"Classic Cars" and the Nevada DMV

There's a huge ruckus over classic car registration in Nevada these days, and I find it hilarious.

The Nevada Legislature defined a "Classic Vehicle" simply as "Vehicles which were manufactured at least 25 years before application and have not been customized."

The laws were passed back in the days when 25+ year old cars were either used up, or collectible classics. Well, that's not really true anymore. As many folks here can attest, there are plenty of decent cars that old which can be used as daily drivers.

Another qualification for the plate is an annual limit of 5,000 miles. Except the DMV seems to have decided that it's not their job to enforce that provision, so they don't do odometer inspections.

The end result is that folks are registering all manner of beaters and heaps as "Classic", just to avoid the annual smog check. I see the plates on grubby work trucks, riced-out Hondas, and everything else. It kind of makes me giggle. Registrations of "Classics" are up 300% every year since the odometer inspections stopped.

The collector car community is up in arms, saying "these cars aren't classics!" But it's not up to them to decide what is and isn't a classic; the law is the law.

I'm hoping the end result is a rolling emissions exception for ANY car 25+ years old, but we'll have to wait and see how it plays out.

Sit back, grab some popcorn, and wait for the show to begin!

EvanR wrote: The end result is that folks are registering all manner of beaters and heaps as "Classic", just to avoid the annual smog check.

Thats what I did with my truck here in VA. Although we do have stipulations like, Im not supposed to drive it to work, I have to have another car registered normally for daily use, etc.

https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/#antique.asp

It is intended for "collectors" vehicles, but there are exceptions like "Testing its operation" or "Occasional pleasure driving" that I would prefer to think taking trash to the dump or running to the hardware store 2 or 3 times a month would both fall under.

In reply to EvanR:

One amusing tidbit about the collector car people......they don't give a berkeley about anyone else so long as they get theirs.

In my state, you can even register a collector vehicle with an original plate from that year so long as it is legible. This is why I want to find a 1928 Model A or something...since I already have the plate.

In MI classic plates are for 25+ years old and can only be driven weekends and holidays. Plates are cheap and you get a nice discount on your insurance. The NV situation is great, I'd take advantage too. I'll bet it gets "fixed" in a way that no one likes though...

I had a neighbor here in Minneapolis who got classic plates for an old beat up Oldsmobile that she used as a daily driver. She got caught, though - the cops saw her driving around in the middle of winter in a rusty car covered with salt and slush, and the plates are for cars that aren't used for general transportation purposes.

Because of the climate in Nevada I suppose it's harder to tell if someone is just out for a joyride in January, or if they're driving to work.

Actually, there is no classification for the plate that requires you to drive less than 5k annually with a car on NV classic plates. That only applies if you want the emissions testing exemption, and thus only applies to cars registered in Clark County (Lost Wages) or Washoe County/Reno.

Those of us who live in parts of NV that don't do any emissions testing anyway just have classic plates on our cars for the fun of it. For example, my CRX has a classic vehicle plate. I get a highly amusing number of "err, what? I didn't think it was old enough" for that.

I may or may not know of someone with a Spec E-30 rocking "vintage" tags that is occasionally driven on the public roads for "testing purposes".

in MN, you can get collector plates on anything that's 20 years old as long as you have another vehicle registered with regular plates. the statute doesn't say anything about where or when a vehicle with collector plates can be driven- or how many miles you can put on it- but they did add a line about "officer's discretion" within the last few years some time, probably due to the number of people that were putting them on rusted out early 90's fwd cars and 4X4 trucks..

i'm gonna stop into the deputy registrar where i buy plates for my cars to see if i can put collector plates on my 95 Neon "race car" yet- which would mean that 3 of my 4 vehicles would never need tabs again...

yamaha wrote: In reply to EvanR: One amusing tidbit about the collector car people......they don't give a berkeley about anyone else so long as they get theirs. In my state, you can even register a collector vehicle with an original plate from that year so long as it is legible. This is why I want to find a 1928 Model A or something...since I already have the plate.

I need you to find me a 1990 plate.

We've had it that simple here for many decades. That's how lots of us got heaps on the road as kids.

I also remember when SEMA came in a few years ago and tried to fix that for us. http://www.semasan.com/page.asp?content=aa_2012MD4&g=SEMAGA

novaderrik wrote: in MN, you can get collector plates on anything that's 20 years old as long as you have another vehicle registered with regular plates. the statute doesn't say anything about where or when a vehicle with collector plates can be driven- or how many miles you can put on it- but they did add a line about "officer's discretion" within the last few years some time, probably due to the number of people that were putting them on rusted out early 90's fwd cars and 4X4 trucks..

From the Minnesota DMV website:

Restrictions: Vehicles registered in any of the collector classes are restricted to operation solely as a collector's item and cannot be used for general transportation purposes.

Datsun1500 wrote: In reply to Swank Force One: They're all over Ebay

I might actually have one, but old people who can read the old numbering system will think he's from rural Madison county.....

BTW, this is how awesome our state is.....

http://in.gov/bmv/2654.htm

stuart in mn wrote:

novaderrik wrote: in MN, you can get collector plates on anything that's 20 years old as long as you have another vehicle registered with regular plates. the statute doesn't say anything about where or when a vehicle with collector plates can be driven- or how many miles you can put on it- but they did add a line about "officer's discretion" within the last few years some time, probably due to the number of people that were putting them on rusted out early 90's fwd cars and 4X4 trucks..

From the Minnesota DMV website: Restrictions: Vehicles registered in any of the collector classes are restricted to operation solely as a collector's item and cannot be used for general transportation purposes.

doesn't give a definition of how a "collector's item" is supposed to be used or what constitutes "general transportation". if you collect guns, you shoot them from time to time.. if you collect cars, you drive them from time to time..

i drive all my cars like regular drivers in the summer months, and in all the years that i've had cars with collector plates (at least one in my fleet since i put them on my Nova in 2000) i have only been pulled over once because of the plates. that was by a rookie small town cop that didn't know that you don't need a front plate if you have collector plates and was wondering why i had plates that came back for an 84 Buick on my Monte Carlo... i just pointed out to him that there were Buick badges all over my car and that the VIN on the dash and on the trunk decal will match up with what his computer says and pulled the printout copy of the statute that i keep in the glovebox to show him what it says about the front plate... he told me to have a nice day..

I could get collector plates for a bunch of my cars, but there's no benefit in CO. Well, you only have to renew them every five years, but it costs five times as much. We don't have emissions testing so that's not a factor. So there's not much reason to do it.

I do have collector insurance on the appropriate vehicles, however.

NJ you can only drive to and from shows

bludroptop wrote: I may or may not know of someone with a Spec E-30 rocking "vintage" tags that is occasionally driven on the public roads for "testing purposes".

Do we know each other? Oh, and I have no idea what you're talking about.

Oh, and I can only use my Classic tagged '93 Lightning to go to 'automotive events'. That's okay, since towing the Spec E30 to the track is technically going to an 'automotive event'.

In reply to EvanR :

When this occurred, the "rule" requiring specific 'classic vehicle insurance', on classic cars (I daily drive a 74 Monte Carlo), I did have classic plates, actually they were advocated by the NVDMV.  The girl at the desk, said "It's easy to get classic plates".  That was a few years ago.  When the 'rule' changed, I checked with State Farm.  They said as a daily driver my 74 did not qualify.  With a lot of checking, I finally just gave up and re-registered for a standard, regular plate, easy, passed smog check and paid only $12.50 for another four months, new plates, then in November, again re-registered for a year, again no issues.  I surmised that Nevada, Las Vegas simply set this up to force classic owners to get rid of their classics.  My 74, well-taken care of, is unusual, daily driven, but very nice.

I recently talked to a guy in Reno who was going through a little bit of hell trying to get his 20'ish year old truck re-registered after being non-op.  I don't remember the specifics, but the absurdity seemed almost.... "Californian" (!)

I always assumed NV would be pretty mellow about registration etc.  I guess not.   (probably too many CA's moving there)

You can get classic plates in Kansas too, but the cost for regular plates with no driving or insurance restrictions are cheap enough that it doesn't make sense to do it to me - and we have no emissions or yearly inspections unlike our neighbor tot he east.

here in NJ the cut off for emissions testing i 1995. Basically if it is not OBD2, it does not get tested. We do not have "classic" tags, but Antique with a lot of restrictions.

"a lot of restrictions" in NJ? Say it isn't so?! 

In Maryland we have choices!

A)  Historic passenger vehicle, motorcycle or truck (with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or less); and is 20 calendar years or older; and has not been substantially altered, remodeled or remanufactured from its original design. 

B)Street Rod vehicle 25 calendar years or older and has been substantially altered from the manufacturer’s original design.

3)Historic vehicle that is 60 calendar years or older and has not been substantially altered, remodeled, or remanufactured from its original design. THERE IS A ONE-TIME PERMANENT NON TRANSFERABLE REGISTRATION FEE. This registration “does not” qualify for special registration plates.

I/We certify under oath that the vehicle will only be maintained for use in exhibitions, club activities, parades, tours, and occasional transportation.  I/We further certify this vehicle will not be used for general daily transportation or primarily for the transportation of passengers or property on highways, for employment, for transportation to and from employment or school, or for commercial purposes.

But don't try to have a Goblin on the road here. That is a different story.

In reply to Noddaz :

Yup, I have historic on my 97 mustang and the historic 60 year on my bugeye.  The 60yo tag also allows no front plate.

PA is pretty lax.  Used to require pictures and someone in DMV would decide.  Now just the year of the car is the qualifier.  I never had an issue with the law about use, and love the lack of inspection hassles.  Not that anything is dangerous but nice to not have issues cause the reverse lights don't work or something.  Especially if it is british or italian.