Tennessee is pretty good, according to our vintage motorcycle collecting pal Somer Hooker. We wanted to determine which states are the most classic-vehicle friendly and then rank them by their overall consideration for owners of older cars. The inspection station will follow the registration classification on the vehicle in determining the inspection criteria. Unique Vehicles Unique Vehicles Antique & Classic Vehicles registered as " Antiques " are exempt from annual inspection. Sales tax on a vintage car is a flat $125 fee plus $25 in a one-time tax, regardless of how much you paid for the car. There isnt a safety or emissions inspection that a vintage plate would help you avoid anyway. VI-87A.pdf. Data as of 2019 and is subject to change. You can register it as a Classic, which is for cars 25 years old or older, for $40 per year with no driving restrictions. Oklahoma requires a title for classic cars, but it also accepts a nominally-priced surety bond in place of a title if the car youre interested in doesnt have one (something to keep in mind when negotiating a price with a seller.). Tags for classics are available for anything older than 15 years old. Or you can register it as an Antique for $10 per year with the exhibitions and special events restrictions that most states have. Pennsylvania has two different vintage vehicle designations (Antique and Classic) with different restrictions. California requires a title, but doesn't require a safety inspection when it comes to classic cars. Are our numbers accurate or do you think your state is way more classic-car friendly than weve given it credit for? All vehicles used on the public highways are required to meet all of the state equipment laws and requirements; therefore, reconstructed or rebuilt vehicles that use the public highways are also expected to meet all of the state equipment laws and regulations. Despite Ferris Buellers adventure in the Ferrari, the weather and traffic in Chicago is brutal on a vintage car. Personalized plate with a maximum of 6 characters (must have at least 1 letter): $150 for 1 year. Vermont is deceiving because its numerical score is so low. Finally, we searched each states DMV website for information, and we spoke to classic vehicle owners wherever we could and asked for their opinion (that took some time). Everything else is a major impediment to driving a vintage vehicle. Throw in an average foot of snow that lots of places in Missouri get every year and its not particularly friendly to old cars. Let the arguments begin. Theres also no emissions requirement, meaning South Carolina vintage car owners skate on all the annual annoyances, regardless how old their car is. They would not let me register the vehicle with the vintage plate.. Hawaii does have some registration requirements for classic cars. If you have a car thats 25 years old but isnt considered a classic [think Honda CRX or any average car from 1994], the police generally dont know the actual rules and it can be a pain. That fee is waived for cars bearing antique plates, and the fees for Antique, Street Rod, and Horseless Carriage tags are permanent, meaning you pay them once and youre good for the entire time you own it. Classic benefits start the first day. The vehicle must be over 30 years old and operated as a collectors item, including participation in club activities, exhibitions, tours, parades, and not used for general transportation purposes.. Theres not much on the states Department of Revenue site except for the fact that yes, you can get an antique tag, and the fee is $28. Beware of that last one, however. Per state regulations, TX antique car tags are assigned to vehicles that are at least 25 years old, are collectors items and are used for parades, exhibitions and other public events. It offers historic plates and a lot of classic car owners seem to have them, likely because the registration fee is only $44, versus up to $84 for non-classics, depending on the year and weight of the vehicle. Taxes can get rather expensive, too. Youre begging for A) an audit and B) your insurance company to refuse to pay a claim when your car burns up in a garage in New Jersey. Utah is also great if your vehicle doesnt happen to have a title. DMV.com is a privately owned website that is not affiliated with any government agencies. However, the very next sentence says, The vehicle may also be used for limited enjoyment and purposes other than the previously mentioned activities but may not be used primarily for the transportation of passengers or goods over any public highway. Which means, as long as youre not using it as a limousine or cargo vehicle, you should be fine. $495 for 5 years. Jason Bagge has owned and registered hundreds of classic cars in Washington and suggests the way to register one is to find a set of correct year plates for your cars model year and register it that way. Specifically, classic cars in Texas can only be used for . And some of it was subjective: How car-friendly is the weather? Thats not a bad thing for clean air, but its a really bad thing if youre just trying to register a car for occasional use. Sign up for the latest automotive news and videosin short, everything for people who love cars. Nevertheless, theres a significant advantage to obtaining antique plates: you avoid the states annual safety inspection. That said, its a huge state, and it offers some amazing driving once you get outside of New York City and Albany. Vehicle Inspection Application Fee Exemption Form - Armed Services. Anything older than 1988 doesnt need a title at all. You can read about the Provisional Title procedure here. Like Maryland, a lot of places in Virginia get snow in the winter, so youll have your classic car stored at least a few months during the year. I had a super easy time getting a title for a Honda S90 I bought with a bill of sale several years back, Evan McCausland tells us, but I think theyve now changed the process to include a surety bond. The requirements for a Historic vehicle plate are kind of remarkable. A vehicle valued at $5000$6000 could get a surety bond for around $100. I havent been targeted specifically, but I have a friend who regularly has arguments with officers who are trying to ticket him unlawfully, despite the folder of information he carries with him at all times.. Antique vehicle registration is open to anything older than 25 years, but the restrictions are well defined: Cars with an antique plate shall be used only for participation in club activities, exhibits, tours, parades and similar uses, but in no event shall it be used for general transportation, according to the Delaware DMV. Note: Once your registration expires, you will need to initiate a renewal procedure. The Pine Tree State wavers from wide open to heavily restricted, depending on which of the ranking criteria youre looking at. If your older car doesnt have a title, you can still register it with a surety bond, as in many other states. Thats cool, but youre also responsible for property tax on your car every year, based on the cars value, and it varies based on the city and county. You can either select the antique plates provided by the state or, if you have a 1973 or earlier vehicle, you can opt for plates with a year that matches the year of your vehicle. Yet, California doesnt always make it easy on car owners. What is clear is that if the previous owner had two years worth of registrations, you dont need a title. As if that isnt bad enough, the Registry of Motor Vehicles is notoriously awful, assessing a 5.5-percent sales tax not on what you paid for your car, but what some arbitrary price guide says its worth. The state DMV defines an assembled vehicle as a car that was built from a kit, new or used components and modified so that it no longer resembles its original configuration, thus qualifying for specific DMV license plates. There are some beautiful roads in Hawaii, but U.S. News & World Report ranks both the traffic and road quality near the bottom. Though the documents to title and register custom car projects in Texas may slightly differ depending on whether your vehicle classifies as assembled, rebuilt or replica, the common custom car registration items are outlined below: Note: To obtain a registration for custom cars in TX, you may be subject to additional requirements. The inspection consists of a technician making sure that basic things are in order: tires are not bald, blinkers and wipers work. Period-correct emissions equipment is supposed to be in place, as well, but thats largely left up to the shop doing the inspection. On the one hand, its hard to see why anyone would bother, since the state has neither a safety nor an emissions inspection program, never mind for vintage cars. AAA Membership benefits Travel Discounts & Rewards Automotive Financial My Account Discover the benefits of a AAA membership Classic Pricing details Select Compare all benefits Eligibility details Plus Pricing details Select Compare all benefits Eligibility details Premier Pricing details Select Compare all benefits Eligibility details Have your vehicle inspected at a certified inspection station. Check with your local motor vehicle department for current information. Sales tax is also remarkably low at 3 percent of the purchase price (up to a maximum of $475), and the Tarheel State has a Highway Use Tax of 3 percent, which is lower than the states 4.75 percent sales tax. Kansas is another state that seems motivated to provide information to its constituents about registering classic cars. Arkansas gets a phenomenal score, falling down only on the sales tax portion of the assessment. The state follows the OBD-II-era (1996-or-newer-only) requirement for emissions testing, which is great for most classic vehicle owners. Sales tax is moderate at just 5 percent, and outside of Charlotte, the roads are in comparably decent shape and uncrowded. Also, while the Cincinnati/Dayton area scrapped the emissions check requirements, Cleveland (last I checked) did not. Street Rod plates are for 1948 or earlier with modifications. However, the only thing that happens if you do go over 5000 miles annually is that you are subject to an emissions inspection, rather than running the risk of having the car impounded, like in other states. Most people who abuse Antique Plates use the Im driving home from my mechanic excuse, but the troopers have heard every excuse in the book. You can register it as a classic car and pay $40 for driving it with no restrictions. Older vehicles are also exempt from the states emissions testing program, although unlike many states that only make cars from the OBD-II era comply (beginning in 1996), Virginia pushes that back to 25 years. They only do inspections Tuesdays and Thursdays between 9 a.m. noon. Your mileage here may vary. Listing the states from the lowest score to highest, this is what we found. West Virginia has some of the most amazing roads in the east, and traffic is relatively light compared to other states in the mid-Atlantic region. A complete catalog of available plate designs can be found here. Its just going to cost you, depending on how valuable the car is. However, if your vehicle is NOT roadworthy, older than 25 years of age, and physically located in Colorado, you can get whats called a Rebuilders Title to keep with the car as it is restored. Idaho doesnt have a safety inspection, but cars registered in Canyon County and the city of Kuna newer than 1981 model year must have an emissions inspection. Its a $19 annual fee. Main roads can be completely buckled with frost heaves in the winter and spring. $450 for 5 years. You can register it normally and pay a normal registration fee. Add that Iowa gets 39 inches of rain and 29 inches of snow every year, and youre looking at a pretty low score. Weather and the lack of a safety inspection is the only reason that classic car ownership in California is as good as it is. However, thats only good for weekends and special events, and according to Somer, If you are caught using on a regular basis your registration can be revoked. The state notes that if that happens, youre responsible for all the fees to register the vehicle as a general-use vehicle. New York is rather notorious for its sales tax, but the state only assesses 4 percent. New Jersey is not particularly unfriendly to vintage cars. The state has an emissions program in two counties (Lake and Porter) and every other year it inspects cars built in 1975 and after. All 1975 and newer cars are required to have a smog inspection, and all original emissions equipment must be present. When a vehicle in Texas meets these requirements, the owner can register it as an antique vehicle, which will limit the car's use. as to what was legal in the United States for that model year. Copyright 2009 - 2023 DMV.com. Registering a car in Allegheny County means youll pay an additional percent on top of that. With that in place, you can get yourself a title. The car had been a barn car, which ran and moved under its own power but lacked safe brakes, tires and working safety belts, he says. These types of vehicles are inspected like any passenger vehicle. Taxation is also pretty brutal in Missouri, depending on your county. Its super cheap, too. Our state-specific browser-based blanks and complete instructions eradicate human-prone errors. First of all, the statue says you cant exceed 250 miles from your residence. Secondly, you can use your car for general, daily transportation, which includes, but is not limited to, driving to and from work.. Ad valorem taxes may also be required depending on the year of the vehicle. Miniature motorcycles are illegal to operate on public roadways. One bit of good news is that Missouri allows an owner to bond a title if the original title isnt present. Ohio have restrictions for on cars with Historical vehicle plates, but the requirements dont seem onerous, and given the fact that you see an awful lot of them around at car shows, theyre probably worth having versus standard registration. Obviously, a lot of Alaska is buried in snow and ice for a good chunk of the year, but otherwise, its quite classic-car friendly. The fee is $15 in addition to the regular registration and other applicable fees. Its actually great for one reason: how easy it is to deal with the DMV. Classic vehicle restrictions are fairly light, in that the car is only supposed to be used for exhibitions, events, and pleasure driving, but theres no restriction on the days or mileage you can drive. Either the 7-inch head lamps or both dual head lamps (type 1 and type 2) may be used. Vehicle Inspection Operations & Training Manual - Safety. The emissions equipment that came on the car is supposed to still be there, but the inspection stationsall privately-owned gas stationsarent likely to check. Jeff Koch tells us that Arizonas emissions standards vary by county. On the plus side, Georgia gets only about 2.9 inches of snow every year, so youre safe never having to store your car for the winter. The state doesnt appear to have an annual safety inspection, nor does it have emissions requirements for A) vehicles older than 1996 or B) for any vehicles registered outside the Atlanta Metro area. The staff is generally terrific, the lines are amazingly short. Theres no safety or emissions to avoid (unless your car is from 1996 or later, and you live near Milwaukee). Thats a nice advantage when the NADA book value on a classic vehicle assumes that its in concours condition, while you bought a $1500 beater that youre hoping to drive someday as you restore it. Inspections can be done by any licensed shop, so most are kind to older vehicles. But the weather, New Hampshires refusal to register vehicles to out-of-state residents, and its annual safety inspection are its only real faults. When such a vehicle is presented for inspection, all rules and regulations regarding the inspection of the vehicle will apply. Your expiration month will not change. Nevadas classic-car plates (of which there are nine, by the way) come with an age and mileage restriction. If a vehicle was manufactured prior to 1949 and was altered from its original look, it qualifies as a street rod. A custom car is a vehicle that is or was produced to resemble a car that is at least 25 years old and of a model year after 1948, and was altered from its original design. How did the Land of 10,000 Lakes fall only 60 points short a perfect 900 score? Theres a good explanation of the title procedure on the DMV website worth looking at. Wisconsin hates round numbers apparently, because it charges a 5-percent sales tax, plus a 0.5-percent county tax, plus a 0.1-percent Stadium Tax to register a car. Antique plates are for 25 years old or older. Oklahoma is one of those states that seems to keep any information about registering a classic car under heavy wraps until youve stood in line for three hours at the DMV. 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