Arkansas to Raise Antique Vehicle Age

Bill corrects 2019 error

A bill that would raise the age requirement for antique vehicles in Arkansas from 25 years to 45 years old has been filed in the state legislature.

House Bill 1023

House Bill 1023, filed by Rep. Jeff Wardlaw (R-Ward), would amend current law to define an antique vehicle as "a motor vehicle that is at least 45 years old, is an original or a reproduction of an original, and is maintained in or restored to a condition that is substantially similar to the original."

The bill would also require antique vehicles to be registered with the Arkansas Department of Motor Vehicles and to display an antique license plate.

Wardlaw said the bill is needed to correct an error that was made in 2019 when the age requirement for antique vehicles was lowered from 45 years to 25 years.

"The intent of the 2019 law was to make it easier for people to register their classic cars as antique vehicles," Wardlaw said. "However, the law was written in a way that allowed people to register any vehicle that was at least 25 years old as an antique vehicle."

"This led to a situation where people were registering everyday driver cars as antique vehicles in order to avoid paying the higher registration fees for newer vehicles," Wardlaw said. "This was not the intent of the law, and it is unfair to people who own actual classic cars."

Wardlaw said he believes the 45-year age requirement is a more reasonable cutoff for antique vehicles.

"This age requirement is consistent with the definition of an antique vehicle that is used by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)," Wardlaw said. "It is also consistent with the age requirement for antique vehicles in most other states."

The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation.