CA vehicle registration on a Delorean

[Annisse]

So I drive a 1981 Delorean in Los Angeles, CA. My DMV renewal fees, since I came into ownership of it in 2008, have been high for an antique car. Currently I am paying $160 to renew the registration. My question is, does this seem right? Can I go into the DMV and explain this is an antique vehicle so can my registration fees come down? I feel like I should be paying alot less than this.

Any help and advice is appreciated. Thank you.

[Bitsyncmaster]

In Maryland the registration fees on my "Historic" DeLorean cost about $50 for two years. My daily driver cars run about $120 for two years.

[spedlot]

California has historically been higher than most other states. That's about what I pay each year.


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[Annisse]

In Maryland the registration fees on my "Historic" DeLorean cost about $50 for two years. My daily driver cars run about $120 for two years.

Not sure what you mean by "Historic" I mean I do but, is that some special title you ask the DMV to give to that type of car to get such low reg. fees? Are your daily driver cars Deloreans too? Yeah, that is super low. Wish CA had those low fees.

[Annisse]

California has historically been higher than most other states. That's about what I pay each year.


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Hmmmmmmm OK, thanks, I was just curious, after all these years I thought it was about time I find out. HAHA I figured the DMV is basing my reg. fees based on what the car was valued and not the year. It was appraised at $30 grand at the time I got it in '08.

[Jonathan]

"Historic" plates are available in Ontario too. They say "Historic" right on them. The car needs to be a certain age to qualify, probably 25 years or older. The registration or renewal cost is lower, but generally that registration comes with limitations on how or how often you can drive the car. I don't know the specifics, but that was my impression of why the rates were lower.

[DavidProehl]

Not sure what you mean by "Historic" I mean I do but, is that some special title you ask the DMV to give to that type of car to get such low reg. fees? Are your daily driver cars Deloreans too? Yeah, that is super low. Wish CA had those low fees.

California has historical plates as well. I had them when I lived in NorCal:
41936

[DMCVegas]

Those prices are insane to me.

Something to consider might be just dumping the Historic plates and then just registering the car as a regular, everyday driver. If that is cheaper... Which given California's regulations and the quick online calculator they have, it looks like it would be about $30 more. Check with the DMV to be sure about that. Otherwise your best bet is to just move to where the prices are cheaper like a rural county...or another state.

The funniest thing about this is while I was doing a comparison between California registration fees and Nevada's for my DeLorean, ($193 vs. $62 for a daily driver w/normal plates because I hate mileage limitations), I came across this interesting little tidbit in Nevada's Emissions Testing requirements: Vehicles classified as "Replica" are now exempt from smog testing.
Which means if you do the paperwork correctly, a 35+ year old DeLorean from Northern Ireland has to go through smog testing. But a brand-new DeLorean from Houston is automatically exempt in my home state.:mallet:

[Riley88]

Just moved from California. Couldnt get historic plates. that price is about right yep :(

[Some guy]

So my big question is the smog test with historic plates. Do you still need to smog the car when you have historic plates?

Right now i still have to smog my car. i pay just under $100 a year for registration.

[DavidProehl]

So my big question is the smog test with historic plates. Do you still need to smog the car when you have historic plates?

Right now i still have to smog my car. i pay just under $100 a year for registration.

Yes, but I'm not sure how often. I only smogged once in the 4 years I was in CA, but my other cars I had to do every year.

You should also consider driving restrictions with historical plates. You can only legally drive for club events and car shows.

[Gregadeth]

My renewal was $112 but I've added vanity plates since then. My other daily driver was $87.

[Silverbullet]

Yes, but I'm not sure how often. I only smogged once in the 4 years I was in CA, but my other cars I had to do every year.

You should also consider driving restrictions with historical plates. You can only legally drive for club events and car shows.

Need to Smog every 2 years.... Cars up through 1975 are exempt. Wish they would make it 1985.....:umm:

[Notifier]

Historic vehicle class is pretty sweet in Maryland. Any passenger vehicle, motorcycle, or light truck at least 20 years old can be registered as "historic". They do state that you cannot use the vehicle for general daily transportation and can only be used for exhibitions, club activities, parades, tours, and "occasional transportation". But it's so loosely defined and the restrictions are never enforced. I know people that drive their "historic" vehicle as their daily driver. It's not uncommon to see an early 90's vehicle driving around with historic plates. The benefits are a reduced registration fee, no emissions testing, and not requiring a safety inspection. Maryland only requires a safety inspection when the vehicle is purchased. I actually had plates and registration stickers in hand before I even physically had my DeLorean here when I bought it four years ago. All I had to do when it was off loaded from the trailer was slap the plates on and enjoy!

[cdrusn]

You guys are sooo lucky. In Hawaii we pay registration based on weight. Over the years the always money hungry politicians figured out they can also attach additional fees for just about anything they want. This year they wanted to raise fees an average of $85 per vehicle to pay for air conditioning schools. Next year it will be something else until they get it. I pay about $325 per vehicle per year plus $25 annual safety check and $2.45 per gallon gas. Lucky to live Hawaii! :welcome:

[Ryan King]

Just got my CA Renewal in the mail, $111. AND I have to smog this year....ughhh...here we go again.

[spedlot]

Smog on newer cars will depend on the part of the state you live in as well, in California. Those counties that are more smog prone cars get tested every 2 years. Others less smog prone get tested beyond that. I don't know the formula but I know it exists.


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[spedlot]

Smog on newer cars will depend on the part of the state you live in as well, in California. Those counties that are more smog prone cars get tested every 2 years. Others less smog prone get tested beyond that. I don't know the formula but I know it exists.


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[Gfrank]

Here in Ontario we are about 120$ a year to renew the sticker on a passenger car, historic stickers are just short of $30

[David T]

Here in Ontario we are about 120$ a year to renew the sticker on a passenger car, historic stickers are just short of $30

Every State is different with it's own rules, regulations and fees. You have to understand them for the State you live in. California has some of the most restrictive rules of all of the States. In New Jersey Historic plates (if you are eligible) must be renewed but after you pay for the 1st time it is free to renew. If you need help in your State a good place to start is a local car club. They can help you understand the rules and guide you in the best way to register your car. If you decide to register it as a "normal" car you may not be able to get collector insurance. That is not good. You MUST get insurance where you get an "Agreed Value" if the car is lost or stolen. Any other way and they will "Blue Book" it and subtract the deductible. In such a case they may be able to give you less than $10,000 and take what is left of the car (if anything).

[DMCVegas]

So my big question is the smog test with historic plates. Do you still need to smog the car when you have historic plates?

Right now i still have to smog my car. i pay just under $100 a year for registration.

Usually, no, you don't have to be subject to emissions testing. The idea is that you don't drive the car that often to begin with, so the environmental impact is very minimal because the wear and tear on the vehicle itself minimal. Meaning of course that the engine isn't expected to break apart so quickly.

However, there are some trade-offs that you should realize before opting for any sort of "Classic Car Plates". And I keep that in quotes because the types of plates/categories available differ from state to state. Not counting Horseless Carriages, California has a single catch-all Classic Plate whereas Nevada for example has 4. Some other states like Texas are the same way with multiple plates too. But more importantly, again, are the different restrictions that come with classic plates.

First off is the driving restriction. California for example specifically states the restrictions are related to historical and leisure purposes (Special Recognition License Plate Application (https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/wcm/connect/25ed8797-b74c-4aba-a717-3e8cdae51255/reg17a.pdf?MOD=AJPERES)). Nevada by comparison has a mileage limitation of 5,000 per year, but they don't care why you're driving the car. Which is something to keep in mind, but we'll cover that in a second...

States will vary of course, so you'll need to check your local regulations accordingly. County location dictates as much about renewal fees and emissions exemptions as the state itself does. So keep that in mind too.

In order to obtain Classic Car license plates so that you can get that emissions exemption in the first place, your car usually has to pass a smog test the first time before future exemptions can be granted. So be aware that the purpose here isn't to allow a polluting car a way around the testing. It is simply meant to make things easier for existing, old vehicles that are in compliance and don't see much use anyways. So the lack of a smog check keeps them off the road even more. Oh, and you also have to have met the limited mileage requirement the previous year in order to qualify in some cases too.

Likewise when you sign a classic car registration you're required under perjury to state the current mileage of the vehicle each year, and/or an oath to only use it for the purposes specified. Nevada is pretty lax stating that if you exceed mileage you just need to get the car smogged, though you might just have to surrender the plates. In some cases too, Nevada may even send your vehicle a summons to appear at one of the state's two Smog Laboratories for emissions testing if they have a valid reason to suspect your car isn't within compliance. Like if your engine is smoking, and someone reports you. I've no idea what California does in these cases. But it IS key to keep in mind that you do have these restrictions in place, potential penalties for violating them, and extra paperwork to fill out each year.

Which is in itself the big question: Is it really worth it all? Save for a physically damaged catalytic converter, if your car is properly tuned you're going to be able to pass Smog anyways. So other than for personal vanity for classic plates, what's the point for a DeLorean? Personally I like just getting a renewal notice in the mail, getting my emissions testing completed at a station, and then just either going online or visiting a kiosk to complete the renewal to be done with it. No printing up forms, filling them out, then going to the DMV in person to obtain permission for the exemption the first year. Then printing up & filling out forms/affidavits, and mailing them off each subsequent year or visiting the DMV again.

[fnzen]

Yes CA requires smog on a "Historic Tag" if its later than 1975

$100 yr is cheap in Cali not sure what other car youve had before

[dodint]

In WI we have Collector/Hobbyist plates. They're twice the cost of normal registration ($75x2) plus a one time $50 fee, but then they're good for life. I have one on my motorcycle and will get one for my D when the time comes.

The catch is you can't drive it during January without a special permit. But it's not like a WI winter is a good place for either of those vehicles.

[Lwanmtr]

Here in Wa, we dont need to run emissions on cars over a certain age, so I didnt need to run mine through. I went with normal plates, not classic plates, because of the restrictions on driving it with them. Of course, they aint even on the car right now...waiting till the day I can finally put them on and drive it (still much to fix)