I read in Drive the little blurb at the top of the page regarding Horseless Carriage (HC) plates, which, as you stated, can be used on vehicles of a certain age but are restricted in their use.
I would like to draw attention to a similar program available in many states, including New Mexico, for Year-Of-Manufacture (YOM) plates. In New Mexico, if a car is at least 30 years old, it can be registered with a license plate that would have been in use during its year of manufacture.
I have done this for my 1977 Volkswagen Camper and have helped others do the same. There are no driving restrictions on the YOM plate, and it is more genuine than the HC approach for an old car.
I have attached a photograph of the YOM plate registered on my 1977 bus. Note that N.M. did not press the year number into the plates each year.
For passenger cars of this vintage, for example, you will find red-on-yellow plates embossed with “65” and red-on-white plates embossed with “72”. In 1975, the only plates embossed with “75” were for RVs, trucks and other nonpassenger vehicles. Nevertheless, some of these numbers might still be registerable for passenger cars.
What I like about the plate in the photo is that the only indication of the state is simply “N.M.”
So, how does one get a vehicle registered with a YOM plate?
- Find an old plate that would have been in use at the time, perhaps at a garage sale or flea market. There are also entire networks of collectors and other folks who sell old plates through the Internet.
- Verify (with a phone call to MVD) that the plate number is not currently being used by another vehicle.
- Download the YOM form from MVD: www.tax.state.nm.us/forms/mvd/mvd11317.pdf.
- Take your vehicle, the YOM plate, the completed form and payment (a one-time fee of $25) to your local MVD office, and register the car with the new plate. You will get a new registration sticker, which need not cover any old stickers on the old plate. The location of the new sticker seems to be a matter of personal preference.
Keep in mind that many folks at the MVD offices are not aware of this program, and may never have seen this done before. Be patient with them, but rest assured that this is legal and possible. Be prepared to spend a few hours with them.
I look forward to seeing many other YOM plates on the road! — John Tauxe, Los Alamos
