As far as titles, theres a fair bit of information worth reading at the DMVs website. With that in place, you can get yourself a title. Whats nice about Maryland, though, is that it assesses its 6-percent sales tax on the value stated on the bill of sale if the vehicle is over seven years old. Snow, ice, and salt litter the road surfaces starting as soon as late October, although recently the first major snowfall hasnt happened until January. With 22 inches of snow and 39 inches of rain every year, Indianas weather isnt the greatest, but the roads outside of the cities are well maintained, and traffic isnt absurd. That said, its a huge state, and it offers some amazing driving once you get outside of New York City and Albany. Maybe Ralph Nader should have lobbied Georgia for a safer registration process that would include a safety inspection. Title Requirement: Some states (Vermont, for instance) dont require a title for vehicles over a certain age. 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.). Andrew Baca has a bunch of vintage scooters and a Corvair Greenbrier van registered in Maine. So there you have it, classic car owners. Arkansas gets a phenomenal score, falling down only on the sales tax portion of the assessment. Copyright 2009 - 2023 DMV.com. If you register in Philadelphia, add 2 percent. You can register your vehicle as an antique and pay a reduced fee, but that only entitles you to drive your vehicle in parades and to shows. Yes, it snows half the year there and all the side roads are dirt, but Vermont also has a lot going for it. The average 30 inches of snow isnt exactly ideal, but Nebraska doesnt use salt on the roads, which makes it a good place for finding decent classic vehicles that havent rotted to the roofline. That 7-percent sales tax is applied at registration and is calculated by the state, not your bill of sale, which isnt great, depending on which wildly inaccurate source the state bases its value on. Under state laws, motorists requesting a TX registration for custom cars or antique rides must first check whether their vehicle classifies as an antique, classic, assembled, reconstructed or replica car, among other types of motor vehicles, and submit the appropriate documentation for title and registration. The fee is a reasonable $25, and renewal is just $3 every three years. Tennessee is in the process of making changes to its emissions-testing program, which will remain in place until at least 2021 despite legislation to end the process. Vehicles older than 1975 registered as collector cars are exempt from emissions testing. from Texas If you register it as a classic you have to get it inspected and you are allowed to drive it anywhere anytime. Sales tax isnt terrible at 4 percent, and theres no safety or emissions requirements to deal with. In order to qualify for Texas antique vehicle registration, your vehicle must be at least 25 years old, and can only be used on a limited basis such as car shows, exhibitions, parades, and travel to and from repair and maintenance facilities. What is clear is that if the previous owner had two years worth of registrations, you dont need a title. They wanted me to place an ad in the newspaper public notices for four weeks before allowing me to proceed. Ouch. Beyond that, the Palmetto State did away with its safety inspection back in the mid-1990s. Classic cars also have lower gas mileage; It's not uncommon for a classic car to get an average of 10 - 15 miles per gallon. Horseless Carriage plates are for 1915 or earlier. Specifically, classic cars in Texas can only be used for . The 45 inches of snow the state accumulates every year probably doesnt help. Classic cars have a permanent registration but require yearly inspection, says Brian Padnes, who owns a 1984 Land Rover. So, in short, Ohio is NOT one of the top 20 states to own AND operate a classic in trust me, I live there. Some of our criteria were objective: Is there an emissions process? With nine categories receiving a maximum point total of 100 each, a perfect score would be 900. VI-87.pdf. The fees are super cheap, so if your state dings you for registering your car trailer, give Maine a shot. It can easily continue snowing well into April. Theres no state DMV, for example. Complete the Vehicle Registration Renewal application. If the car is from 1940 or prior, you may not need a title at all. U.S. News & World Report ranks Arizona among the top 25 percent in Road Quality. Vehicle Inspection Operations & Training Manual - Safety. Motor vehicles used for competitive racing, such as modified stock cars, dragsters, and hot rods may be inspected. Kudos to Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White for providing a thorough brochure on vintage-car registration. 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. Antique are emissions-exempt, and I believe classic are too since they fall into the drive less than 5K miles category., Taxes are significant, too. Not only does the state ring you up for a relatively high 6.5 percent, the county and the city can both wet their beaks, too, adding another percentage point or so to what you owe for the privilege of buying a car. Motor homes and RVs with a gross weight over 4,500 pounds are required to have annual safety inspections. We put an asterisk next to Sales Tax because Alaska has no state sales tax. There are several steps to register your vehicle with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Unfortunately, Colorado ranks 30th in commute time and 29th in road quality, according to U.S. News & World Report. If the vehicle is 25 years old or older, you dont need a title to register it, but again that requires some paperwork. A title is an absolute MUST if you want to do anything with it other than use it for lawn decoration. In Maricopa County, where Phoenix is located, any car 1975 or later needs emissions testing unless you get collector insurance. Most states cut you a break by making classic registrations a one-time fee, but not Oklahoma. If you want it for 10 years, its $86, which saves you more than a hundred bucks in registration fees. Tennessee is pretty good, according to our vintage motorcycle collecting pal Somer Hooker. U.S. News & World Report ranks South Dakota #1 in America for length of commute time, so traffic isnt an issue, according to U.S. News & World Report. It ranks about mid-pack in terms of road quality. Somer also notes, Vehicles over 25 years old can be titled on a Bill of Sale.. Theres a title requirement, but in recent years, its gotten a lot easier to buy a heap without a title and register it legally. Head lamps shall be of a type acceptable by the Department. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Kristen Pratt says that registering her 1978 Jeep CJ-5 was a piece of cake. Sales tax is moderate at just 5 percent, and outside of Charlotte, the roads are in comparably decent shape and uncrowded. 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. Historic registration doesnt appear to get you out of the states biennial safety inspection, but you do avoid the emissions inspection in St. Louis County if your car is from the 1996 model year or older. There are some beautiful roads in Hawaii, but U.S. News & World Report ranks both the traffic and road quality near the bottom. The road quality is pretty dismal, however37th in the U.S. Vehicle Inspection Station Application V. Vehicle importation is the responsibility of the U.S. Customs Service. Maryland has the same weekends, holidays, and special events clauses that most other states have, which means that you might not want to bother getting the antique or street rod plates if you plan on driving it to work occasionally. You can register it normally and pay a normal registration fee. Introduced in July 2012, "The Texas Classic" is designed to provide Texans the highest public safety protection. The weather is the biggest disadvantage. I would think California has the most collector cars due to the amount of cars at car shows every weekend some where! Oh, yeahthey said dont bother trying to appeal it.. If you live within the city of Chicago, theres another 1.25 percent added on. Emissions inspections are at government-run facilities. They would not let me register the vehicle with the vintage plate.. For tax purposes, a vehicle that is older than 20 years old and historically significant only has a tax value of $500. Miniature motorcycles are illegal to operate on public roadways. Anything older than 1988 doesnt need a title at all. A car has to be 25 years old, and you need to have another vehicle registered as a daily driverwhich youd need to have to get Hagerty insurance anywaybut beyond that, there are no other restrictions. Trying to track down exactly what requirements they have is tricky. Note: Once your registration expires, you will need to initiate a renewal procedure. Good luck figuring out how to determine how much you owe, because we failed algebra, and youll definitely need some skills. After 2009, if you get Antique plates, youre subject to the restrictions (only driven to and from state and county fairs or educational exhibits, must never use it as daily transport), but the fee is the same as any regular car. Florida gets essentially no snow every year, and outside the cities the roads are in great shape. 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 rating also reflects the fact that were jumping the gun on emissions regs by about a year. Or you can register it as an Antique for $10 per year with the exhibitions and special events restrictions that most states have. Youll only need a bill of sale to register the vehicle. A complete catalog of available plate designs can be found here. In almost every instance, Georgia rocks as far as classic vehicle ownership goes. Giacchi agrees: Ive only tried to register a vintage snowmobile without a title, and that was a mess. The weather is generally conducive to old car ownership; the roads are fantastic outside of Las Vegas and you can register a car with a bond if the title is missing. If youre bringing a vehicle 25 years old or older into Kentucky from another state, you dont necessarily need a title for it. Dillon Troxell says you get that tax break whether you decide to get Early American Vehicle or Classic Vehicle plates, which dont carry any significant restrictions to use. Now, using a VTR-850 Classic - TxDMV.GOV - Txdmv takes no more than 5 minutes. It also gets you out of having to have a safety or emissions inspection. Many kit car manufacturers comply with this requirement. Virginia is pretty clear about its antique plate usage, and it isnt great news for people who enjoy driving. Were giving the state a full No for a title requirement to register a classic car. Unfortunately, enforcement is noticeably selective. California is generally a classic car exporter rather than importer, solely because of the smog regulations. DMV.com is a privately-owned website and is not affiliated with government agencies. 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.. You can check license plate availability and view customization options on the TX DMV MyPlates website . Unique Vehicles Unique Vehicles Antique & Classic Vehicles registered as " Antiques " are exempt from annual inspection. Check with your local motor vehicle department for current information. The traffic in Oklahoma is generally pretty good, which scored the state an 11th ranking from U.S. News & World Report. New Mexico ranks #14 in America in terms of short commutes, but unfortunately ranks #41 for road quality. On the plus side of the ledger, the Historic plate program seems to carry no other restrictions other than that the car must be at least 25 years old. South Dakotas historic vehicle plates apply to cars 30 years old or older. Vehicle Inspection Operations & Training Manual - Emissions. The guy who drives his 1970 Nova to work and back every day will likely go a decade unscathed, but the dude driving a FB (first-gen) RX-7 wouldnt last a week. We spoke to Peter McCullough, owner of River Bend Automotive in Houston, who provided a ton of information about the law and how its practically enforced in Texas. Advantages of "Classic" plates? Instantly compare rates. Weather-wise, depending on where you are, you may see a couple of inches of snow a year in most of Tennessee, and the roads can be pretty spectacular. Massachusetts isnt a fantastic place to own a vintage car. 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