Registering old number plates

[Ken's 57]

Hi everyone. Am posting for a friend who has a very original 1967 VW beetle survivor. Not sure if anyone can help with this but I’ll give it a go. Registration lapsed in 2010 and the car was covered and stored along with its original NSW number plates. In 2018 the old plates were removed and kept by the then owner and the car was re registered and assigned new number plates. Today using the NSW SERVICES app, we did a plate check and found that the original rego number is still linked to the veedub, although noted as having expired in 2010. Question: is there any way he can apply to Services NSW to have the car registered with its original plates? He is reluctant to show his hand in case they demand the plates back. Better to have them as a keepsake than not at all. Thanks for any ideas.
Cheers, Ken

[ardiesse]

Ken,

Play dumb, go into the Service NSW office, and apply for the same number.  When the new plates are ready for pickup, hand the 2018 plates in and change the registration number.  Bolt the old original plates on the car and hang the new ones in the garage.

I did something similar when I got my 48 back on the road in 2005.  It had its original plates but was last registered in 1979.  I went into the RTA, filled out the form for the same number, and was told the number was available.  When the plates came I brought in the blue slip and registered the car with its original number.  I have two sets of plates.

Rob

[Ken's 57]

Thanks for the reply Rob. Much appreciated. Here’s our dilemma though. When we open the NSW Services app on the mobile phone and tap “registrations” then tap “check plate” the number is still linked to the VW. Albeit as showing having lapsed in 2010. We then went to myPlates.com to order new plates and chose the same number, but it comes up as “This combination is unavailable”. With this in mind do you still suggest going in to a local Services NSW office to apply? As you say, he could play dumb and not tell them he has the originals. Could it be that because these plates were never handed back in 2010 they are deemed “unavailable”?
Cheers, Ken

[my8thholden]

Ken ..Be careful, are the old plates you are wanting to keep registered in the name of the owner you now want to renew , you mentioned the car in 2018 has new owner ..In Robs post the old plates he wanted were available , so must have been surrendered..I have been down this road , I bought a 1969 Hillman Hunter to restore with original plates attached in 2016 ..I went to RMS and inquired about the plates , ( knowing full well where they were ) but I, just like you , wasn't sure of the outcome of the revelation , the answer I got was,
" I can't tell you who the owner is , but the plates are allocated to a Hillman Hunter " The car was last registered in 1993 ..So , I would have to get the owner of those plates to surrender them ,you cant transfer the rego of an unregistered vehicle, then apply for them myself ..as it turned out the car was last registered in his mums name and she had since passed ..all to messy ..I went for club rego and just kept the old plates ..since sold the car and gave plates with it ..Just to recap, to focus on your situation , if the plates you want to use are allocated to that vehicle but in another persons name then you cant just do a swap ..I never asked if there was any penalties if plates had to be surrendered first....In your case you say the vehicle was re-registered with new plates and new owner in 2018 but still have the original plates , well those plates were allocated to that car , at the point of reregistration some one must have stated NO Plates attached , you could say the original plates have been found ( in a box of spares or under the spare wheel )and you want to do a plate swap, you will probably have to surrender the current ones .. cheers Vern

[Ken's 57]

Thanks so much for the detailed reply Vern. I think you’ve answered my query. The old plates were last registered to the previous owner not my friend. So it’s not looking too hopeful. However, if it was me, I’d be walking in to Services NSW  playing dumb and not disclosing knowledge of the whereabouts of the original plates. Perhaps he could ask for special consideration. Anyway, thanks again to you and Rob. I’ll post if he has any success.
Cheers, Ken

[ardiesse]

Ken,

In my case the change from paper records to a database worked in my favour.  The original plates were still on the car, but the records were lost when the system was computerised, so the number came up as "available" when I applied.

Or, your friend could put hand on heart and say that the original plates were lost.

Rob

[Ken's 57]

Definitely worth a try Rob. Nothing to lose!!