Ont. Historic Plate Crackdown

[Jay Bee]

This came to me in an email from a friend who's on Facebook. I don't think it's an isolated case. In the comments section an insurance broker wrote that in the last couple weeks he's had calls from a few of his classic car clients (with historic Ontario plates) and three were even ticketed. Just passing on this info.

Ok, to all my classic car friends in Ontario.
Today our Mustang was pulled over and was ticketed for wrongful use of Historic Plates.
The law on Historic Plates is very defined to going to a registered repair shop, sanctioned car show, sanctioned cruise night and test drive for sale.
The vehicle must not be modified from the vehicle identification number as well.
We and many of our friends go out for drives to see the fall colours etc, this is illegal to do with these plates.
Nearly every car show and cruise night is not sanctioned and is illegal. Unless the event is a registered automotive business or has event permits for a car show with the city which also requires approval of zoning and appropriate insurance it is an illegal event private property or not.
The officer that pulled us over allowed us to have 48hrs to get regular plates or pay the $170 fine for improper use.
The officer stated they can not enter the private property to ticket but can get us when you leave of heading to the event.
We have been a part of the classic car world for a long time and have never had this happen and I would think it is a rarity, but apparently it is on the radar for this year.
For those who know our Mustang, 😉 he didn't ask to see under the hood 😎

[61K T/A]

I hope this isn't going to be a trend but just an isolated incident. If or when you ever get pulled over again, next time tell the cop you are taking it to be serviced. Thats part of maintaining a historic car. How are you going to shows it if its broke because of lack of maintenance?

[Cuda Cody]

That sucks.  Hate to see stuff like that.

[JH27N0B]

I've heard a few random similar stories involving antique plates here in IL.  Never heard anything about a car show or exhibition needing to be "sanctioned" though.  That's nuts!
We are only allowed to go to shows, parades and to and from maintenance with antique plates here.
A few years ago they introduced a new licence plate called EA- expanded antique.  With that you can do some pleasure driving and occasional to and from work type driving with your vintage car from April through October, then they revert to antique plate restrictions over winter months.  These plates cost 1/2 the regular annual plate fee.  The antique plates are cheap, like $45, and are good for 5 years.
Next car I get I would go EA!

[Spikedog08]

This is the exact reason I do not have historic plates . . . 

[Brads70]

I had them , switched over last Thursday, cost me $202.50 .( includes the yearly taxation fee, new plates and a sticker) The girl at the licencing office was pissed off about it also. Said I was the second one that day. I'm REALLY beginning to hate living here!  48 year old car I would think qualifies as an antique! I've had them on my car for 9 years. When I first went to register my car they were offered to me at the licence office!  Worst part about my car is having Ontario plates on it........   add in gas prices , "carbon taxes", thousands of other taxes..... Socialism sucks!   

Police these days  have become almost nothing more than tax collecting thugs. The government is so starved for cash it fleeces at every opportunity. He we have an epidemic with Fentanoyl  deaths and drug dealers , people driving like idiots, break ins, murders etc.... Somehow I'm thinking my tax dollars would be put to better use rounding up these people and not worrying about someone taking their kid out for an ice cream cone in a classic car with historic plates! The line between government and a biker gang is getting more blurred by the day.....   

[cataclysm80]

48 year old car I would think qualifies as an antique!

I have a 1938 Ford pickup that's been in the family since it was new.
I haven't had any problems with having antique plates, but the local insurance company says that I don't qualify for antique insurance.
They say it's not an antique, it's just an old truck.  So I asked them what was required for it to be an antique.  They said it needs to have been restored, new paint, stuff like that.
I tell them it was restored back in the 1970's.  New paint, engine rebuild, new tires, etc.  I have all the receipts.
They said it doesn't matter.  It's not pretty enough to be an antique, regardless of age.   

I don't think "antique" means what they think it means.

[CudaMoparRay]

Unfortunately, this seems to be a trend to technically enforce the exact letter of the law regarding these type of plates which is usually indicative of a municipality needing more money.

[anlauto]

In another story.....On CTV Toronto news the other night, someone got fined for having a "For Sale" sign in a car window parked on the street. Apparently the law states that you can drive your car around with a sign in the window, but once you park, you have to remove the sign.

[anlauto]

Hagerty Insurance REFUSED to insure my AAR Cuda because I mentioned in conversation that I was hoping to sell the car one day....They asked if it was currently advertised, in which it was....so they refused to insure it.... I replied that it could take months or years even to sell, but they didn't care.

[Brads70]

In another story.....On CTV Toronto news the other night, someone got fined for having a "For Sale" sign in a car window parked on the street. Apparently the law states that you can drive your car around with a sign in the window, but once you park, you have to remove the sign.

Too much government intervention...... 

[cordodge]

I had them , switched over last Thursday, cost me $202.50 .( includes the yearly taxation fee, new plates and a sticker) The girl at the licencing office was pissed off about it also. Said I was the second one that day. I'm REALLY beginning to hate living here!  48 year old car I would think qualifies as an antique! I've had them on my car for 9 years. When I first went to register my car they were offered to me at the licence office!  Worst part about my car is having Ontario plates on it........   add in gas prices , "carbon taxes", thousands of other taxes..... Socialism sucks!   

Police these days  have become almost nothing more than tax collecting thugs. The government is so starved for cash it fleeces at every opportunity. He we have an epidemic with Fentanoyl  deaths and drug dealers , people driving like idiots, break ins, murders etc.... Somehow I'm thinking my tax dollars would be put to better use rounding up these people and not worrying about someone taking their kid out for an ice cream cone in a classic car with historic plates! The line between government and a biker gang is getting more blurred by the day.....

I feel the same way Brad, Being Canadian is not what it used to be. We are just the worker bees taxed to death ruled and regulated to death to pay for all the crazy town ideas they come up with, I'm sure they will come up with a way to make some money off our hobby, more and more I feel I could leave here and be better off.

[Spikedog08]

This is also the reason I have the car insurance that I have, when looking, most of the local insurance companies wanted to insure the cudas with historic car insurance that would limit where I could drive the cars.  Although I could not get a ticket for the insurance . . . . but if something did happen and I had to prove where I was driving to . . . . just made me worried.  If I want to drive my car to work, or the hardware store . . . . I want to be able to with no worries.  Period! 

[anlauto]

This is also the reason I have the car insurance that I have, when looking, most of the local insurance companies wanted to insure the cudas with historic car insurance that would limit where I could drive the cars.  Although I could not get a ticket for the insurance . . . . but if something did happen and I had to prove where I was driving to . . . . just made me worried.  If I want to drive my car to work, or the hardware store . . . . I want to be able to with no worries.  Period!

This always scared me about classic car insurance too. I always felt it was more of an "out" for them if something happened....If you were just out for a Sunday drive and something happened...they could always say....Oops sorry...you're not covered...

[torredcuda]

Sounds like the government needs to collect more money is all. I have antique plates and Hagerty insurance and where I live no one bothers about the details of the plates, heck most shops and probably cops don`t even know that inspection is supposed to be done in April as opposed to a regular plate being done on the month of your birthday. I do know I asked Hagerty about driving my car once in a while to work and such and they said as lomg as it wasn`t my daily driver I would be fine but I have always wondered if something happened would they refuse coverage?