Ham Car Tags and Your State

A little late to the party, but here goes.... North Carolina.... You pay a vanity tag fee each year and MUST have a radio in your car.

Now for the catch 22.

North Carolina law makes it illegal to use a handheld device while driving and ham radio mics are NOT exempt.

You must have a radio installed. You cannot use said radio legally unless you pull over to a safe place and park.

 

Interesting, is there a requirement that the radio function?

 

You pay for a Ham tag in Georgia just like any other personalized tag! Good for 1 year, then taxes, etc. due again.

 

They still do, but have been offset in recent years by increases in the fees enacted by the legislature. For instance, my 22 year-old truck costs about one quarter to register of what we pay for my wife's two year old car.

 

Registration fees are the same regardless of vehicle age in Virginia but we also pay a personal property tax based on NADA trade-in value, which is much higher than any dealer would actually give you for the car. So the PP tax goes down each year but not as much as you'd expect. My 12 year old car is worth five grand according to the county. A dealer might give me two grand on a good day.

 

Maine won't put the slash in my zero (like my old Kansas plate) and the one time I tried to get a ham plate, they insisted on an ORIGINAL license, not the "original" that I printed from the FCC website. So, I gave up on getting a ham radio plate in Maine.

Of course, these same folks don't believe that a passport is proof of citizenship.

 

My vehicles, some as old as 15 years old but purchased 10 years ago, cost more in CA DMV fees now than they did when I bought them.

 

I am not sure how Oregon on the list shows '$8/free'. As for as what I 'heard' Oregon treats HAM plates like vanity ones and are almost just as much to renew every two years. However, I may be mistaken. I have never went into a DMV and asked in person and I may be reading this wrong...

 

Free means no surcharge at renewal, and it sure looks like $8 has risen to $39.50 for new plates.

 

I cannot get a ham plate in Florida, due to someone who already has it - Obviously "her name" is Nina, but substituted the number one since someone else had it spelled right. Poor lady, driving around with a Dyslexic license plate.
"Don't sweat the petty stuff - and don't pet the sweaty stuff" Life is good with a sense of humor.