I will be in Vienna in December with two of my adult daughters. I have an old car and work on it in my garage at home. I decorate my garage with old license plates. Can anyone suggest where I might find an old Austrian license plate while I am there? I know I could get on off ebay, but something brought back means a lot more.
Again, I apologise for the odd request.
Flea market, maybe?
Check out the Flea Market on Saturday morning at Naschmarkt.
Maybe a car club can help you. Here’s a list of car clubs in Austria I found using Google: https://www.carclubsworldwide.com/car-clubs-austria.php
I know in our Antique Studebaker Club and Studebaker Drivers Club, members love to talk about their cars and are very helpful sharing resources. No Studebaker clubs in Austria but Sweden and Australia have large, active ones.
Other than in US an Austrian license plate is considered a federal document (like a passport) and has the Federal Eagle stamped on it. This has to do with the compulsory car insurance for which the license plate is proof. If you fail to pay your car insurance then police will take away your license plates.
The license plate is therefore not property of the car owner, and it has to be turned in e.g. when a car is sold or taken out of service.
There is no legal way to keep a license plate. Of course, you can get a license plate, e.g. if it has been (falsely) reported as lost or stolen, or it has been stolen.
I don't know what will happen when your luggage is x-rayed at the airport.
I guess you won't have troubles with real historic license plates, i.e. older than 30 years, when the current white license plates replaced the old black ones.
The very LAST thing I would do is knowingly fail to show respect for local laws and customs. I am a guest in another country and will always try to carry myself and comport my actions with absolute dignity for the country and it's people. Thank you for letting me know the laws.
