How Old Does a Car Have to be to be Considered an Antique?

January 27, 2012

You're wondering if your old car is an antique and whether or not it classifies for the Antique Exempt status from your state. Whether or not your car is considered an antique depends on who you're asking and what state you live in. On the average, though, for a car to be considered a "Classic Car" it must be at least 25 years old, and 50 years old for it to be considered an "Antique Car". However, some states consider anything made after the end of the Forties a Classic, and anything from 1949 back to be an Antique. While other states will push that back to anything made prior to 1940 is an Antique, and anything 1940 and newer is only a classic. To find out what your state considers an Antique, visit your state's DMV website or check here.