EMS Vehicle in NYS: Plates?

[x635 4,066]

Does an ambulance or fly car, holding NYS*DOH certification, have to have NY registration/plates? Are dealer or temporary plates acceptable? And, can it be registered out of state and hold out of state plates?

[SteveC7010 58]

Does an ambulance or fly car, holding NYS*DOH certification, have to have NY registration/plates? Are dealer or temporary plates acceptable? And, can it be registered out of state and hold out of state plates?

Seth, right up until you asked the question, I would have said that NY plates only would be acceptable. But, I browsed through Article 30, Part 800, and the Policies and Procedures all the way back into the 1990's and found NOTHING. Doesn't mean it isn't there somewhere, but I sure could not find it with my trusty search words.

I'm located at least three or four counties from the Vermont border, and more from any other adjoining state. (We'll leave Canada out of the discussion to keep things simple.) Here in Fulton County, it's kind of obvious that an agency owned ambulance or fly car, or a POV EASV would be expected to have the appropriate NY plates. But for those in counties adjoining other states, it's a lot murkier. I suspect that there is more than one ambulance service based in an adjoining state that holds a NYS DOH CON for territory inside NY State. That leads to the obvious conclusion that there must be ambulances (and other EMS vehicles) with out-of-state plates bearing DOH Certification decals. The opposite is almost certainly true as well.

I'm fairly certain that none of the BEMS reps would certify a vehicle bearing temporary or dealer plates, but we'd have to have a BEMS rep chime in here to be sure.

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

Does an ambulance or fly car, holding NYS*DOH certification, have to have NY registration/plates? Are dealer or temporary plates acceptable? And, can it be registered out of state and hold out of state plates?

No.

Fletcher Allen Coordinated Transport and Lamoille Ambulance Service both use ambulances with VT license plates for their operations in NY.

Edited September 9, 2014 by SRS131EMTFF

[velcroMedic1987 330]

I don't know about out of state plates but IIRC you have to have your vehicle registered and inspected (DMV inspection) before NYS will do the EMS inspection. My recollection is a little fuzzy but I seem to remember our agency trying to get a new vehicle into service and EMS wouldn't inspect it until it had plates and an inspection (I don't know if there was a temporary inspection or not).

I don't think dealer plates can be used on an ambulance (working) either but as always I could be mistaken.

[STAT213 332]

My helicopter was a DOH inspected vehicle in THREE states. NJ, PA and NY. No plates. Just a big N117NY on the tail.

Yes, I'm being funny, but the point remains that it was an inspected and inspect able ambulance. While we did have a waiver for certain items in the Part 800 list, I doubt that they have an exception that limits the type of registration an ambulance shall have, just that it is valid - based mainly on the reasons above. It's a big state, and there are many agencies along its borders that provide either mutual aid or are the sole responders to calls that are based out of state.

[FF/EMT668 1]

I may be wrong, but I believe a there are a few NDP EMS ambulances out there that at CT plates but also NYS DOH certified. Also, I can speak for the HVP/REMS "thing", the REMS trucks had NY plates, but were also DOH certified in PA.

[WAS967 97]

Company I used to work for was based in CT. Had a CON for NY. Sent an ambulance to NY with a CT plate. Someone complained. NYS DOH told them to go squat and that if the company wanted to, they could sue. So no, you don't have to be NY Registered/Tagged to be NYS DOH certified.

Reverse case however I think is not correct. For CT as an example. NY Based agency operates several units in CT. I believe in order for them to get their CT trucks certed in CT they had to get CT registrations/tags. The CT certification process is far more annoying than NY IMHO. You not only have to prove need (similar to a CON) on an agency basis, but on a per UNIT basis. Said agency only had one truck certified for CT and was regularly pulling the NY truck from over into CT for 911 jobs. Someone in CT got their panties in a pinch and complained so the agency had to petition for an additional certified CT truck with CT EMS.

Gotta love those political hoops.

Edited September 12, 2014 by WAS967

[Bnechis 3,961]

Ok lets throw a big monkey wrench into this:

NYS just got rid of ambulance plates and official plates.

The new plates will list the agency by name: FDNY, Transcare, NY-OEM, Parks, Sanitation, Westchester Dept. of Emergency Services, etc.

They are now out there and as everyone renews they will get the new plates

[SteveC7010 58]

Ok lets throw a big monkey wrench into this:

NYS just got rid of ambulance plates and official plates.

The new plates will list the agency by name: FDNY, Transcare, NY-OEM, Parks, Sanitation, Westchester Dept. of Emergency Services, etc.

They are now out there and as everyone renews they will get the new plates

I've seen a couple of these in just the last few days and wondered how far the state is going to go with this. Our ambulance expires at the end of the year so I'll see how they handle long names like Northampton. Town of Hope looks good on the supervisor's truck and easy to read.

[Bnechis 3,961]

I've seen a couple of these in just the last few days and wondered how far the state is going to go with this. Our ambulance expires at the end of the year so I'll see how they handle long names like Northampton. Town of Hope looks good on the supervisor's truck and easy to read.

Northampton = 11 letters, Westchester = 11 And I saw a Beeline bus Yesterday with Westchester on it.

[SteveC7010 58]

Northampton = 11 letters, Westchester = 11 And I saw a Beeline bus Yesterday with Westchester on it.

Might just be OK. Thanks for the tip.

I'll try to snap pics of new ones as I see them.

[Pagers 197]

Dealer plates are illegal to have on any vehicle unless it's being transported or being used for business only. Even dealers who take cars home with dealer plates are technically breaking the law. I don't think I have ever seen a flycar with ambulance plates just regular NYS civilian or municipality plates.

Private Ambulance companies won't get the new style plates just the regular civilian plates. Volunteer Ambulance Corps or municipal owned services or other agencies that fall into there..

These are the new plates btw. Except they won't say STATE and name in the right top corner will be the county.

Edited September 14, 2014 by Pagers

[amr6334 16]

I know here in Ohio there are special stickers for the back of the ambulance that say inspected by. Ambulances without are considered "illegal".

[SteveC7010 58]

I know here in Ohio there are special stickers for the back of the ambulance that say inspected by. Ambulances without are considered "illegal".

Health department inspection and/or certification stickers are a completely separate issue from motor vehicle registration plates.

[Pagers 197]

I know here in Ohio there are special stickers for the back of the ambulance that say inspected by. Ambulances without are considered "illegal".

In NY they are on the windshield on the passenger side. But also not associated with Vehicle registrations.

[Pagers 197]

Every municipal vehicle are getting the new plates, so every vehicle that belongs to a municipality or the state will have a gold plate with which department/agency the vehicle belongs too.