Vintage car plates: how to recover them

Vintage car plates: how to recover them

2021 is the lucky year for vintage car enthusiasts because thanks to the Budget law, in addition to buying a vehicle of historical interest, it is also possible to obtain vintage car plates.
Let’s see together what it takes to recover them.

The turning point of the 2021 Budget Law

Fans of vintage cars have always had a certain difficulty in accepting to buy pre-war cars with modern number plates on them, as this is a real contradiction.
But thanks to the 126.26 amendment of the 2021 Budget Law, collectors can be more serene since it has been officially approved that original vintage car plates can be recovered.

Alberto Scuro, president of Automotoclub Storico Italiano argues that this law has revolutionized the world of vintage cars, as recovering the complete originality of a historic vehicle is extraordinary for those who, like many, have a passion for authentic vintage vehicles.
The most surprising aspect is that after the green light for the conservation of the original documents, in case of transfer of ownership or updating of the booklet they are replaced by the single registration document.

Primary information

The rule that approves the possibility of recovering vintage car license plates refers to a managerial decree of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport which clarifies in detail all the steps such as:

  • what are the methods and criteria for recovering the license plate of a historic vehicle;
  • what are the costs of recovering the original vintage license plate and booklet.

A somewhat more delineated aspect is what is needed to obtain the original number plate and the booklet of a historic vehicle; you simply need to register vehicles of historical and collectible interest upon presentation of a title and a certificate certifying the technical characteristics issued by the manufacturer or by one of the entities.

Original vintage car plates: when can they be obtained

The vintage car plates and the original booklet can be obtained where there is the first registration in the P.R.A., of the historical period of construction or circulation of the vehicle.
The plate will be identical to that of the day it was built, as long as the alpha-numeric code is not already present in the CED of the civil motorization. The same also applies to vehicles that have a new license plate with a European standard format, which over the years have been re-registered.
While it is not possible to obtain the original vintage number plate when:

  • the car plate to be recovered refers to another vehicle still in circulation;
  • vehicles that are demolished in accordance with current legislation on state contributions to scrapping;
  • in the absence of regularity of the payment of charges due.