[Mister Pontiac]

Arizona.

Specifically, Maricopa County (think metro Phoenix) requires emissions test for anything 1967 and newer when registered as a 'driver.' What type of license plate you run is not relevant. It's how the vehicle is used (based on insurance).

Over the years, I've have registered many of my cars under both conditions depending on what I'm doing.

Currently, my 71 GTO and 74 Bonneville are both registered as drivers with regular insurance. The GTO runs a vanity plate and the Bonneville runs a vintage (original) AZ plate, year of manufacture. No mileage limits or restrictions, but it means I have to have a dyno roll, emissions sniff test on both of them.

My others are registered as 'classics' as they carry 'classic or collectors insurance' on them. In other words, "for parade or show use only." My particular policy doesn't limit annual mileage, and it isn't checked, but the assumption is about 2,000/year. No emissions required for these cars and again, the plate used is irrelevant.

Basically, pay and test to drive regularly, and pay additional fees if you want vanity or vintage (year of manufacture) plates. Or just run plain vanilla AZ plates for no up charge.

As the years go by, the cars migrate to different catagories and I run various plates.

But it does seem silly to me to smog a 55 year old car regardless.

Of course there are probably only a handful of guys out there like me who go thru the hassle. Fortunately, no 'safety inspection' required here. All AZ cares about is the tailpipe emissions.

"Saving the planet, one classic Pontiac at a time!"