Painting CA license plates black and gold

[harmonicator]

Anyone know if it's against the law in CA to paint your license plates?

I dig the look of 60's and 70's CA plates with the gold numerals and black background. It seems you can't custom order them this way from DMV, but black/gold would look killer on my black SS.

Anyone know for sure?

[IBM/2SS/RS/LS3]

You can't do it and I'm looking for the vehicle code section.


Edit:


Altered License Plates
4464. No person shall display upon a vehicle a license plate altered from its original markings.

Added Ch. 1478, Stats. 1959. Effective September 18, 1959.

&

4457. If any registration card or license plate is stolen, lost, mutilated, or illegible, the owner of the vehicle for which the same was issued, as shown by the records of the department, shall immediately make application for and may, upon the applicant furnishing information satisfactory to the department, obtain a duplicate or a substitute or a new registration under a new registration number, as determined to be most advisable by the department. An application for a duplicate registration card is not required in conjunction with any other application.


Amended Ch. 1268, Stats. 1988. Effective January 1, 1989.

[TaylorRyanSS]

My dad had a 64 bug and it had newer plates on it that were painted black and gold. It came that way when he bought it from a guy off ebay in San Diego. He never got pulled over for it but he really did not drive it much.

[harmonicator]

Originally Posted by IBM/2SS/RS/LS3

You can't do it and I'm looking for the vehicle code section.


Edit:


Altered License Plates
4464. No person shall display upon a vehicle a license plate altered from its original markings.

Added Ch. 1478, Stats. 1959. Effective September 18, 1959.

&

4457. If any registration card or license plate is stolen, lost, mutilated, or illegible, the owner of the vehicle for which the same was issued, as shown by the records of the department, shall immediately make application for and may, upon the applicant furnishing information satisfactory to the department, obtain a duplicate or a substitute or a new registration under a new registration number, as determined to be most advisable by the department. An application for a duplicate registration card is not required in conjunction with any other application.


Amended Ch. 1268, Stats. 1988. Effective January 1, 1989.

lame.

Thanks.

[SS Mike]

Originally Posted by TaylorRyan74

My dad had a 64 bug and it had newer plates on it that were painted black and gold. It came that way when he bought it from a guy off ebay in San Diego. He never got pulled over for it but he really did not drive it much.

Since it was a '64 Bug, people (including cops) probably assumed it was normal. Definitely not normal on a 2010 Camaro.

[dplyttle]

Originally Posted by harmonicator

Anyone know if it's against the law in CA to paint your license plates?

I dig the look of 60's and 70's CA plates with the gold numerals and black background. It seems you can't custom order them this way from DMV, but black/gold would look killer on my black SS.

Anyone know for sure?

You can go to the site Create a Plate (CR8APL8) and custom order a black and yellow plate. You will only be able to use it for car shows, etc. It is not intended to be used for actual use.

[longbeachss2010]

i got mine custom. but all i did was paint the number and the california part black so is black and white my plates. havent got pulled over yet.

[arod55]

I saw one at a car show (San Diego) a couple of week age it was painted black with yellow letter/numbers. New plate but painted, you could tell by the extra digits on the plate. It looked great!!!!

[KeepItGreasey]

if you bought your first car in the 60's, and just transferred your plates from car to car, it would be legal.

i would go to the swap meet to see what kinda job you could get done. they make replicas for classic cars all the time

[BoomBoomKid]

Originally Posted by KeepItGreasey

if you bought your first car in the 60's, and just transferred your plates from car to car, it would be legal.

i would go to the swap meet to see what kinda job you could get done. they make replicas for classic cars all the time

To use the 60's plate you will need to complete a little more work, you need to show proof you owned the car with the 60's plate to transfer over. For example, my sister bought her '67 SS396 Camaro new, I later bought it from her (owned since 1988) since the car sat for almost 10 yrs there was no DMV record of the original '67 black and gold plates, I registered the '67 as CA Historic Plates so I would not have to smog the car, then later came the '73 or '74 year CA rule where the older cars no longer are required to be smogged, since I still had the original black and gold plates with proof they came with the car I was able to register the '67 back with it's original plate. I know the gold background with black lettering plates can be used on the same era cars without proof of ownership, I'm not sure if that applies to the black background with gold lettering plates for their same era.

[ffrcobra_65]

I have bought from this place.

http://www.licenseplates.tv/california-147.html

[SILVER BULLITT]

id love those plates but ......... well you know already

[harmonicator]

Originally Posted by ffrcobra_65

I have bought from this place.

http://www.licenseplates.tv/california-147.html

What if I bought a black/gold one from that place, yet use the same license number as my "official" plate...what the DMV has me on record for.

How would that be illegal if its the same number??? Both are just metal and paint???

[IBM/2SS/RS/LS3]

You'll get stopped for not having the "correct" plates on the car.


5200 VC