An Act relative to license plate year of manufacture registration

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Jim Hawkins

H 3679 creates a narrow exemption: restoring Year-of-Manufacture plates to their original colors and design on antique cars will not be treated as alteration.

Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means

H 3679: An Act relative to license plate year of manufacture registration

Overview

H 3679 proposes a targeted change to Massachusetts vehicle plate regulations to clarify that restoring Year-of-Manufacture (YOM) license plates—specifically painting and renewing them to match their original YOM colors and design—shall not be considered "altering" the plates when they are used on antique automobiles. The bill amends the General Laws to create this explicit exception.

Purpose and Intent

The primary aim is to preserve the authenticity of YOM license plates on antique vehicles by allowing restoration work without triggering penalties or treatment as an alteration under existing plate regulations.

The measure supports collectors and owners of antique cars who wish to maintain historically accurate plates.

Key Provisions

Amendment to Section 6 of Chapter 90 of the General Laws (as appearing in the 2016 official edition).

Provisions inserted after the word “section” in line 42 (language shown below):

“However, the restoration of year of manufacture registration plates, painted and restored to their original year of manufacture colors and design, will not be considered altering such registration plates when used on antique automobiles.”

Effect: Restoring YOM plates to their original appearance, when used on antique vehicles, would not be treated as an alteration under the law.

Affected Parties and Impacts

Primary beneficiaries: Owners and enthusiasts of antique automobiles who use YOM registration plates.

Secondary impact: Licensure/registration administration (e.g., RMV) would apply the carve-out when determining whether plate restoration constitutes alteration.

No new funding or broad regulatory shifts are proposed beyond codifying the exception; the change is narrowly tailored to YOM plate restoration on antique vehicles.

Legislative History and Timeline

Introduced: February 27, 2025.

Referred to the Committee on Transportation: February 27, 2025.

Senate concurrence: February 27, 2025 (noted in legislative actions).

Status: Hearing scheduled for November 4, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM in room A-2.

Related actions: Similar matter previously filed as House 3333 in the 2023-2024 session; HD 2443 is associated with the current version.

Related Matters

Related Bill: HD 2443 (replaces the prior filing).

Context: Part of ongoing consideration of license plate year-of-manufacture issues for antique vehicles.

Summary

H 3679 creates a narrowly scoped exemption to permit restoration of YOM license plates to their original colors and design on antique cars without being deemed an alteration under Massachusetts law. The bill moves through the Transportation Committee, with a hearing scheduled for November 4, 2025, and builds on prior related proposals from earlier sessions.