It is always reassuring each year at this time that our California Air Resources Board also generously offers us a $1000 bounty to acquire, then crush our gross polluters.
$43 of my $181 yearly DMV fee is for the personalized plate - what's your registration cost per year?
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Around $25
Here in Comifornia my 73 is $156!
GA.." Prestige Plate " ... $ 56
Mot is app 80 USD, pollution test is an extr 45USD.every SECOND year!
full coverage Insurance for a 100k vehicle is app 600USD, standard insurance is app 200USD
hence roughly a 900USD per Year
Smile!
Matthias /Germany
Curious.
What defines a gross polluter to the CARB? Year? pre-OBD? engine light on?Mileage?
Is that $1000 bounty offered at the current owners re-registration of a previously CA registered "gross polluter" or at the initial registration of one recently brought in from out of state?
Ron probably has more details, but in my experience a "Gross Polluter" was a car that failed testing multiple times. So it might be that the "Check Engine" light is on, but for cars of older vintage, those that failed the emissions tailpipe testing.
I had two GPs back in the day when I lived in California - a '74 Toyota Landcruiser (which I eventually got to pass) and a '7? MGB (which I ended up selling at a loss because I was screwed, all the smog equipment had been removed, it had a weber carb, and it was failing).
The MGB I brought in from Florida before I understood how the CA smog process worked. Honestly, it was a nightmare.
Rocky
They are coming for us all....
So here I am tinkering with # 1791 when my wife walks into the garage and says " I want to move to California " " I've had enough of Atlanta GA "
That is music to my ears but I guess I can forget about bringing the Pantera with me.
Is that a fair assumption ?
Why would you not bring it with you if you move to CA? Please remember all cars 1975 and older do not require smog inspections and our state has no safety inspections. The problem panteras are the post 1975 models.
Thanks for clearing that up.
Now I can move !
Mine was $180.00 with personalized plate 
...Central Valley, California 'Historical Vehicle' Plate. $114.00
MJ
In Tennessee you can use a vintage correct TN Plate and use it FOREVER with ZERO registration renewal cost for as long as you own the car.
Total Cost for the lifetime registration is $32.75
Pay it 1 time and you never mess with registering the car ever again. 
In TN there are no smog checks (except for around the Nashville area) or inspections required for ANY cars.
Here's my vintage 73 TN Tag; its been on there for about 15 years now.
In NC you can have a vintage plate on your car as long as you carry an up to date, valid plate and registration in the vehicle. And now you get to pay your state and county property taxes when you register or renew your vehicle.
