My 1966 Corvette Gets a Valentine Treat: A YOM License Plate

I was on a mission at the NCRS Regional show in Kissimmee, Florida last month to find a vintage license plate for my 1966 Corvette. Florida allows the registration of these original license plates for cars older than 30 years. Richard Collins had a pretty large selection of original Florida plates (and plates from other states as well) and it was in his bin that I found one suitable for my Sting Ray.

Richard assured me the plate would register and told me what I needed to do to get the ball rolling. I followed his advice and had my plate registered by the state and returned to me in just over a week’s time. I enlisted some help with the install from “Son of CorvetteBlogger” and as you can see the plate makes a nice addition to the Corvette.

The C/V on my new plate stands for Commercial Vehicle, but to me it looks like it could stand for CorVette. I thought it was pretty cool. As long as the plate is original and not registered to another entity, you can use it.

For those of you in Florida interested in registering an old license plate, these are the steps you need to take.

First, you need to find a good clean plate that was manufactured for the same year of your Corvette. As I mentioned, mine came from Richard Collins (941) 545-3558 and was just $25. I’ve also seen them on eBay and at LicensePlates.tv for a little more than that.

The plates are referred to by the state as a “Year of Manufacture” (YOM) plate and it must be the same year as your Corvette. You can’t put a 1967 Florida License Plate on a 1966 Corvette. The plate needs to be original and unrestored.

Once you have the plate, you need to write a letter to the State of Florida DMV requesting that you’d like to register the plate and include the following documentation: Copies of the Title, Current Registration, owner’s driver license and proof of insurance. Also include a $50 check made out to the Florida DMV. My plate ended up costing around $36 to register so I’ll be getting a check back from the state for the difference.

Put your name and contact information on the back of the plate in case it gets separated from your documentation. I used a business card and taped it to the back. Package all your info and the plate (I sent my in a USPS Priority Mail envelope) and mail it to the Florida DMV: Direct Mail & Title Correction Section; Bureau of Titles & Registration, Neil Kirkman Building #72, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0620.

I’ve included a template of the letter that worked for me:

February 2, 2009 Florida DMV
Direct Mail & Title Correction Section; Bureau of Titles & Registration
Neil Kirkman Building #72
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0620 To Whom It May Concern: Enclosed is a Year of Manufacture plate from [YEAR] that we would like to have authenticated and registered to our [YEAR] Chevrolet Corvette. Year of Manufacture Plate: [YEAR]
[PLATE NUMBER] Owners Information: [OWNER NAME]
[OWNER ADDRESS]
[OWNER CITY/STATE/ZIP]
[OWNER TELEPHONE #] [OWNER DRIVERS LICENSE #]
[OWNER BIRTHDATE] [OWNER SEX M/F] Vehicle Information: [YEAR] Chevrolet Corvette Convertible
VIN: [VIN]
Current FL Tag #: [CURRENT TAG]
Current Decal #: [CURRENT DECAL #]
Curb Weight: [CURB WEIGHT OF CORVETTE] [INSURANCE COMPANY NAME]
[INSURANCE POLICY #]

Related:
Pictures From The NCRS Winter Regional Corvette Show
One of My Favorite Corvette Photos
Help! My Corvette Needs New Shoes!

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