Ever wonder how that junker got a Nevada 'classic vehicle' plate? Here's how it's legal

Brian Duggan | Reno Gazette-Journal

Nevada has more classic cars on its roads than ever before if the state's "classic vehicle" license plate system is to be believed.

But whether those cars are worthy of showing off at Hot August Nights this week is another matter.

Most cars in Nevada with "classic" license plates were built in or after 1985. The most common make and model by year? The 1987 Suzuki Samurai, according to a Reno Gazette Journal analysis of Nevada Department of Motor Vehicle data.

Other cars riding with one of those Nevada "classic" license plates include the Isuzu Amigo, Ford Aerostar minivan, Toyota Camry and the infamous Ford Pinto.

So how is that possible?

Air quality experts in Nevada who have studied the matter say drivers are taking advantage of a loophole created by state lawmakers in 2011.

Today, for an initial $37 fee and then $10 a year after that, drivers can register their car as a "classic vehicle" or "classic rod" as long as their car is at least 25 years old (or at least 20 years old for the "classic rod" plate) and they promise not to drive it more than 5,000 miles a year, though no one officially checks.

MORE: Photos: Hot August Nights Tuesday afternoon

Notably, those cars no longer need to pass an emissions test.

Currently, there are about 31,000 cars with "classic vehicle" and "classic rod" license plates in Nevada — a six-fold increase since 2011 when there were fewer than 5,000.

Included in the mix of classic cars on Nevada's roads today are more than 100 motorhomes largely from the 1980s, according to the RGJ analysis.

That spike in registrations also has air quality experts worried: For every "classic" car on the road, it's like having 10 modern cars on the road in terms of pollution, said Charlene Albee, a co-author of a 2016 report on the state's classic plates and the director of Washoe County's air quality division.

Billy Williams of Reno has a Chevy Malibu Classic with a "classic vehicle" plate. It's been in his family for decades.

It also currently doesn't pass a smog test, which is partially why he got the plate three years ago, he said.

"It helps with that," Williams said.

Search our database of all 'classic vehicles' in Nevada

Want to see how many make and models by year have a "classic vehicle" license plate? Scroll through our database (if you're a mobile user, click on this link):

Sorry, but your browser does not support frames.

The law of unintended consequences

Former Assembly Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick, D-North Las Vegas, now a Clark County commissioner, sponsored the bill in 2011 that made it easier to get a classic car plate without passing an emissions test.

By 2015, state lawmakers were aware that the change made to the classic vehicle program had altered the makeup of Nevada's classic vehicle fleet.

In 2015, Kirkpatrick told the Assembly transportation committee, "I own my unintended consequences."

She added, "We did not think the law would result in a large increase of 'classic vehicle' plates. At the time, the DMV believed they could monitor the odometer readings when people came in with their smog check exemption requests."

During that 2015 session, state lawmakers passed two bills to rein in the program: A moratorium on new "classic vehicle" plates and a bill to conduct a study on the program.

Both passed, but Gov. Brian Sandoval vetoed the moratorium, saying it would hurt events like Hot August Nights.

Kirkpatrick didn't return a request for comment for this story. Hot August Nights organizers declined to comment for this story, saying "Hot August Nights is a world premier classic car event that supports classic vehicles. We were not involved in this legislation and cannot comment or speculate on this matter."

Air quality managers want change. State lawmakers? Crickets

Since then, the study ordered by the Legislature on abuses of the classic vehicle program was published in June 2016, but state lawmakers didn't change anything in 2017.

"Nobody touched it," said Albee, a co-author of the report (pdf) and the director of Washoe County's air quality division.

One of the report's solutions? Require anyone with a classic plate to obtain classic car insurance.

Those insurance policies generally require the vehicle be used on a limited basis. For example, State Farm's policy says a classic car "must be restored, maintained or preserved. Some insurers may decline if the vehicle is not in excellent condition."

After there was no action on the classic plates program in 2017, Albee said she hopes the 2019 Legislature will be different.

"Not only are they a dirtier vehicle, they’re driving more than they should be,” Albee said of many cars with classic plates. "There’s this big loophole that needs to be closed.”

The effect on air quality is serious, too, since classic cars emit more pollution than modern cars.

“So for every one classic vehicle, it’s like having 10 newer cars on the road," Albee said.

Then there are obvious examples of exploitation of the law, she said. That includes spotting a construction site water truck in Reno sporting a "classic vehicle" license plate.

“We know that it is being exploited," Albee said. "I completely understand if you have a 1986 Honda Accord, if you’re passionate about it, you should take care of it. It should be maintained so it deserves the prestige of that plate.”

Here are top vehicles with 'classic' plates

The top 10 cars span a wide spectrum — though there is one trend: Nevadans really like Chevrolet pickup trucks (especially its GMT-400 model).

The most commonly registered cars with "classic vehicle" plates:

1987 Suzuki Samurai, 84 registrations 1969 Chevrolet Camaro, 78 1990 Chevrolet GMT-400, 67 1989 Jeep Wrangler, 66 1989 Chevrolet GMT-400, 66 1968 Chevrolet Camaro, 65 1991 Chevrolet GMT-400, 63 1989 Ford Mustang, 60 1968 Ford Mustang, 60 1990 Honda Civic, 54

And when it comes to "classic vehicles" license plates, Nevada is a thoroughly Chevrolet state. Chevy trounces longtime rival Ford, in second place, with Toyota a distant third.

Here are the top makes with "classic vehicle" plates in Nevada: