laloquera916

Woke up this morning with nothing to do but give a long *** stare at my OG California 92 license plates, with a Starbucks Venti cup at my hand. This thing look like the retro Legacy plates from da 70's that just got reissued a year or two ago. They look like identical molding prints, everyone in their mother knows they get fabricated up at da big pokey house in Folsom.
Im thinking of painting my black and yellow. Any legal issues involved here? I don't want a US Supreme Court ruling, just a basic IRAC briefing would stuffiest.
Let me know what you all think about it.

laloquera916

1963 YOM (Year Of Manufacturing), the sequential numbers are as different as to the modern and recently issued California Legacy plates.
My premise here is based off LE technology. About a month ago I got pulled over by local PD with a unit with an onboard plate recognition/reader. Got lit up for expired registration. No prob, did it the day before but DVM cannot for the love of got expedite the data fast enough to the local pd's. I hand delivered my current hard copy registration and insurance on the spot. The rest is self explanatory.
My OG 92 reflective paint on my rear plate is gone, the only thing still left is the blue color ink numbers and small CALIFORNIA red letters. PD got a hit on my rear plate that is in deplorable conditions.
I don't think the reflective face plate that matters, its the colored raised numbers and letters that are recognizable. Other plates are laminated with vinyl.
The YOM plate from the 60'S has a 63 visibly printed in the upper right coner. The legacy and 90 plate do not. All three plate have three things in common: they manufactured in Folsom State Prison, they are cut, OG stamp using same OG molds today as back in the 60's.

MAD_MIKE

Even though the 80's plates with the embossed 'CALIFORNIA' look like the 60's black and 70's blue, they are different. In 80 the plates changed from three letters and three numbers, to a seven alpha-numeric. Usually a single number- three letters- three numbers, for pass vehicles and a single number-single letter- five numbers for commercial vehicles. Unless personalized.

Oh yea.

You cannot modify your plate in any way shape or form.

You can restore them to original colors. You can order new original replacements. And you can order the legacy black plates.

Legacy plates are also only a 6 alpha-numeric number, but they lack the 'classic' space in the middle and I believe the coding is not the same as the classic three letter three number scheme. More like a 6 alphanumeric based on existing coding. Painting your 90's 7alpha-numeric will not fly, it will look strange and if a plate check is done you will most likely be cited for the modified plate and they also may be confiscated, which would require replacement of your plates.

IMO, the legacy plates on anything that is not an original black plate car, or a black car, looks dumb. There are plenty of new cars/trucks that are sporting the legacy plates, and they look assinine. Much like the casual BMW with the faux 'euro' plate under the US plate. I would not be surprised if the uptick in the legacy plate is due to dealerships slapping on an additional 'service fee' for filling out the paperwork for the legacy plates and they push it on customers. There are entirely too many pedestrian new cars with black plates to be from anything else. That or there are far more muppets driving around here than I original estimated.

laloquera916

88,89,90,91,92&93

laloquera916

YOM Plate

laloquera916

This plate was issued in 2012

laloquera916

MAD_MIKE

That is one badly 'schopped image of the SAM 123 plate.

Again, its still the 80's-present seven digit alphanumeric code. Legacy black plates use a six alphanumeric that drops the last digit, not the three letter, three number with a space in the middle of the 60's black plate.

ag_ghost

Agreed, tho' I'm prejudiced; in addition to the family's Hondas I have a 63 and 66 Ford with their original black plates.

laloquera916

Im doing it, just to see if it could be done. Besides, cops don't look at plates anymore, its all about the technology, cameras, and on board plate recognition. Im not altering my plate but rather restoring to a newer look. My front plate is all dented with years of baked bugs **** and jizz crusted all over. My rear plate has no white reflective paint left on it besides the red California letters and the Blue numbers, the rest looks like a flat tin plate.