Black is Back

A recent update from the California Division of Motor Vehicles regarding the state’s Legacy License Plate Program should make owners of vintage iron dating from 1963 to 1969 very happy. The California DMV has received the mandatory minimum 7,500 pre-orders necessary to kick start the production and distribution of retro-styled, black with yellow character license plates. The black plates were originally issued in the state between 1963 and 1969, and owners of cars from that era will probably be the most appreciative purchasers, but owners of any California car from any year can purchase and run the plates if they so desire.

The “new-old” black plates will look almost exactly like the original ones issued by the California DMV in the 60s, but will differ slightly in that they must comply with current motor vehicle codes requiring the use of reflective paint on the characters for improved nighttime visibility. The Legacy plates can be used on all types of vehicles including cars, trucks, commercial vehicles, motorcycles and trailers too. That’s the good news, the black plate is back and they will now enter production for delivery to purchasers sometime within the next nine to 12 months.

California’s Legacy License Plate Program was announced by the DMV back in January of 2013 as a way to allow the state’s auto enthusiasts the chance to run legal license plates with vintage styling. The Legacy Program consisted of a series of vintage style California license plates that included a yellow plate that was originally issued from 1956 to 1962, the now-approved black plate issued from 1963 to 1969, and a later style blue plate issued from 1970 to 1982.

The department said it would make the old style plates available to enthusiasts if it received 7,500 pre-orders (along with a $50 deposit) for any one of the three styles offered. So far, only the black plate design has received the required 7,500 pre-orders and the other two plate color options are lagging far behind. The mid-June 2014 totals for the yellow plate are stalled at just 1,820 pre-orders, and the blue plate has seen only 1,473 pre-orders. If the remaining two plates do not reach 7,500 pre-orders by January 1, 2015, they will be dropped from the program.

In addition to the $50 deposit, additional charges at the time of plate pick-up will include a $90 delivery fee, a $40 renewal fee, a $15 transfer fee, and a $35 substitute plate fee. The Legacy plates can only be purchased for vehicles that are already registered in the state of California. Considering the January 2015 cutoff date is only six months away, the fate of the yellow and blue retro-plates does not look too promising. However, the black plates are already approved and you can now order yours online at http://www.dmv.ca.gov/legacyplates/index.htm.