GA Antique Tag Fee

I just renewed my vehicle registrations and learned a little something. Two of my cars had the antique tags (with the Model A or T silhouette) and this year, GA put a $35 special tag fee on my renewal notice. That fee wasn't there last year. I went to the tag office where I learned that the $35 fee now applies to any tag other than just a regular tag. Needless to say, I need the $70 more than the State of Georgia and both cars now have standard tags. This doesn't apply to YOM tags added to your registration.

amen! no need to pay that much for a tag with a picture on it!!

Yep, just traded my antique tag in for a regular tag last week too. I'm running the YOM plate, but the one they originally gave me to keep in the car as my registered tag was one of the antique tags. I got to keep the antique tag for a wall hanger, and now just have a regular tag under the front seat.

I know that $35 fee is supposed to go to trauma care, but I was also renewing my 4runner tag which is considerably higher than my VW tag, and just couldn't spare any more $$$.

I will be returning my tags also. The only reason I got the ones I had on my 4 antique cars was because they didn't cost me anything extra.

It's probably only a matter of time before they start charging for YOM tags too!

They will probably do away with this extra fee eventually. DMV has already released stats showing that instead of increasing revenues like they thought, people are just turning in the Antique/Specialty tags and getting a normal tag instead. It's backfiring a bit.

dlandvw3 wrote: people are just turning in the Antique/Specialty tags and getting a normal tag instead. It's backfiring a bit.

Hmmm- probably a moral lesson there about greed, huh?

I had thought that you must register it with a Hobby/Antique plate. However after looking at the law, it make no mention of the special plate.: http://www1.legis.ga.gov/legis/2005_06/fulltext/sb117.htm You should be able to mate it with any tag that is current and in good standing.

FYI, it might be a good idea to print a copy of the yom law and keep in your car with your registered tag to show the dumb a$$ police officers that pull you over for not having your registered tag displayed on the rear of your vehicle. You might still get a ticket but when you go to court, it will get thrown out. Just saying...

I keep my affidavit to run the YOM tag and the regular tag in the glove box.

x2^ they gave me the original affidavit and told me to be sure to keep it and the reg tag at all times.

they too wanted to stick me with the $35 on BOTH of my dubs, in addition to the $20 yearly fee and tax (like $3 IIRC). screw that. I too have regular tags now. I've definetly seen a lot less specialty tags since they started charging.

My wife register the bus for me. I guess she thought it was required so she went ahead and sent in the $35. But you can bet we won't be doing it next year.

Yeah I dont see this law lasting long. I have talked to alot of guys with hot rods and have all gone back to the regular georgia tags. Myself included until I get my YOM tag.

EngineerTEN wrote:I had thought that you must register it with a Hobby/Antique plate. However after looking at the law, it make no mention of the special plate.: http://www1.legis.ga.gov/legis/2005_06/fulltext/sb117.htm You should be able to mate it with any tag that is current and in good standing.

Does this law get updated at all? we're only a year out of sticking a vintage tag on the Ghia.

They try to update it every few years. The last time I saw it was 2008, but it didn't pass. They tried to change it to "25 years or older".

If you are interested you can view the proposed 2008 bill here
Scroll down to the bottom until you see the versions. Versions 1, 2, and 3 all deal with the historical plates. These versions never passed, so the bill became something totally different, Version 4, which never passed either.


EDIT: looks like they also tried in 2009. Didn't pass.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/en-US/display.aspx?Legislation=26061

71Ghia wrote:Does this law get updated at all? we're only a year out of sticking a vintage tag on the Ghia.

I've been looking for a '76 bicentenial plate to run on the front but it'd be nice to run it as my rear plate if they change the law.

fluxcap wrote:They try to update it every few years. The last time I saw it was 2008, but it didn't pass. They tried to change it to "25 years or older".

If you are interested you can view the proposed 2008 bill here
Scroll down to the bottom until you see the versions. Versions 1, 2, and 3 all deal with the historical plates. These versions never passed, so the bill became something totally different, Version 4, which never passed either.


EDIT: looks like they also tried in 2009. Didn't pass.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/en-US/display.aspx?Legislation=26061

Thanks for the info, I've got to go down to the tag office tomorrow for something else so I'll ask them when I'm in there.
I did call them today. And after being on hold for 58 minutes the unhelpful and unfriendly person I spoke to seemed to think it wouldn't matter and that it would be fine. I expected a longer conversation after waiting nearly an hour but she was so keen to end the call.
We'll see what they say.

One good thing that came from it is both my registered buses have sequential tags now. If I had noticed this when I switched i would have cancelled my other plates and had all my cars in order!

I think 1970 will continue ito be the cut off date because the stopped stamping the year in the plate in 71 and started using stickers for the year. Just my thought. I know tires not tag laws.

Muffler Bearing wrote:I think 1970 will continue ito be the cut off date because the stopped stamping the year in the plate in 71 and started using stickers for the year. Just my thought. I know tires not tag laws.

I think you are the right. 71 still had the stamping for the year, but subsequent years just added a sticker to the 71 plate. They also dropped the old numbering code for counties, and started using the county stickers on the bottoms of the tags. Weird thing is, they went back to stamping the year for a short time in the mid 70's. Seems like they would atleast bump the law up to include 71.

Wow that sucks!! I still have Willys old tag along with one from a junk caddi..

When i went to register my bug out here it is $130. They DOUBLED the fee last yr or so, so it used to be $60. And let me tell yah, thats for plain ol tags.. (My car doesnt have its originals ) Sucks! haha

68buggirrl wrote:Wow that sucks!! I still have Willys old tag along with one from a junk caddi..

When i went to register my bug out here it is $130. They DOUBLED the fee last yr or so, so it used to be $60. And let me tell yah, thats for plain ol tags.. (My car doesnt have its originals ) Sucks! haha

I have a stack of old tags from my Granddad (Cali)...I will check to see if there are any 68s!

We have 7 vehicles that had Antique plates. 7x$35 was more than I wanted to pay. I am sure it cost the state far more to reissue standard plates (at no added charge) than they were thinking. I vanity plate had an added $90 fee this time around. The part tat sux is we paid an extra $10 each to get the Antique/Hobby tag in the first place just to have them taxed away from us later.

they lost 7 more from our family ,no way i was going to pay 35 per tag