Massachusetts isnt a fantastic place to own a vintage car. New Hampshire doesnt issue a title for vehicles older than that, either, so you save the title fee when you register. 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. Utah has some absolutely spectacular roads, and it ranks 12th in terms of traffic, according U.S. News & World Report. It can easily continue snowing well into April. If the motor home is 1995 or older, it requires the ASM emissions test. If a vehicle was manufactured prior to 1949 and was altered from its original look, it qualifies as a street rod. We looked for any kind of requirements and couldnt find any. Sales tax for vintage cars is calculated on your bill of sale, which is a lot more legitimate that using some bogus price guide. Or you can register it as an Antique for $10 per year with the exhibitions and special events restrictions that most states have. Your email address will not be published. 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. 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. They wanted me to place an ad in the newspaper public notices for four weeks before allowing me to proceed. Ouch. Well let you determine whether CPIs values are legit or not. Rhode Island gets a decent numerical grade, mostly because of its relaxed Antique Vehicle requirements. The sales tax is reasonable at 4.5 percent, but theres also a steep excise tax of 4.5 percent that makes this one of the most tax-heavy states in the Union when it comes to registering a car. 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. 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. Just as the EPA does not allow an individual to reverse engineer a vehicle to defeat emission standards, they do not allow an individual to build a brand new "old" vehicle to bypass emissions standards. First off, Connecticut has a long history of offering a major tax break on vintage cars. see Hawaii Revised Statute 286-26.5 Special Interest Vehicles. The DMV will issue classic license plates to drivers who own passenger vehicles that were also manufactured at least 25 years ago with a carrying capacity of 10,000 pounds or less. 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. 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.). The weather cooperates most of the year, too, but youll definitely see snow a few months of the year. 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. Have your vehicle inspected at a certified inspection station. $32 000. They just make sure the VIN on the dash (or wherever) matches the title. $400 for 3 years. You can register it as a classic car and pay $40 for driving it with no restrictions. The Stadium Tax affords Wisconsin residents the privilege of paying for the $290 million Miller Park (23 years and counting), so they can watch the Brewers lose in the playoffs every time they get there. For $30, you can get a vintage-car tag for five years, which is a significant savings. Hawaii is a weird state in terms of registering a car. But other than that, its something of a paradiseboth in general and for classic car owners. 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. Not only does it have a clearly-written statute laying out the lenient requirements and restrictions for historic plates (KSA 8-172, if youre interested), the Kansas Highway Patrol provides an excellent pamphlet on title requirements. Tags for classics are available for anything older than 15 years old. Counties like Harris and Fort Bend are cracking down through their own law enforcement policy. U.S. News & World Report ranks Arizona among the top 25 percent in Road Quality. Whether you have an out-of-state title or a Bill of Sale, youre required to have the VIN inspected by the Highway Patrol. California is generally a classic car exporter rather than importer, solely because of the smog regulations. The problem is that the weather isnt conducive to vintage vehicle operation from late October straight into May some years. Inspections: States either require safety and emissions inspections or they dont. The registration of classic cars may also require a safety inspection on an annual basis. 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. According to what we could find on the Louisiana DMV website, there arent a whole lot of restrictions to having a vintage vehicle plate, but getting one is slightly more involved than other states. Vehicles registered as "Classic" are required to have an annual safety inspection. 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. 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. One bit of good news is that Missouri allows an owner to bond a title if the original title isnt present. 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. Theres a sales tax and excise tax, but you dont need a title for anything older than 96, so if you buy an older car from Maine, youll only need a current registration and a bill of sale. We subtracted 10 points for every percent of sales tax. A certified copy of Previous Bill of Sale or certified copy of two years Tag and Tax receipts of previous owner.. If and when you do get busted, the officer has the right to impound your vehicle and write you a citation for no registration.. Inspections can be done by any licensed shop, so most are kind to older vehicles. Traffic and Road Quality are great in the northern part of the state, but theres congestion all the way to Concord, which lowers the ratings. 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. First and foremost, it doesnt impose a sales tax for cars at all. They allow drivers to go to and from shows or exhibitions Drivers are restricted on the places they are permitted to go when their vehicle carries the tag of an antique license plate. A street rod is a vehicle manufactured before 1949 or after 1948 that looks like a vehicle manufactured before 1949. The state follows the OBD-II-era (1996-or-newer-only) requirement for emissions testing, which is great for most classic vehicle owners. If you want it for 10 years, its $86, which saves you more than a hundred bucks in registration fees. Washington would get a much higher score if traffic and road conditions werent rated 42nd and 40th by the U.S. News & World Report. The model year of a reconstructed vehicle will be the same year in which it was reconstructed and not the year of original manufacture. Visit your local Texas tax office. Williamstown resident David LaChance registered a 1966 Volvo P1800 project car that he hauled home on a trailer and wouldnt be roadworthy for years. You can check license plate availability and view customization options on the TX DMV MyPlates website . Also on the downside, New Jersey is congested, is a pretty small state, and is squeezed between New York City, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, so theres not much room to get away from the traffic, unfortunately. We put an asterisk next to Sales Tax because Alaska has no state sales tax. New Mexico ranks #14 in America in terms of short commutes, but unfortunately ranks #41 for road quality. DMV.com is a privately-owned website and is not affiliated with government agencies. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Therefore they cannot be registered as vehicles and they do not meet equipment standards required by federal and Texas law. Trying to track down exactly what requirements they have is tricky. 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. Prices for registering custom car projects or antique and classic cars may vary based on several factors, including the applicants county of residence, the type of vehicle, the vehicles characteristics (weight, year of manufacture) and more. You fill out an affidavit that it will only be driven on weekends or special events. From there, the tag fee is a one-time event, with no renewal required. Somer also notes, Vehicles over 25 years old can be titled on a Bill of Sale.. Delawares weather is better in the winter months than most of the Northeast states, extending the driving season by a month or so. 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. Tax is pretty hefty at 7 percent, and on top of that you owe an excise tax every year, but for vehicles older than 1980, its a $12-per-year flat tax. If there were restrictions for parades and special events, the state received 75 points. 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. New Hampshire has no sales or excise tax, just one registration fee, which is scaled according to age and value, Pratt says. Its a one-time registration, so you wont pay that over again for as long as you own the car. Youll have to do a safety inspection annually. Its kind of odd that a car from 1984 can be registered as a Horseless Carriage, but thats the statute. The Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities. We plugged in a $10,000 value in Charlotte and came out with an estimated tax of $167.87. David Dennis has a warning, though. Sales tax is relatively low at 4.15 percent, and its calculated on the sale price listed on the bill of sale, so youre not at the mercy of the inconsistent values in a NADA price guide, especially if your car is less than perfect. Certain items of inspection, however, may or may not be required to be inspected, depending on the age of the car. Unfortunately, Colorado ranks 30th in commute time and 29th in road quality, according to U.S. News & World Report. If you opt for the antique plates, you dont have to worry about safety inspections, either. Vehicles are required to meet the emissions standards for the year the vehicle is assembled. Vermont is deceiving because its numerical score is so low. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TXDMV) is responsible for issuing certificate of title and creating a safety inspection program for custom vehicles and street rods. Then theres the notorious traffic, which can make getting to those fantastic roads an exercise in drudgery. U.S. News & World Report ranks Montana #4 in America for short commute times and #11 in terms of road quality, so youll be able to enjoy your car. 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. You can register it as a Classic, which is for cars 25 years old or older, for $40 per year with no driving restrictions. But the weather, New Hampshires refusal to register vehicles to out-of-state residents, and its annual safety inspection are its only real faults. My only VIN challenge was on a 1920 Model T, which didnt have serial numbers until 1925. That can pose a real issue if youre buying a vehicle from a state that doesnt issue a title for an older car. I would think California has the most collector cars due to the amount of cars at car shows every weekend some where! Road quality is 21st. Thats the plus side. Each islandessentially individual countiesruns its own licensing division. Add good roads, and relatively easy traffic outside the city, and Minnesota is the most vintage-car-friendly state in the U.S. Kansas is another state that seems motivated to provide information to its constituents about registering classic cars. Theres a good explanation of the title procedure on the DMV website worth looking at. 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. $445 for 3 years. 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.. 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. Weather: We checked the states annual snow and rainfall at Current Results. 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. Your mileage here may vary. Oregon fares well because of its high-quality roads, its decent traffic outside the metro areas, and the fact that it doesnt charge a sales tax. You have pay for that fancy graphic design on the pamphlet somehow, howeversales tax is how its done. Vehicles too large for standard inspection bays need not be inspected within the inspection buildingif the analyzer is housed close enough to the bay opening. In addition to the base price for a custom or vintage vehicle registration in Texas, drivers may also need to provide payment for additional requirements, such as passing a safety inspection. 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. 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. Specifically, classic cars in Texas can only be used for . Both require a one-time registration fee, and theres no safety or emissions requirement, so youre in the clear there. Classic cars have a permanent registration but require yearly inspection, says Brian Padnes, who owns a 1984 Land Rover. 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.. Now, using a VTR-850 Classic - TxDMV.GOV - Txdmv takes no more than 5 minutes. Introduced in July 2012, "The Texas Classic" is designed to provide Texans the highest public safety protection. Tennessee is pretty good, according to our vintage motorcycle collecting pal Somer Hooker. 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. Nevertheless, theres a significant advantage to obtaining antique plates: you avoid the states annual safety inspection. 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. The state requires that you fill out an affidavit that states you havent modified the vehicle from its original form. Learn more about custom and antique license plates rules in Texas in the following sections. Content is intended for informational purposes only. Motorists who have not obtained a TX antique vehicle registration within the last five years must also provide DMV with proof of ownership, proof of insurance (or an affidavit proving exemption from the insurance requirement) and payment for the registration fees. 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. A car is considered a classic in Texas if it's at least 25 years old, is owned solely as a collector's item, and is not a replica or aftermarket vehicle. Emissions are only required in Cumberland County (basically, in Portland) and only for cars newer than 1996. The roads rank pretty high, according to U.S. News & World Report at #15, and the commute time is the eighth-best in America. A certificate copy of Current Bill of Sale; 2. 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 government does take a bite.. Motor homes and RVs with a gross weight over 4,500 pounds are required to have annual safety inspections. Taxes can get rather expensive, too. 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. But the rest of the states vehicle-related attributes are remarkable. Complete the Vehicle Registration Renewal application. If the car is from 1940 or prior, you may not need a title at all. It is recommended that you make contact with the station prior to arrival to ensure their equipment can accommodate your vehicle. 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. 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. Thats a massive savings if your emotions ran high at one of the Arizona auctions and you came home with a $50,000 car. No is worth 100 points, yes is 0. Given its inclement weather, Alaska still ranks high on the U.S. News & World Report roads index, ranking fifth in the country for commute time, and 28th in the nation for road qualitylikely a lot higher than the average person would guess. Sales tax is steep at 7 percent, but theres no annual excise tax. Thats a pretty sweet deal, especially if youre headed to the Woodward Dream Cruise. Historic Vehicle plates are for those 25 years old or older. The owner must first complete the Beneficiary Designation of a Motor Vehicle form, which tells the Texas DMV who the owner wants the car to go to. Your vehicle registration may be renewed online 90 days before the expiration date or after the expiration date, if you have not received a citation for expired registration. Required fields are marked *. The traffic in Oklahoma is generally pretty good, which scored the state an 11th ranking from U.S. News & World Report. Vehicle Inspection Operations & Training Manual - Emissions. Greg Giacchi owns a Datsun 280Z, a second-generation Supra and a second-gen Trans Am, and says, No complaints here in New Jersey. 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. New Mexico Statute 66-3-27 NMSA 1978 lays out the requirements for its Horseless Carriage registration. Iowa has Antique vehicle registration, but were not sure theres any point to obtaining it other than vanity. The rating also reflects the fact that were jumping the gun on emissions regs by about a year. Virginia is pretty clear about its antique plate usage, and it isnt great news for people who enjoy driving. The analyzers come with a 20 foot lead; and this will determine whether or not a station can roll their machinery outside the bay to conduct this type of inspection. 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. They would not let me register the vehicle with the vintage plate.. First, Colorado has a graduated emissions-testing program for cars in nine counties in populated areas. To learn more about the program, visit the Assembled Vehicles page. The money saved in tax resulted in a cottage industry of shady folks that would set up a Montana LLC specifically to register a car to the company, and then lie about the place where it was domiciled. In Maricopa County, where Phoenix is located, any car 1975 or later needs emissions testing unless you get collector insurance. The sales tax is relatively high at 6 percent, but it appears to be calculated on the bill of sale, which is a huge advantage versus calculation by a NADA price guide. The title situation isnt great, either. The second thing unique to Colorado is its titling requirements. Studies show they don't make roads and highways any safer. 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. 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