Question 1

Can I use YOM plates if my car is ’74 or later?

Jonathan Upton · Accepted Answer

Yes. It’s not technically a YOM registration, although it is fully legal. Here’s how it works:

Let’s assume you own a ’78 Camaro. You can buy a pair of ’73 plates (ABC-123 format) without a sticker, and we’ll put a ’78 sticker on what will be the rear plate (lower right sticker box). Some of our plates have the date sticker already affixed, so you can also choose from those for your particular year. We have stickers from ’74 going up to ’81.

Call ServiceOntario at 1-800-AUTO-PL8 and order the same ABC123 plate number as an own-choice vanity plate. This costs $310 (higher than the YOM registration fee of $251.65).

When your new plates arrive, take them to your local ServiceOntario outlet and have them legally attached to your car. Don’t bring the old plates that you bought from me– don’t even mention the old plates that you have… it’ll scare the clerk, and they can be quick to tell you something can’t be done if they don’t grasp it the first time. Mount them on the car, and legally drive at your leisure. Hang the new plates in your garage for fun. This is OK because ’73 plates were never withdrawn from service. Someone who received passenger plates in ’73 and has kept renewing them, or bringing them forward for registry on newer cars, can still be using the original ’73 plate in the 21st century. They’re allowed to be on the road, and legally, they’re the same as new plates. Occasionally, we still see sets of these on the road, as pictured.

Question 2

Can I use YOM plates if my car is ’74 or later?

Jonathan Upton · Accepted Answer

Yes. It’s not technically a YOM registration, although it is fully legal. Here’s how it works:

Let’s assume you own a ’78 Camaro. You can buy a pair of ’73 plates (ABC-123 format) without a sticker, and we’ll put a ’78 sticker on what will be the rear plate (lower right sticker box). Some of our plates have the date sticker already affixed, so you can also choose from those for your particular year. We have stickers from ’74 going up to ’81.

Call ServiceOntario at 1-800-AUTO-PL8 and order the same ABC123 plate number as an own-choice vanity plate. This costs $310 (higher than the YOM registration fee of $251.65).

When your new plates arrive, take them to your local ServiceOntario outlet and have them legally attached to your car. Don’t bring the old plates that you bought from me– don’t even mention the old plates that you have… it’ll scare the clerk, and they can be quick to tell you something can’t be done if they don’t grasp it the first time. Mount them on the car, and legally drive at your leisure. Hang the new plates in your garage for fun. This is OK because ’73 plates were never withdrawn from service. Someone who received passenger plates in ’73 and has kept renewing them, or bringing them forward for registry on newer cars, can still be using the original ’73 plate in the 21st century. They’re allowed to be on the road, and legally, they’re the same as new plates. Occasionally, we still see sets of these on the road, as pictured.