old truck. It is a nice way to show off your ride as something different. Many states, including Texas, even allow the use of YOM or year of manufacture license plates to be registered and used on your vehicle. For example, if you own a 1955 truck, you can register actual 1955 license plates on your vehicle. For many, this is the “ultimate” license plate to display on their vehicle which can be a finishing touch to the authenticity of your special ride. But old trucks are handled differently than vintage cars, so it's important to know the rules.

Since each State has different laws regarding what type of license plates can be issued to Antique and Classic vehicles, there is no one single set of rules on how to get specialty (including YOM) license plates for your vehicle. Furthermore, it is always best to check with the proper authorities in your state as the final authority on these laws. This group of articles applies to the laws for the State of Texas only and should not be considered as a guideline for requirements for other states.

In the State of Texas, your vehicle must be at least 25 years old in order to qualify for special license plates and can be registered as a “Classic” or “Antique” vehicle, depending on your plans for driving your vehicle on public roads. The types of vehicles that qualify are passenger cars, trucks and motorcycles, and you can even register a vintage travel trailer with “Classic” plates.

In this series of articles we will begin by explaining the requirements for registering your old truck. This will include how to get YOM license plates registered on your vehicle as well. To clarify, Year of Manufacture license plates are not a separate category of plates, but rather you can opt to use YOM Commercial or Truck license plates instead of using the currently issued Truck plates. Links to Texas Department of Transportation website for forms and additional information are listed below.

Prior to 1925, both passenger cars and trucks shared the same license plate, there was not a special license plate for trucks. In 1925, a different plate was issued to trucks, but they did not carry the word “Truck” on them. Instead they carried the work “COM” of them which stood for “Commercial”. These 1925 “COM” plates were a different color scheme than the 1925 passenger car plates. So if you are looking for license plates for your 1931 Ford Model A pick-up truck, you would need to have a pair of 1931 “CM” plates for your vehicle.

From the period from 1925 through 1942 “Truck” plates carried either “COM” or “CM” on them designating them as “Commercial” license plates. Due to the metal shortage created by WWII, small metal tabs were used in Texas in 1943 and 1944 to re-validate the 1942 plates. In 1945 the “COM” was dropped and the work “Truck” finally appeared on the license plates and remains to this day. According to the State, if you are registering a vintage truck, you must have either “CM” or “Truck” YOM license plates (depending on the year of your vehicle). You cannot register passenger car license plates to a truck.

While there have been some YOM passenger car license plates issued to vintage trucks, and you may have seen vintage trucks with YOM passenger car license plates, this is an oversight by the county that issued the plates. There are rumors going around that it is ok to register YOM passenger car license plates on a vintage truck, and it is even reported as ok by some web sites, but if the county where you get your plates registered is familiar with the rules governing the registration of YOM plates, they will not approve YOM passenger car license plates for use on a truck.

The basic guidelines for registering your vintage truck with“Year of Manufacture” license plates are as follows:

1. If you are registering “Year of Manufacture” license plates, they must be the same year as the vehicle being registered and must be authentic license plates that were made by the State. (Reproduction license plates are not allowed).
2. License plates were issued in pairs for all years except 1945 and 1946 when only a single license plate was issued. This means that if you are registering a vehicle with “Year of Manufacture” license plates, you must have BOTH plates (unless the vehicle is a 1945 of 1946 vintage vehicle).
3. The license plates must be in good readable condition and they can be restored if they are not in good enough condition. The license plates can have some holes in them and/or some rusted areas, but the readability of the plates cannot be compromised by these holes or rusted areas.
4. The license plates must be the same color scheme as they were when originally issued.
5. The vehicle must carry a current safety inspection sticker and proof of insurance is required.

If you are planning on using original “Year of Manufacture” license plates for your vehicle and you do not have your plates yet, here are some guidelines to consider when looking for a suitable set of plates:

1. The “straighter the better” – plates that are badly dented or bent can be more difficult and costly to restore and generally will not look as good when restored as a nice “straight” pair of plates.
2. Avoid plates with serious rust damage if possible – Light surface rust is fine, but plates that are rusted to the point of being brittle or have parts missing due to rust damage (i.e.: one corner rusted off) can be a real challenge and very costly to restore. Also if the State feels that this rust damage can compromise the plate’s readability, they will not register the plates. Plates with “saw toothed” rust damage along the edges of plate are hard to repair and can cause problems when restored.
3. Extra holes in a plate are okay as long as they do not compromise the plate’s readability. These can be left alone or repaired during restoration.
4. If the plates need to be restored you can do them yourself (if you are up to the challenge) or you can have a professional restoration service do the plates for you.

The following link for the Texas Department of Transportation has information on special license plates for vintage vehicles. There is a separate “Antique and Classic” link on this page for each type of registration (i.e.: Classic Auto, Classic Motorcycle, etc.). Costs for each type of plate are listed as well as a link to download the necessary form for registration as well as address information for each County if you plan to mail in your registration paperwork. A fax number and instructions are also listed.

Under the links for Classic Auto, Classic Truck, Classic Motorcycle and Classic Travel Trailer, there is an option to order a personalized plate and even a search box to determine if your desired personalization is available. If ordering by mail, there is a section to include the standard fee and also the fee for a personalized plate. http://rts.texasonline.state.tx.us/NASApp/txdotrts/SpecialPlateOrderServlet?grpid=10
Forms for these plates may also be downloaded from the following Texas Department of Transportation link. Click on the “Antique and Classic Vehicles” link at the top of this page:
http://www.txdot.gov/txdot_library/forms/citizen/drivers_vehicles/specialty_plates.htm#antique
If you have a specific question or problem you can reach the Texas Department of Transportation’s “Specialty License Plates” office at 512-374-5010. Be sure to get the name of the person that you spoke with, especially if they were helpful and/or knowledgeable about the registration process.

If you elect to have your plates professionally restored it can be well worth the cost as a nicely restored pair of license plates can be the finishing touch to a nicely restored vehicle. A poorly done or very “amateur” set of restored plates, while they may be able to pass the State’s registration requirements, may not look so good and can even detract from the looks of a nicely restored vehicle.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Rod Hemmick has been providing professional restorations of YOM license plates for over 18 years. Rod has been member of the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association (ALPCA) since 1981, and has even been used as a reference by the State of Texas in one of their publications on the History of Texas License Plates. Guy Algar and I have been using Rod as an expert resource for the restoration work we do at Motorheads Performance, and he's always been able to come through with the best of information and help for our customers. Rod's knowledge is extensive, and the quality of his restoration work is truly outstanding. For historical information on Texas License plates, contact Rod at ustexas66@gmail.com.

EDITOR'S NOTE:
We hope you have enjoyed the first group of articles on classic car license plates. Our next article will appear in two weeks. If you've missed any of my previous articles, here are links for your convenience:

   Year of Manufacture License Plates for Classic Cars, Muscle Cars or Antique Vehicles
   The History of Texas License Plates - Part II
   The History of Texas License Plates - Part I
   Finding Old License Plates
   Old License Plates Are Poised To Draw Top Dollar At Upcoming Auction

Please feel free to contact me via e-mail if you have a particular question that you'd like answered.

We've discussed finding old license plates in a previous article, but sometimes you may find it necessary or more desirable to have an old plate restored, whether for sentimental value, the uniqueness of the plate, or some other reason. Guy Algar and I have used Rod for our license plate needs. He is very knowledgeable about the types and colors of Texas license plates, and what is needed in order to have them accepted by the Department of Transportation for use. What we've learned is that the costs to restore plates correctly is an investment just like the restoration process for your classic car or truck. It's not cheap, but we've come to learn that much time and effort goes into the process so please consider that before questioning a craftsman on why it costs so much!  - Andrea L. Algar, Author & Editor, Motorheads Performance's Classic Car News

Year Of Manufacture License Plates for Classic Cars, Muscle Cars, or Antique Vehicles

By Rod Hemmick
Special Contributing Author
for Motorheads Performance

For many people, part of the pride of ownership of a Classic or Antique vehicle or Street Rod is being able to display license plates on their vehicle that are not the “standard current issue” type that you find on every other car on the road.

Being able to have a special license plate that identifies your vehicle as a “Classic” or “Antique” vehicle is a nice way to show the pride that you take in your vintage vehicle. Many states, including Texas even allow the use of license plates to be registered on your vehicle that are the same year as your vehicle. This is commonly referred to as a Year of Manufacture (or YOM) license plate. For example, if you own a 1932 vehicle, you can register actual 1932 license plates on your vehicle. For many, this is the “ultimate” license plate to display on their vehicle which can be a finishing touch to the authenticity of your special ride.

Since each State has different laws regarding what type of license plates can be issued to Antique and Classic vehicles, there is no one single set of rules on how to get specialty (including YOM) license plates for your vehicle. Furthermore, it is always best to check with the proper authorities in your state as the final authority on these laws.

We continue this series of articles with the laws governing the issuance of Antique or Classic license plates for the State of Texas. In future articles, we will be covering these same laws as they apply to classic car license plates, truck license plates, and plates in other states, as requested by our readers. It is important to keep in mind that this group of articles will be applying to the laws for the State of Texas only and should not be considered as a guideline for requirements for other states. (Editor's Note: As part of this series on old license plates, Guy Algar and I have compiled a list of resources for every state in the country, along with other valuable and helpful links and resources. We hope you join us!)

In the State of Texas, your vehicle must be at least 25 years old in order to qualify for special license plates and can be registered as a “Classic” or “Antique” vehicle, depending on your plans for driving your vehicle on public roads. The types of vehicles that qualify are passenger cars, trucks and motorcycles, and you can even register a vintage travel trailer with “Classic” plates.

In this article we will begin by explaining the requirements for registering your vehicle as either a “Classic” or “Antique” vehicle. This will include how to get YOM license plates registered on your vehicle as well. To clarify, Year of Manufacture license plates are not a third category but rather you can opt to use YOM license plates under both the “Classic” and “Antique” registrations instead of using the currently issued Classic or Antique specialty plates. Links to Texas Department of Transportation website for forms and additional information are listed below.

Antique Vehicle Registration – A passenger car, truck or motorcycle that is 25 or more years old and is used exclusively for exhibition, club activities, parades, and other functions of public interest. The vehicle will in no case be used for regular transportation and will not carry advertising. A vehicle in route to and from a location for routine maintenance is allowed.

Applicants that have license plates, which are the same year as the vehicle may use those plates in lieu of Antique License Plates issued by the county. If the application is mailed, the applicant MUST have the license plates examined at their local County Tax Office before submitting the application. The license plates must be Texas license plates, the same year as the year model of the antique vehicle, be in good readable condition, and have the correct color scheme. A current valid inspection sticker is not required on your vehicle if it is registered as an Antique vehicle. Antique license plates are issued for five year periods. If your application is approved, you will receive a set of Antique License plates or a tab to attach to your YOM plates.

Classic Vehicle Registration - A passenger car, truck, motorcycle or travel trailer that is 25 or more years old may be registered as a Classic Vehicle. Vehicles must be fully registered like any other vehicle, which includes having an annual safety inspection done on the vehicle and displaying a current inspection sticker. Vehicles registered as Classic Vehicles may operate on any roadway just as a normal modern vehicle and may carry advertising. The same rules apply for YOM license plates for Classic Vehicle registration as described under the Antique Vehicle registration section. Classic Vehicle plates must be renewed every year the same as standard license plates.

YOM - Year of Manufacture license plates – May be used in lieu of Antique or Classic plates and must be in good readable original condition or restored and must be the original color scheme and be the same year as vehicle.

Original 1936 license plate in good readable condition:

License plate professionally restored in correct color scheme as original:

The following link for the Texas Department of Transportation has information on special license plates for vintage vehicles. There is a separate “Antique and Classic” link on this page for each type of registration (i.e.: Classic Auto, Classic Motorcycle, etc.). Costs for each type of plate are listed as well as a link to download the necessary form for registration as well as address information for each County if you plan to mail in your registration paperwork. A fax number and instructions are also listed.

Under the links for Classic Auto, Classic Truck, Classic Motorcycle and Classic Travel Trailer, there is an option to order a personalized plate and even a search box to determine if your desired personalization is available. If ordering by mail, there is a section to include the standard fee and also the fee for a personalized plate.
http://rts.texasonline.state.tx.us/NASApp/txdotrts/SpecialPlateOrderServlet?grpid=10
Forms for these plates may also be downloaded from the following Texas Department of Transportation link. Click on the “Antique and Classic Vehicles” link at the top of this page:
http://www.txdot.gov/txdot_library/forms/citizen/drivers_vehicles/specialty_plates.htm#antique
If you have a specific question or problem you can reach the Texas Department of Transportation’s “Specialty License Plates” office at 512-374-5010. Be sure to get the name of the person that you spoke with, especially if they were helpful and/or knowledgeable about the registration process.

In summary, the basic guidelines for registering your vintage vehicle with “Classic” “Antique” or “Year of Manufacture” license plates are as follows:

1. Vehicle must be at least 25 years old.
2. If you are registering “Year of Manufacture” license plates, they must be the same year as the vehicle being registered and must be authentic license plates that were made by the State. (Reproduction license plates are not allowed).
3. Passenger car and truck license plates were issued in pairs for all years except 1945 and 1946 when only a single license plate was issued. This means that if you are registering a vehicle with “Year of Manufacture” license plates, you must have BOTH plates (unless the vehicle is a 1945 of 1946 vintage vehicle).
4. The license plates must be in good readable condition and they can be restored if they are not in good enough condition. The license plates can have some holes in them and/or some rusted areas, but the readability of the plates cannot be compromised by these holes or rusted areas.
5. The license plates must be the same color scheme as they were when originally issued.
6. If you are registering your vehicle as a “Classic Vehicle” for daily use, the vehicle must carry a current safety inspection sticker and proof of insurance is required.

If you are planning on using original “Year of Manufacture” license plates for your vehicle and you do not have your plates yet, here are some guidelines to consider when looking for a suitable set of plates:

1. The “straighter the better” – plates that are badly dented or bent can be more difficult and costly to restore and generally will not look as good when restored as a nice “straight” pair of plates.
2. Avoid plates with serious rust damage if possible – Light surface rust is fine, but plates that are rusted to the point of being brittle or have parts missing due to rust damage (i.e.: one corner rusted off) can be a real challenge and very costly to restore. Also if the State feels that this rust damage can compromise the plate’s readability, they will not register the plates. Plates with “saw toothed” rust damage along the edges of plate are hard to repair and can cause problems when restored.
3. Extra holes in a plate are okay as long as they do not compromise the plate’s readability. These can be left alone or repaired during restoration.
4. If the plates need to be restored you can do them yourself (if you are up to the challenge) or you can have a professional restoration service do the plates for you.

If you elect to have your plates professionally restored it can be well worth the cost as a nicely restored pair of license plates can be the finishing touch to a nicely restored vehicle. A poorly done or very “amateur” set of restored plates, while they may be able to pass the State’s registration requirements, may not look so good and can even detract from the looks of a nicely restored vehicle.
  
About our Contributing Author:
Rod Hemmick has been providing professional restorations of YOM license plates for over 18 years. Rod has been member of the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association (ALPCA) since 1981, and has even been used as a reference by the State of Texas in one of their publications on the History of Texas License Plates. Guy Algar and I have been using Rod as an expert resource for the restoration work we do at Motorheads Performance, and he's always been able to come through with the best of information and help for our customers. Rod's knowledge is extensive, and the quality of his restoration work is truly outstanding. For historical information on Texas License plates, contact Rod at ustexas66@gmail.com.

Editor’s Note:
We hope you have enjoyed the first installment of articles on classic car license plates. Our next article will appear next week. If you've missed any of my previous articles, here are links for your convenience:

The History of Texas License Plates - Part II
The History of Texas License Plates - Part I
Finding Old License Plates
Old License Plates Are Poised To Draw Top Dollar At Upcoming Auction

Please feel free to contact me via e-mail if you have a particular question that you'd like answered.

We've discussed finding old license plates in a previous article, but sometimes you may find it necessary or more desireable to have an old plate restored, whether for sentimental value, the uniqueness of the plate, or some other reason. If you're looking for someone to restore old plates for you, I can tell you that we've used Rod for our license plate needs. He is very knowledgeable about the types and colors of Texas license plates, and what is needed in order to have them accepted by the Department of Transportation for use. The costs to restore plates correctly is an investment just like the restoration process for your classic car or truck. Just keep that in mind when you contact a professional who does this type of restoration work. It's not cheap, but I've come to learn that much time and effort goes into the process so please consider that before questioning a craftsman with why it costs so much!  - Andrea L. Algar, Editor

The History of Texas License Plates - Part II

By Rod Hemmick
Special Contributing Author
for Motorheads Performance

Part II – The “pre-state” era August 1907 thru June 1917

Since it was the vehicle owner’s responsibility to display the registration number on his vehicle, a wide variety of means were used to achieve this end. It is conceivable that many types of homemade license plates were created and some very interesting types have survived to this day. Some owners simply just painted the registration numbers directly on their vehicles.

The following represents a listing of some of the types of Texas pre-state license plates that have survived to this day:

1. Hand painted numbers on a leather pad.
2. Aluminum or Brass numbers attached to a leather pad
       (some had a metal frame and solid metal backing)
3. Aluminum or Brass numbers attached to a metal plate.
4. Leather numbers stitched to a leather pad.
5. Hand painted numbers on a wooden plate or shingle.
6. Aluminum or Brass numbers on a wooden plate
       (some had metal frames).
7. Numbers stenciled on a heavy gauge tin plate.
8. Porcelain “kit type” plates.
9. Metal “kit type” plates.

The type of porcelain license plates that were manufactured in some other states consisting of a single porcelain surface on a metal plate (similar to a porcelain sign) were never produced in Texas.

METAL NUMBERS ON LEATHER PAD WITH CLIPS ON TOP Many of the leather plates were most likely made by the local saddle shop or blacksmith. Large aluminum numbers (most likely house numbers) were attached by means of rivets or spread-type metal cotter pins. As these leather plates became more popular, manufactured versions began to appear in stores.

METAL NUMBERS ON WOODEN PLATE WITH METAL FRAME
Many featured an iron frame stitched inside the edge of the plate with two clips at the top of the plate for attaching to the vehicle.

METAL NUMBERS ON METAL PLATE For the most part these license plates carried only the vehicle registration number, but a few examples have survived with the city or county names or “TEXAS” also affixed to the plate along with the registration number.

This practice of displaying a city or county name or “TEXAS” on the license plate along with the registration number became much more widespread with the introduction of “kit type” license plates.

“Kit type” license plates were “store bought” license plates which featured a rack containing all the numbers and a metal frame to attach the numbers to, thus allowing a vehicle owner to make their own license plate in a kit form. It was not uncommon for city, county and “TEXAS” inserts to be available along with the numbers so a vehicle owner could display their city or county on their license plate, or identify their license plate as a Texas license plate, if so desired.

There were two types of these “kit type” license plates available to Texas motorists. One of the “kit type” license plates consisted of a metal frame into which white-on-blue porcelain inserts were installed. A vehicle owner could purchase porcelain inserts with their city or county name or an insert with “TEXAS” on it which could be included with their registration number.

PRE-STATE PORCELAIN KIT TYPE These porcelain “kit type” license plates were manufactured by the Stafford Illuminated Auto Lamp and Number Company of Chicago, Illinois. Many of these plates have a patent date of the back while others read only “Patent Pending”. The earliest verified patent date is February 14, 1911.

A second “kit type” license plate featured a metal base to which metal numbers (with tabs on them) were fastened. The metal bases were painted black and the numbers were painted silver. An oval nameplate with tabs was also available which was painted black with the city name or TEXAS stenciled in silver.

PRE-STATE METAL KIT TYPEThis very interesting “pre-state” period for the issuance of license plates in the State of Texas ended on June 30, 1917 with the beginning of “State issued” license plates on July 1, 1917.

The early part of this “state issued” period for the registration of license plates in Texas will be the subject of a future article.

The History of Texas License Plates - Part I

By Rod Hemmick
Special Contributing Author
for Motorheads Performance

Part 1 – How & Why License Plates Started in Texas

This article is the first part of a series which will cover the history of Texas license plates. It is an interesting fact, that when the first laws were passed requiring that automobiles be registered, the states did not actually “issue” license plates to vehicle owners. Instead, it was up to the vehicle owners to provide the license plate (or plates) to display on their vehicles.

Each state, of course, passed its own laws at different points in the early 1900’s. New York was the first state in the Union to require that vehicle owners register their vehicles. Beginning on May 25, 1901, all motor vehicles operating in the State of New York were required to have their vehicles registered with the State. It is interesting to note that these first registration numbers consisted only of the vehicle owner’s initials. Most of the surviving examples today suggest that the majority of these “first” license plates consisted of metal letters attached to a leather pad. Since these first license plates consisted only of the owners initials, it did not take long for a great number of duplications to become in existence. For that reason, by 1903 a system of numbers replaced the use of the owner’s initials in the State of New York.

This time period, which varies for each state, when the vehicle owner was required to furnish their own license plates, is referred to as the “pre-state” period in license plate history. Pre-state indicating that the period was prior to the period when the states actually provided the license plates to vehicle owners when they registered their vehicles.

Once a state began to issue license plates with vehicle registrations, it entered the second period which is usually referred to as the “state-issued” period. Today, all fifty states in the United States issue license plates to vehicle owners when their vehicles are registered.

The registration of motor vehicles in the State of Texas came about as the result of House Bill #93 which was introduced during the 30th Legislature which convened in Austin, Texas on January 8, 1907. This bill did not pass during the regular session, and became a matter of priority during the special session which was called on April 12, 1907 (the same day the regular session ended). House Bill #93 was passed on April 15, 1907 and became law on August 10, 1907.

This act required that “All owners of automobiles or motor vehicles shall, before using such vehicles or machines upon the public roads, streets or driveways, register with the county clerk of the county in which he resides, his name, which name shall be registered by the county clerk in consecutive order in a book to be kept for that purpose, and shall be numbered in the order of their registration, and it shall be the duty of such owner or owners to display in a conspicuous place on said machine the number so registered, which number shall be in figures not less than six inches in height. The county clerk shall be paid by such owner or owners a fee of fifty cents for each vehicle registered.” (As a note of interest, speed limits were also set by this act at 8 miles per hour while driving inside any city limits and 18 miles per hour while driving outside of any city limits). Thus began the “pre-state” era of licensing of motor vehicles in the State of Texas which would continue until June 30, 1917.

Efforts had begun as early as 1903 to establish a central authority for regulating the State’s highway system in Texas. During the period from 1903 to 1916, there were eighteen different bills introduced in the State legislature to establish a State highway department, but none of them were passed. This was due mainly to a strong feeling among many of the State’s citizens that such a move would create increased taxation. Also, there were many who were opposed to any type of “centralization” of state government. Thus, at the time the 1907 law came into effect, everything was left up to the individual counties. There was no statewide registration system. Each county that had a county clerk (not all did at this time) maintained its own set of records which, of course, created a duplication of registration numbers in every county that was registering vehicles at the time.

Editor's Note: The various types of early license plates in Texas, along with photo samples, will be the subject of our next article. Please stay tuned for this weekly series of articles which will include how to find rare collector plates, and how to find plates for your ride!  - Andrea L. Algar