Anyone know why some heavy-duty trucks are plated with the Virginia "truck" plates and others have just standard vehicle plates?

My F250 has the standard vehicle plates while my brother-in-law's F250 has the "Truck" plates....

I am talking about something like this:



I'm just wondering if I am getting off better without the plate or if you are taxed less, etc with the plate.

 

The only thing I know about it is truck plates allow you to get away with things like higher bumper heights and things like that. Thats why my friends and I always got truck plates on our beach/mud trucks.

 

There are also different truck plates. TS, TW and a few others I think. They are for different reasons like weighted trucks, tow trucks all that.

I dont remember all of the stuff.

 

If thats the case, I could use some, as my truck is pretty tall and likely over the max bumper height as it is...

My brother-in-law has the TW plates but his truck is just a daily driver with no commercial uses. Mine is a '97 F250 and his is a '00 F250...

 

i had this same question, i didn't like the answer i got at the dmv but i can't find a better one.

according to the clerk, "truck" plates only go on trucks with gvwrs higher than 7500 lbs. my truck's gwvr is 8900 lbs and i was given standard issue plates. unless she screwed up, i suppose that means it's up to you as long as you are using the truck privately. trucks with "truck" plates also don't get property tax relief.

 

Mine too is greater than 7500lbs GWVR, but I did get tax relief this year. I guess I am better off with the standard plates then.

Thanks...

 

Pretty much the right answer! I have them on my F450, no tax relief. Its all about weight. I can have the weight changed and put regular plates but if the right cop stopped me when I was towing I would get LOTSO fines.

Also Truck tags have NOTHING to do with height laws, thats a old myth. Only ones that Help with height Laws are FARM USE, meaning is not driven on the road that much.

 

I have a K5 I swapped tons into and changed my drivetrain which gave me a high gross weight and I got truck tags for it. If you change your weight when you register then you can have higher bumper limits.

Or if you go with swapping parts you can do a reconstructed vehicle title as well. That changes things as far as weight and height are concerned as well.

 

What he said, it depends on how you registered your "truck" and how much weight you said you haul or tow. You can get a semi and put standard plates on it but legally you cant haul it rated capacity like that. Get over a certain weight and you need a special license.

Truck tags do help with bumper laws (a little) because certain GVWR allows slightly higher bumpers.

 

Here's how the DMV site breaks down the fee's:

Passenger - 4,000 lbs or less $38.75
Passenger - 4,001 lbs or more $43.75
Pickup Truck - 4,000 lbs or less gross weight $38.75
Pickup Truck - 4,001 lbs or more gross weight $43.75
Pickup Truck - 6,501-7,500 lbs gross weight $49.75
Motorcycle $26.75