I just got my one owner 1999 Ford Expedition back from getting repainted after 27 years of wear.

Last year I found the original license plates from 1999 and I was excited to put them back on it after getting the County Tax Office to sign off on it and pay them whatever fees.

Well, no dice.

Turns out, they won't let me do it because I have Texas Truck license plates and my vehicle code says LL which is SUV which is a car/passenger vehicle.

Curiously, turns out my truck was originally titled and registered as a Utility Trailer with the code UT.

Any ideas how I can rectify this since I don't have just the year correct plates, I have the actual original 1999 plates. Which were fine then.

For reference, the list of Body Styles is here:
https://www.txdmv.gov/sites/default/files/body-files/VTR-249.pdf

You
Can buy YOM plates for it and register as a Classic.

1agswitchin4lanes said:

---

You
Can buy YOM plates for it and register as a Classic.

---

I get that. But, I have the actual original plates that were on the vehicle when I picked it up from the dealer in Feb. 1999.

There must be a way.

HollywoodBQ said:

---

1agswitchin4lanes said:

---

You
Can buy YOM plates for it and register as a Classic.

---

I get that. But, I have the actual original plates that were on the vehicle when I picked it up from the dealer in Feb. 1999.

There must be a way.

---

You know I'm thinking back, my 99 2500 Suburban had truck plates….hmmmm

2500 may be the key there.

Edit: actually I don't think the GVWR really matters on that. It's just because a suburban or carry all type of vehicle being based on a truck chassis can be registered as a "truck".

https://www.txdmv.gov/sites/default/files/body-files/Motor_Vehicle_Registration_Manual_Book_298.pdf

Chapter 2:

"Sport utility type vehicles and vans manufactured with windows on both sides back of the
front doors designed for the transportation of persons but may have features of a
commercial vehicle are classified Pass/Truck and registered with either Passenger or
Truck registration classifications."

1agswitchin4lanes said:

---

HollywoodBQ said:

---

1agswitchin4lanes said:

---

You
Can buy YOM plates for it and register as a Classic.

---

I get that. But, I have the actual original plates that were on the vehicle when I picked it up from the dealer in Feb. 1999.

There must be a way.

---

You know I'm thinking back, my 99 2500 Suburban had truck plates….hmmmm

---

My 95 Bronco currently has 95 truck plates. No issues registering for the first time in 2020 or the renewal last year.

What County? I might have to move.

HollywoodBQ said:

---

What County? I might have to move.

---

Small county. They had to approve the plates first with the rule book. I can't find the current version of it online, but it tells the clerks what's allowed. This is an older version.

https://library.ctr.utexas.edu/digitized/texasarchive/ms5419.pdf

I did have to speak with an older clerk and the elected tax assessor. Others in the office didn't know you could run YOM plates or what the procedure was to do so. I couldn't find a registration receipt for it this morning to see how they have it classified.

Call the state of texas, there was an error made by the dealer or tax office in 1999.
Tell then you need to correct the title and ask how to do it.
Small chance the plates would still be associated with the VIN after the correction.

aggiepaintrain said:

---

Call the state of texas, there was an error made by the dealer or tax office in 1999.
Tell then you need to correct the title and ask how to do it.
Small chance the plates would still be associated with the VIN after the correction.

---

Wouldn't the tax assessor just need to do an update with NMVTIS? I went through this a few months ago in Montgomery Co when they screwed up submitting a title with the wrong manufacturer code.

txyaloo said:

---

HollywoodBQ said:

---

What County? I might have to move.

---

Small county. They had to approve the plates first with the rule book. I can't find the current version of it online, but it tells the clerks what's allowed. This is an older version.

https://library.ctr.utexas.edu/digitized/texasarchive/ms5419.pdf

I did have to speak with an older clerk and the elected tax assessor. Others in the office didn't know you could run YOM plates or what the procedure was to do so. I couldn't find a registration receipt for it this morning to see how they have it classified.

---

Thank You. With my YOM registration attempt, I felt there was definitely an element of a couple of women telling this old white guy that he couldn't do something - because of some technicality.

I even presented the original registration receipt from 1999 showing that these aren't just random plates, they're the actual plates that were on the truck. No dice.

I might try again or, I might try to register in McLennan County and see if I get a different result.

Very worst case, I might have to make a trip near Abilene to the county with less than 10,000 people where I originally purchased the vehicle.