A close up of the license plate on a car

Kansas Model Year Law

The Model Year Law legislation was passed in 2000 allowing Kansas residents who own an antique car, truck or motorcycle to register a Kansas license plate from the year of their vehicle in lieu of a Kansas Antique Auto plate.

Model Year Law rules:

  • The vehicle must qualify for antique status.
  • The plate must be a Kansas plate, the same year as the vehicle, and in good, legible condition.
  • A single plate is all that is required, even in years when pairs were issued.
  • Repainted plates are allowed in most counties, but the state leaves that decision up to each county. Where repaints are allowed, they can only be painted the original colors.
  • Only car, truck and motorcycle plates are allowed. Dealer plates and other types are not allowed. Lost plates, which are replacement plates, have been successfully registered as well but are not specifically discussed in the law.
  • Car plates are allowed to be used on trucks and truck plates on cars.
  • You can use a plate from any county, no matter what county you live in.
  • Duplicate numbered plates from the same county for ANY YEAR are not allowed to be used. As an example, once any year of Shawnee county plate numbered SN-101 has been registered, any other year of Shawnee county plate numbered SN-101 whether it be a car, truck or motorcycle plate will not be clear to use. For the years when car and truck plates were issued in pairs, once one plate of the pair has been registered, the second plate can not be registered on a different vehicle. UPDATE: I am able to check a limited amount of plates to see if they are clear to register. As I check them, I will indicate in the description if it is clear or not. If you want to find out if a plate is clear to register before purchasing, you can call your local courthouse, and they can check for you.
  • With the passage of HB 2599, the Model Year Law was modified to allow stickered plates to be used on antique vehicles. 1977 through 1980 cars used a blue 1976 plate with the appropriate sticker attached. 1982 through 1988 cars used a sticker on a 1981 plate. 1990 through 1994 cars used a sticker on a 1989 plate. Trucks and motorcycles from 1976 through 1979 used a green 1975 plate with the appropriate sticker attached. 1981 through 1988 trucks and motorcycles used a sticker on a blue 1980 plate. If you have the proper baseplate but not the appropriate sticker, the state will provide an appropriate year sticker made from the current year's sticker design and color. See example pictured below.

Example of a modern sticker for Model Year use

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