DMV starts taking orders for retro license plates

Dec. 28, 2012 9:11 AM PT

The California Department of Motor Vehicles is taking orders for license plates that mirror ones issued from the 1950s to the 1970s -- a program established under legislation introduced by Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Silverlake).

The state needs 7,500 orders by Jan. 1, 2015, to print the “legacy license plates,” which have either blue, black or yellow backgrounds. Drivers must fill out a form, which is available on the DMV website, and pay $50.

If the state does not meet the order threshold, it will refund the application fees, according to the L.A. Times.

The start-up cost for the program, should it move forward, will be $385,000, which will be covered by application fees, according to a legislative analysis.

The program is intended, in part, to give classic car collectors a way to get plates that match the era of their vehicles, the analysis said.

But state officials hope additional plates are ordered to bring in money above the cost. Excess funds beyond those needed by the DMV to run the program would go toward environmental programs.

Earlier in the year, Gatto said the program “will enable the backyard auto restorer, the nostalgic, or the owner of a brand-new retro-styled automobile to choose a license plate that best matches the look of their car while making a little money for the state too.”

California hopes to make some money issuing vintage plates

-- Ashley Powers and Patrick McGreevy, Los Angeles Times