Where everything falls apart is taxation. Since its too difficult to build city and county taxes into the scoring, we did not include thatalthough we indicated it in the text. Heres a novel concept: Nebraska actually provides a decent amount of information on registering a classic vehicle on its website. The title situation isnt great, either. Main roads can be completely buckled with frost heaves in the winter and spring. Depending on where you live, the municipality can charge anywhere from 07.5-percent sales tax, however, so be aware of that. New York is rather notorious for its sales tax, but the state only assesses 4 percent. Kansas is another state that seems motivated to provide information to its constituents about registering classic cars. Vermont is deceiving because its numerical score is so low. Its just going to cost you, depending on how valuable the car is. Its kind of odd that a car from 1984 can be registered as a Horseless Carriage, but thats the statute. Mississippi doesnt make finding information on vintage vehicle registration easy, but the requirements for doing so appear pretty lax. Classic Car registration only costs $10 and doesnt require a renewal, and theres no inspection either for safety or emissions. Whats really interesting in Michigan is the month of August: With a Historic plate, youre free to drive your classic car every day, including for general transportation to and from work. A street rod is a vehicle manufactured before 1949 or after 1948 that looks like a vehicle manufactured before 1949. If the vehicle is 25 years old or older, you dont need a title to register it, but again that requires some paperwork. 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. Two states didnt manage to get 50-percent of the available points, and Massachusetts oh, boy. Those states each received 100 points. It doesnt look like theres any break on the 5-percent sales tax, either. The restrictions define occasional use of a classic or antique vehicle as no more than one day a week (in bold letters), which seems extremely restrictive. DMV.com is a privately owned website that is not affiliated with any government agencies. So I want to purchase a 1937 auto from minnesota , owner says they have a title, if I drive up there and get the title in my name am I going to have a problem transferring to ohio? 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. West Virginia doesnt have an emissions inspection, so you dont have to worry about that at all if your vintage car interests include cars from the 90s. South Dakota requires a title and doesnt seem to be particularly helpful in providing information if you happen to own a car that either came from a state that doesnt issue one for older cars or is missing its original title. Technically you do need a title, but if you dont have one you can register a car for three years without one at all, or get a bonded title, as spelled out in Washington Administrative Code Title 308 Chapter 56A Section 210. Title Requirement: Some states (Vermont, for instance) dont require a title for vehicles over a certain age. If your older car doesnt have a title, you can still register it with a surety bond, as in many other states. There are several steps to register your vehicle with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. The fee is $15 in addition to the regular registration and other applicable fees. U.S. News & World Report ranked North Dakota #2 in road quality and #3 in commute time, meaning you wont be spending a lot of your time idling in traffic. We put an asterisk next to Sales Tax because Alaska has no state sales tax. Call it what you like, thats still a tax. Oh, yeahthey said dont bother trying to appeal it.. Super easyjust need title (or bill of sale, if applicable) for registration tags. They wanted me to place an ad in the newspaper public notices for four weeks before allowing me to proceed. Ouch. Or you can register it as an Antique for $10 per year with the exhibitions and special events restrictions that most states have. 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. Nebraska ranks #6 in America for commute time and #12 for road quality, so the driving experience can be pleasant, provided you dont mind going arrow-straight most of the time. The second thing unique to Colorado is its titling requirements. North Dakota imposed the standard restrictions on vehicles with Historic plates. Sales tax is a mid-level 5 percent. The title requirement is only for vehicles 20 years old or newer. Therefore, if your motor home exceeds this weight limitation, it will be switched to the TSI testing mode. Zurschmeide also notes that the enforcement of daily use is pretty lax. These plates grant access to the vehicle to park in any handicap-designated parking spot, and to park in front of parking meters (non-federal meters) without any charge. Content is intended for informational purposes only. The TX Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) issues custom car registration documents, as well as antique or classic license plates to drivers who meet the imposed registration requirements and submit the proper documentation to the agency. Previous General-Issue Plate Designs 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. Neither of my two pre-1960 vehicles need to have seat belts retrofitted or must pass any kind of emissions test for their annual safety inspection. 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). It is recommended that you make contact with the station prior to arrival to ensure their equipment can accommodate your vehicle. Well let you determine whether CPIs values are legit or not. Thats a unique win for restorers in Colorado. Once its again in roadworthy shape, you can use that Rebuilders Title as the basis to get a standard Colorado title. These types of vehicles are inspected like any passenger vehicle. 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. Weather and the lack of a safety inspection is the only reason that classic car ownership in California is as good as it is. Thats a major convenience versus other states that wont give you the time of day without a title. The higher elevations get snow, but for the most part, South Carolinas coastal communities will go years without seeing the white stuff. Antique plates are for 25 years old or older. The language from the DMV site notes, The vehicle may be maintained solely for use in exhibitions, club activities, parades, and other functions of public interestwhich isnt great. Personalized with 7 characters: $195 for 1 year. All lighting devices must be of an acceptable type that meet Department standards and must comply with the mounting heights as specified in the inspection requirements. Either the 7-inch head lamps or both dual head lamps (type 1 and type 2) may be used. Yes, youre only supposed to be using the car for events and pleasure driving, but theres no distinction on what days of the week you can drive it, and we couldnt find anyone whos ever been ticketed for violating the Historic plate restrictions. Theres no state DMV, for example. Snow, ice, and salt litter the road surfaces starting as soon as late October, although recently the first major snowfall hasnt happened until January. And the sales tax is high. The owner next completes the Application for Texas Title and/or Registration form, which asks the Texas DMV to reissue title to the vehicle with the name of the beneficiary on it. Visit our FAQ section for more information on the classic car buying process . Proof of financial responsibility for yourself and the vehicle You will also need to bring at least one clear photo of the vehicle you will be registering. Yes, it snows half the year there and all the side roads are dirt, but Vermont also has a lot going for it. Massachusetts isnt a fantastic place to own a vintage car. If the vehicle is 25 years old or older, you can register it as an antique and skate on the states safety inspection requirements. Iowa has Antique vehicle registration, but were not sure theres any point to obtaining it other than vanity. That can save a lot of bucks versus registering a vehicle just a few miles north in Massachusetts, where a $500 Falcon can easily cost hundreds in sales tax based on the book value. It has restrictions for vintage tags, but we applied half credit here because the restrictions dont say anything about weekends and holidays only, or anything about mileage caps. California is generally a classic car exporter rather than importer, solely because of the smog regulations. The plates are comparatively expensive versus other states$80 up front and $55 to renew every yearand dont really provide any benefits since youre not avoiding inspections. TxT is an official, account-based digital government assistant that provides an even easier, faster, and more secure way for Texans to take care of government services - like vehicle registration renewal. 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. Pennsylvania has two different vintage vehicle designations (Antique and Classic) with different restrictions. Road quality is 21st. It can easily continue snowing well into April. Please check with your vehicle manufacturer (Ford, Honda, Nissan, etc.) That can pose a real issue if youre buying a vehicle from a state that doesnt issue a title for an older car. The weather is the biggest disadvantage. Dont do that. Vehicles registered as "Antiques" areexemptfrom annual inspection. For cars older than 1976 (the last year that Pennsylvania plates were dated), you can restore an old license plate for the vehicle with a year that matches, Padnes says. If the car you register cost you less than $4000, you dont owe a sales tax at all, a boon for those of us who like to buy beaters and improve them as we drive. If the car is from 1940 or prior, you may not need a title at all. Listing the states from the lowest score to highest, this is what we found. A search of the site reveals no results for classic, historic, or antique. We did a Google search for registering a classic vehicle in Oklahoma and came up with a single .pdf. U.S. News & World Report ranks Arizona among the top 25 percent in Road Quality. South Carolina is a pretty great place to have a vintage vehicle. It may take a full year before all of the state's 254 counties begin issuing The Texas Classic. That's simply the nature of old cars. It doesnt require a title to register a vintage car, doesnt have an emissions requirement for older vehicles, and offers two-year registrations at a slightly reduced rate. Sales tax is steep at 7 percent, but theres no annual excise tax. 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. Thats a pretty sweet deal, especially if youre headed to the Woodward Dream Cruise. If you opt for the antique plates, you dont have to worry about safety inspections, either. I brought my 61 Willys CJ5 to Kansas from Colorado, Lyda says. The state assesses a 4-percent sales tax, but counties can hold you up for up to an additional 6 percent in sales tax depending on where you live. Delaware gets good marks for sales tax, but it does charge a Documentation Fee, which is 4.5 percent of the vehicle sale price, or the NADA value, whichever is higher. Vehicles with Historic plates are subject to the parades and special events restrictions of most other states, but there doesnt appear to be a mileage cap or a day-of-the-week restriction. Colorado is like most other states in that it offers a Historic vehicle tag with a few minor restrictions. Wisconsin also has antique vehicle registration, but only for cars built before 1945. Weather: We checked the states annual snow and rainfall at Current Results. Missouri has some pretty stringent restrictions that come along with getting Historic plates, with no real obvious benefits for doing so, other than avoiding an annual registration renewal. The Lone Star State also has four different ways you can register a classic car. Note: Once your registration expires, you will need to initiate a renewal procedure. Head lamps shall be of a type acceptable by the Department. Well, how bout Vermont then? We subtracted 10 points for every percent of sales tax. 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. There are some beautiful roads in Hawaii, but U.S. News & World Report ranks both the traffic and road quality near the bottom. Some of our criteria were objective: Is there an emissions process? The model year of a reconstructed vehicle will be the same year in which it was reconstructed and not the year of original manufacture. There are two important things to keep in mind in the Centennial State, however. 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. Are our numbers accurate or do you think your state is way more classic-car friendly than weve given it credit for? Contact a nearby TX DMV office and verify the exact registration cost pertaining to your case. Theres a title requirement, but in recent years, its gotten a lot easier to buy a heap without a title and register it legally. First, Colorado has a graduated emissions-testing program for cars in nine counties in populated areas. 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. Not all motor homes in this age category come equipped with OBDII compliant plug-in; therefore, if your motor home or RV is not OBDII ready, it will require the appropriate tailpipe emissions test. Maybe Ralph Nader should have lobbied Georgia for a safer registration process that would include a safety inspection. We plugged in a $10,000 value in Charlotte and came out with an estimated tax of $167.87. No state accomplished that, but three states finished with more than 800 points. A Texas custom car registration, as well as antique license plates, are necessary for owners of these types of vehicles to stay in accordance with the applicable motor vehicle laws. Complete an Application for Texas Certificate of Title ( Form 130-U ). 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. Utah has some absolutely spectacular roads, and it ranks 12th in terms of traffic, according U.S. News & World Report. In that case, the emissions requirement is waived. If you want it for 10 years, its $86, which saves you more than a hundred bucks in registration fees. Considering its locked in snow for 45 months a year (more if youre north of Lansing) and the roads are in deplorable condition in many areasparticularly around DetroitMichigan fares pretty well in the vintage vehicle friendliness rankings, mostly because of the registration requirements. Motor homes and RVs with a gross weight over 4,500 pounds are required to have annual safety inspections. The Pine Tree State wavers from wide open to heavily restricted, depending on which of the ranking criteria youre looking at. The ASM equipment in the Dallas and Houston areas have an 8,500 pound limitation. 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. Theres no mileage or day-of-the-week restrictions, only that the car cant be used as basic daily transport. Your email address will not be published. Horseless Carriage plates are for 1915 or earlier. Some states allow a surety bond, so they got 50. You can register it normally and pay a normal registration fee. 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. On the negative side theres Rick Lydas experience. VI-92.pdf. Typically, an antique vehicle is defined by its age at the time at which antique vehicle . 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