The correct format for plates on a newly reg. vintage car

Mr. 'H'

Given that one can opt for either:

XX D 12345
or
ZV 12345

I would like to ask the following:

Is it legal to have either format in the silver on black format?

I was told by one Garda (who's priorities seemed to be "revenue", rather than "crime" enforcement :rolleyes: ) that my car would be "seized" if my new plate wasn't the exact size (either the rectangular or square legal size), and was the black on reflective white, with the EU logo etc (i.e. the bog standard format).

How annoying! Made worse coming after being heavily penalised with taxes and customs duties, in order to bring the car in. :mad:

Any advise on where to find the exact legal position so I am prepared if I am threatened that my car will be "seized". :mad: :eek:

cormac_byrne

As far as I know there are rules on boards specifically forbidding the giving of legal opinion, so i won't give one.

However I do have a 70 D car with a black and silver reg, a 68 D with the EU logo style, and previously had a car with a ZV reg (black and silver).

Never had a problem with an of them, nor heard of any vintage car having any issue with any style of plates.

A modern car must have the correct format plates or it will fail it's NCT.

Vintage cars are exempt from the NCT anyway, also fyi the VRT on vintage cars is €50 (and road tax about €40) surely you don't consider that being heavily penalised!!!

Mr. 'H'

cormac_byrne wrote:

fyi the VRT on vintage cars is €50 (and road tax about €40) surely you don't consider that being heavily penalised!!!

No, that was fine.

I was referring to the 21% VAT on the value and the shipping cost of the car. It came to quite a tidy sum! This car was never taxed in EU before, you see.

I'm trying to find out if the XX D 12345 in black, with silver letters/numbers is legal. I know it's OK for the ZV variety.

And also if it has to be a certain dimension.

ianobrien

Mr. H wrote:

I'm trying to find out if the XX D 12345 in black, with silver letters/numbers is legal. I know it's OK for the ZV variety.

And also if it has to be a certain dimension.

At home, we have a car with the 77 C XXXX format, with black plates and silver writing. As the car is not 30 years old, it has to be NCT'ed. The car passed two NCTs with the Black plates/silver writing.

It was explained to me by a NCT tester like this. With the old style reg plates (before 1987), the plates had to be white/red background with black writing or black background with silver writing. He said that any car with a reg number prior to 1987 can have only the two formats above, or the modern style (post 1987 format & colour)

If stopped by a Garda and questioned about the plate, we'll just say that it passed two NCTs that way!

The car has been through four or five checkpoints (tax, insurance & drink driving ones) and no garda commented on the plate.

corktina

My cars have rather excentric number plates (except the 77 SO FAR for the same reasons given above.....i got stopped a couple of times in the mk3 which has green numerals in Gaelic from on white...no comment from the Gard....

mustang68

Mr. H wrote:

my car would be "seized" if my new plate wasn't the exact size (either the rectangular or square legal size), and was the black on reflective white, with the EU logo etc (i.e. the bog standard format).

Do not worry about the car being seized, I have been stopped by the Garda at check points in the mustang and I'm on a set of yellow on blue californian plates, the plates have never been mentioned. If they really cared they would stop you for not having yellow indicators!

I would recommend that you get a two sets of plates made up, one will be your USA 1941 plates (ZV or 41 D)and the other will be silver on black square ones to throw in the boot in case you get a Garda who got up on the wrong side of bed.

I would question the advise that you got, so that means if you brought in this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Rolls-Royce_Silver_Ghost_at_Centenary.jpg you'd have to put an EU logo on the plate, that sounds like rubbish to me.

mustang68

actually if you have a look at this from the revenue you'll see officially ZV and prior to 91 plates are exempt

MercMad

Here you will find it from the horses mouth, the Irish Revenue site. Pay attention to the piece of text on the very bottom right hand side,

http://www.revenue.ie/pdf/platead05.pdf

(These regulations do not apply to vehicles registered before 1 January 1991,
or to vehicles registered in the ‘ZV’, ‘Z Z’ or trade licence series.)

corktina

sooooo....you can have whatever you want provided ti is clear I guess?
(I couldnt open the attachments for some reason)

mustang68

Here you go

corktina

no go still something amiss with my settings i guess....

Silvera

It's a bit of a 'grey area' legally speaking re classic/vintage imports which have 'year' registrations, as the info does not specifically mention "first" registered after 1 January 1991.

In my opinion, it should read "all vehicles first registered after 1st January 1991 must (use EU plates - unless ZV, ZZ,or trade Plates)

Therefore, if you opt for the 'XX D 12345' format, you (technically speaking) must display the reg on EU plates.

However, having said that, I would say that most Gardai (except perhaps some Traffic Corps members) would overlook the use of silver-on-black plates on a classic/vintage vehicles.

Personally, I don't really like 'year' registrations on 'silver-on-black plates', I think black-on-white plates (without the EU logo/County name)...and with large 'old style' digits look much better!



I have noticed that N.I/U.K. owners of American imports often use 'US-style' plates at shows, but hang correct-spec plates on their cars when using them on the roads (I'd say the PSNI/UK police are more strict about such matters!)


See the way this guy hangs the plate over the US-style plates ........

(Photo taken at Mosney show a few years ago)...

Mr. 'H'

That info is quite useful, so I take it all I am liable for is a fine not seizure?

Mr. 'H'

But let's clarify something:

Is the registration prior to 1991 requirement - in Ireland, or registered anywhere in the world? What I mean is, is it OK for me to not have the new style as my car was registered in the US pre '91 and in Ireland '06, or does it refer to registered in Ireland?

I am now realising that as I want to correct 1941 US style such as these photos below, I should really have taken a ZV registration:

True 1935 format (similar to silver on black, as one sees in Ireland)



True 1941 format for NC, USA

Mr. 'H'

On a related point, who does the silver on black plates here?

Mr. 'H'

On a further point, can one change from 41 D to ZV AFTER registration?

Silvera

Registered in Ireland prior to 1991.

Why don't you go for those type of plates but with white digits rather than yellow?! .....that way you would be legally correct (with a ZV reg that is).

You can still change to a ZV reg after you have taken the 'year' reg (Thought the Revenue may not like changing things so soon after initial registration. Maybe better to leave it for c.6 months or so before looking for a ZV plate!)

BTW, nobody will "seize" your car for the wrong plates ....thats rubbish!
And as for a "fine", as I said most Gardai wil overlook such plates on a vintage/classic car - especially a 1941 car !!


Who does silver-on-black plates in Ireland ? -

I have listed several Irish suppliers in the 'Suppliers' thread above, incl Paul Macnaughton, Co Meath. email: autojumbler@ireland.com
(He does a range of suppliers for vintage cars, Castrol oils, Whitworth spanners, etc).

corktina

costs €50 to change to a ZV.......