Texas Antique Plates

[kglowacky]

Anyone from Texas out there know the Tx Antique licenses Plate laws. The question I have is do you need 2 plates (front and back) if you are wanting to use original year correct plates. I think if they issue you a state antique plate they give you 1. Also at some point trucks in Texas only had one. Thanks

[old Rusty C10]

moving this to generaql discussion for more responses

[dmjlambert]

I have year of manufacture plates that I bought from eBay for my 1969 CST/10. All I had to do is take the plates to Harris county tax office in Tomball and show them, and they registered them to my truck. I did not have an antique registration or anything unusual, just a regular registration for my truck. So I don't have any restrictions on driving. In 1969 there were plates for front and back. The tax office has a book to refer to about which years were 1 plate and which were 2 plates, and what the color scheme was for that year. If your truck's year of manufacture was a 2 plate year, you'll need both plates.

[kglowacky]

Thanks will go to tax office in morning and ask.
will update

[dmjlambert]

Last I knew they require appointments, you can't just walk in.

[Hutch]

I have Yom and registered as antique
For yom the Plates need to be 2 Texas Truck plates
If not they will issue you a single antique plate
Not sure for classic if it 1 or 2
2 plates for my 1971
Inspection is required to register as antique after that it is not required
Plate renewal is $50 for 5 years
Small metal tag is attached to rear plate for the 5 year sticker
They will need to inspect the plates so bring them with you
No dealer plates allowed

I was debating whether to go with antique or classic and the lady at the Dmv stated that everyone goes with antique
She also said that it can be changed later if needed

[kglowacky]

Thanks for the info. I only have one plate of yom so I guess I will need to buy a set. Ebay has them in all kinds of condition. Anyone know what condition they need to be in to pass.
My truck is currently registered in Texas.
Reading the Antique application, it doesn't mention an inspection anywhere on the application. Going to need to ask if I need another inspection..

[dmjlambert]

The law says they have to be in good condition and legible. My plates had very slight deterioration that you could not even see from 5 feet away, and a thin line of rust 2 inches long that was just off the bottom edge and about the thickness of a hair. The Plano office rejected them. I pointed out the law says they have to be in good condition and legible, and these are. They said never mind all that, the plates need to be restored and in perfect brand new condition in every way. Supervisor looked at them and said no way. I put them in a box and forgot about them because I was not willing to restore them and have perfect plates on my rusty old truck that I drive specifically because it is a rusty old truck. A couple years later I had moved to the Houston metro and I took them into the Tomball office and they didn't look twice, they just immediately said those are fine. So, it depends on what office you go to and are they reasonable people.

[Hutch]

I bought my plates from a guy off of Craigslist for $70
The story was a friend of his bought a historic ranch and house estate in the Texas panhandle that had been owned by the county tax assessor
At the end of the year he would take all of the leftover plates home and stored them in his garage
He said there were hundreds of plates on multiple pallets

The ones that I bought had this advertising in between the plates

[RustyPile]

Originally Posted by kglowacky

Thanks for the info. I only have one plate of yom so I guess I will need to buy a set. Ebay has them in all kinds of condition. Anyone know what condition they need to be in to pass.
My truck is currently registered in Texas.
Reading the Antique application, it doesn't mention an inspection anywhere on the application. Going to need to ask if I need another inspection..

I currently have my '71 truck registered as antique vehicle, been that way since Dec, 2017.. Only one plate and no safety inspection required.. However --- I'm very limited as to where/when I can drive it.. DMV and Tax Accessor can explain those driving restrictions.

When the current plate expires, I will be registering it with YOM plates. If I understand the regulations, I'll have to have State Inspection also.

YOM plates have to be in reasonable condition and legible. Refinishing is allowed.

[SCOTI]

Since TX is doing away w/state inspections in '25, there's not much worry there (except for what they might not be telling us yet ).

Antique registrations are supposed to be limited milage use only (parade/event/show) & not for daily commuting. Enforcement is very subjective depending on the region and/or area/city (similar to the approval of the plate quality).

[Palf70Step]

According to my son it depends on your county (at least right now) on if you need and inspection or not. His county (Gregg) does, others don't require it. Unlike his DD, the inspection is only once, just to receive the tag.

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

According to my son it depends on your county (at least right now) on if you need and inspection or not. His county (Gregg) does, others don't require it. Unlike his DD, the inspection is only once, just to receive the tag.

Wouldn’t that be a logistical nightmare for police . Ok you live in such a such county no inspection on the vehicle . Ohh sorry even though you live across the street from the first scenario you live in a different county so you need an inspection . Yearly or just a one time in Texas ?

[kglowacky]

i went and had my truck inspected today. No issues, just a safety inspection,($7). Waiting on my new old plates to arrive from ebay. Then going to go to DMV and see what they say. worst case I will leave my current plates on as a regular daily driver.

[dmjlambert]

Just a note, mine is registered as a regular daily driver, not antique and not classic, just regular. They just put the 1969 plate number on the registration.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by 72c20customcamper

Wouldn’t that be a logistical nightmare for police . Ok you live in such a such county no inspection on the vehicle . Ohh sorry even though you live across the street from the first scenario you live in a different county so you need an inspection . Yearly or just a one time in Texas ?

It is what it is but also how it is. Inspections are yearly for 'standard' license plated vehicles. Antique stuff has been every 5yrs.

The proposed '25 change of no more inspections is for passenger vehicles. Commercial vehicles will still require annual inspections.
For those not in TX, we're required to get the annual inspection to be able to secure the yearly registration.

[cericd]

Originally Posted by kglowacky

i went and had my truck inspected today. No issues, just a safety inspection,($7). Waiting on my new old plates to arrive from ebay. Then going to go to DMV and see what they say. worst case I will leave my current plates on as a regular daily driver.

Did you ever get your YOM plates registered? I have a set I want to register on mine.

[kglowacky]

not yet.

[cericd]

I’ve got an appointment this coming Thursday so, we’ll see how it goes. Currently it has YOM plates from Colorado. It was pretty easy to get those done when we lived up there.

[GOPAPA]

Are you looking to put on same year as your truck Texas Plates ? I may have a truck plate or two if this is the way you are going . in boxes stored ,so will need to know if you want me to look ,