Form New York Vehicle and Traffic Law:
§ 401. Registration of motor vehicles; fees; renewals
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G. Schedule for historical motor vehicles. For each motor vehicle which is owned and operated as an exhibition piece or collectors item, and is used for participation in club activities, exhibit, tours, parades, occasional transportation and similar uses, but not used for general daily transportation, an annual fee of twenty-eight dollars and seventy-five cents. For purposes of this paragraph, a historical motor vehicle shall mean any vehicle manufactured more than twenty-five years prior to the current calendar year, and any other model, year and type vehicle which has unique characteristics and which is determined by the commissioner to be of historical, classic or exhibition value. Registration plates for such vehicles shall be of a type and design approved by the commissioner, but shall be of a distinctive nature. Except that, with the approval of the commissioner, an owner of any such vehicle may utilize registration plates issued in the year corresponding to the model year date in which the vehicle was manufactured, if the registration plate is legible, durable, and serviceable, of this state, and accurate in color, as determined by the department. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prohibit the use of previously issued registration plates that have been restored, without deviation from their original alphanumeric or pictorial content, to such condition as otherwise satisfies all applicable requirements. Such plates shall be used only for the operation of the motor vehicle listed on the registration application and on other motor vehicles which would qualify for registration under this schedule owned by persons other than the registrant for the purpose of test driving by the registrant or his or her agent in anticipation of possible purchase. No such registration will be issued unless evidence of financial security, in a form prescribed by the commissioner, is submitted which provides coverage for the motor vehicle listed on the registration application and for non-owned motor vehicles being operated with such plates.
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§ 2102. Exclusions
(a) The following are excluded from the provisions of this title: … (10) A vehicle manufactured prior to July first, nineteen hundred seventy-two and designated by the manufacturer as being a nineteen hundred seventy-two or earlier model year vehicle, and any vehicle manufactured or assembled prior to January first, nineteen hundred seventythree for which the manufacturer or assembler has not designated a model year;
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§ 2104. Certificate of title required
(a) Every owner of a vehicle which is in this state and is not excluded from provisions of this title by section two thousand one hundred two of this article, and for which no certificate of title has been issued by the commissioner shall make application to the commissioner for a certificate of title of the vehicle within thirty days after transfer to him of the vehicle; provided, however, that a person may, but need not, make application to the commissioner for a certificate of title for a fire truck designed, used and maintained for fire service purposes and the transportation of property in connection therewith owned and identified as being owned by the state, a public authority, a county, town, city, village or fire district, or a fire corporation subject to the provisions of paragraph (e) of section fourteen hundred two of the not-for-profit corporation law, or a fire company as defined in section one hundred of the general municipal law.
(b) The commissioner shall not register or renew the registration of a vehicle unless a certificate of title has been issued by the commissioner to the owner or an application therefor has been made by the owner and delivered to the commissioner.
From New York Compilation of Codes, Rules, & Regulations:
15 NYCRR 23.1 Introduction
Section 401(7)(g) of the Vehicle and Traffic Law authorizes the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to classify motor vehicles for the purpose of historical registration to include motor vehicles that have unique characteristics so as to be of historical, classical or exhibition value.
15 NYCRR 23.3 Applicability
(a) Production motor vehicles, manufactured as current model year vehicles, shall not qualify for historical registration.
(b) Production motor vehicles manufactured less than 10 years prior to the current calendar year shall not qualify for historical registration unless evidence is presented that the original manufacturer is no longer producing parts, and there is a scarcity of stored parts, and there are no dealerships in existence with parts and mechanics to service them.
(c) Replicas, kit-constructed motor vehicles, or modified motor vehicles which have distinctive configurations, shall not qualify as historical motor vehicles unless they were manufactured or represent a motor vehicle manufactured more than 25 years prior to the current calendar year.
(d) A custom-built or homemade motor vehicle assembled for a special event or for exhibition purposes, and which is the only one of its kind, can be considered for historical registration.
15 NYCRR 23.4 Criteria
In determining whether a motor vehicle has unique characteristics, the commissioner shall give consideration, but not necessarily exclusive consideration, to the following:
(a) makes of motor vehicles no longer in production;
(b) makes or models of motor vehicles that are of limited availability as determined by registration figures;
(c) unusual body design;
(d) whether the monetary value of the vehicle exceeds the original model year sale price; and
(e) the recognition accorded to a vehicle by known authorities on the subject of historical, antique or classical motor vehicles.
15 NYCRR 23.5 Use
(a) A motor vehicle registered as an historical motor vehicle can only be operated upon the public highways as an exhibition piece or collector's item and used for participation in club activities, exhibits, tours, parades, occasional transportation and similar uses. It cannot be used for general daily transportation.
(b) Historical plates may be used on a non-owned unregistered motor vehicle that would qualify for historical registration and which is operated on the public highways by the registrant or his agent only for the purpose of test driving in anticipation of possible purchase. A motor vehicle that would qualify for historical registration is one that was manufactured more than 25 years prior to the current calendar year or a specific year's make or model that has been previously approved by the Department of Motor Vehicles for historical registration based on unique characteristics.
15 NYCRR 23.6 List of approved vehicles
The Department of Motor Vehicles shall compile and maintain a list of motor vehicles approved for historical registration based upon unique characteristics.
15 NYCRR 23.7 Procedure for securing approval
(a) If a motor vehicle was manufactured more than 25 years prior to the current calendar year, an applicant for historical registration must submit an application form for historical registration along with all other items required for standard registration.
(b) If a motor vehicle was manufactured 25 years or less prior to the current calendar year, an applicant for historical registration must submit the following, in addition to an application for historical registration and all other items required for a standard registration:
(1) A letter requesting historical registration that identifies the make, model, year of manufacture, vehicle identification number of the vehicle and an explanation of the reason why the motor vehicle should be considered. Reference should be made to the appropriate subdivision(s) of section 23.4 of this Part.
(2) A photocopy of supporting documents which verify that the motor vehicle in question qualifies as a collector's item or exhibition piece and meets one or more of the cirteria set forth in section 23.4 of this Part. Such supporting documents should include either or both of the following:
(i) an extract from a publication or other written research source (publication or research source must be identified);
(ii) a letter from a recognized organization, society or club of motor vehicle enthusiasts or exhibitor indicating the reasons for recognition of the motor vehicle as a collector's item or exhibition piece (this letter must be on the organization's or exhibitor's letterhead and must be signed by an officer of the organization or exhibit).
(3) At least two photographs of the vehicle (a full front view and a full view of the side which shows the most significant details).
(c) Paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of this section does not apply if an applicant wishes to obtain an historical registration for a motor vehicle whose make or model and year of manufacture are already on the list of approved vehicles specified in section 23.6 of this Part.
(d) These documents must be submitted to the Special Registration Section, Department of Motor Vehicles, Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12228.