Vehicle registration plates of California

California

Current series
Slogan	dmv.ca.gov
Size	12 in × 6 in 30 cm × 15 cm
Serial format	1ABC123
Introduced	2011 (2011)
Availability
Issued by	California Department of Motor Vehicles
History
First issued	January 1, 1914 (1914-01-01) (pre-state plates and seals from 1905 to December 31, 1913)
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The U.S. state of California first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1905. Registrants provided their own license plates for display until 1914, when the state began to issue plates.^[1] Plates are currently issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

Front and rear plates are required on most types of vehicle in California, including all passenger vehicles. On motorcycles and some other non-passenger types, only rear plates are required. On all vehicle types, registration validation stickers are also required, to be displayed on the rear plate.^[2][3]

Since 1947, California license plates have been manufactured by inmates at Folsom State Prison.^[4]

Passenger baseplates[]

Pre-state plates[]

Image	Dates issued	Design	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	1905–13	Black on white; "CAL" at right	123456	1 to 122444	A one-time $2.00 fee is paid to register the vehicle, and the motorist must have a license plate made to hang from the rear of the vehicle (front plate also required starting in 1911). These plates were valid from the date of issuance until no longer needed for that car. The seal (disc) that the motorist received from the state with the registration number, along with the license plate(s), was supposed to remain with the vehicle upon transfer to a new owner, but that did not always happen. These early plates were valid through December 31, 1913.[5][6]

1914 to 1962[]

In 1956, the United States, Canada, and Mexico came to an agreement with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Automobile Manufacturers Association and the National Safety Council that standardized the size for license plates for vehicles (except those for motorcycles) at 6 inches (15 cm) in height by 12 inches (30 cm) in width, with standardized mounting holes.^[7] The 1955 (dated 1956) issue was the first California license plate that complied with these standards.

Image	Dates issued	Design	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	1914	white on red porcelain	123456	1 to 122375[8]	Replaced all 1905–13 plates.
	1915	black on yellow porcelain	123456	1 to 163557[9]	Brass Seal: Hexagon
	1916	blue on white porcelain	123456	1 to 234317[10]	Validation tab: 1916 Bear (Front) 1916 Bear (Rear)
	1917			234318[11] to 357299[12]	Registered owners of plate numbers 1 to 234317 only received the Poppy tabs to place on their 1916 plates. Validation tab: Poppy
	1918			357300[13] to 485000[14]	Registered owners of plate numbers 1 to 357299 only received the Bell tabs to place on their 1916 plates. Validation tab: Bell
	1919			485001[15] to 599705[16]	Registered owners of plate numbers 1 to 485000 only received the Star tabs to place on their 1916 plates. Validation tab: Star
	1920	white on black	123-456	1 to 527-583
	1921	black on yellow	123-456	1 to 651-640[17]
	1922	blue on white	123456	1 to 2000; 70001 to 881909[18]	Serials 2001 through 70000 reserved for non-passenger vehicles.
	1923	white on black	123 456	1 to ?
	1924	white on green	123-456	1 to ?
	1925	black on yellow	123 456	1 to 30 00, 250 001 to 999 999	Serials 30 01 through 250 000 reserved for non-passenger vehicles.
			A-12 345	A 1 to F-99 999
	1926	white on blue	123 456	1 to 40 00, 320 001 to 999 999	Serials 40 01 through 320 000 reserved for non-passenger vehicles.
			A-12 345	A-1 to G-99 999
	1927	white on maroon	1-234-567	1 to 50-00; 400-001 to approximately 1-860-000	First use of the full state name. Serials 50-01 through 400-000 reserved for non-passenger vehicles.
	1928	yellow on blue	1-234-567	1 to 3-000; 450-001 to approximately 2-080-000[19]	Serials 3-001 through 450-000 reserved for non-passenger vehicles.
	1929	orange on black	1A-12-34	Coded by branch office	Letters A through L were used in Northern California, and M through Z in Southern California.[19]
	1930	black on orange	1A-12-34	Coded by branch office
	1931	orange on black	1A 12 34	Coded by branch office
	1932	black on orange	1A 12 34	Coded by branch office
	1933	orange on black	1A 12 34	Coded by branch office
	1934	black on orange	1A 12 34	Coded by branch office
	1935	orange on black	1A 12 34	Coded by branch office
	1936	black on orange	1A 12 34 10 A 123	Coded by branch office
	1937	orange on black	1A 12 34 A/A 12 34	Coded by branch office
	1938	black on yellow	1A 12 34 10 A 123	Coded by branch office
	1939	yellow on blue	1A 12 34 10 A 123	Coded by branch office
	1940	black on orange	1A 12 34 10 A 123	Coded by branch office
	1941–44	embossed yellow serial on black plate, "19 CALIFORNIA 41" on top	1A 23 45 12 A 345	1A 1 to ?	Citizens that got the 1941 base plate in 1941 got this tab for revalidation. Validation tab for 1942:
					Validation tab for 1943: It was issued due to metal conservation for World War II.
					Validation sticker for 1944: It was issued due to metal conservation for World War II.
	1945–46	white on black	1A 23 45 12 A 345	1A 1 to ?	Only rear plates issued. Validation tab for 1946:
	1947–50	black on yellow	1A 23 456 12A 3 456	1A 1 to ?	Validation tab for 1948:
					Validation tab for 1949:
					Validation tab for 1950:
	1951–55	yellow on black	1A 23 456 12 A 3 456	1A 1 to ?	Validation tab for 1952:
					Validation tab for 1953:
					Validation tab for 1954:
					Validation tab for 1955:
	1956–62	black on yellow	ABC 123	AAA 000 to approximately YRT 999	Validation sticker for 1957:
					Validation sticker for 1958:
					Validation sticker for 1959:
					Validation sticker for 1960:
					Validation sticker for 1961:
					Validation sticker for 1962:

1963 to present[]

All plates from 1963 until present are still valid, provided they are displayed on the vehicle to which they were originally issued and the vehicle has been continuously registered. Along with the pre-1963 plates above, these plates can be used for the year-of-manufacture program, with appropriate year sticker.

The current 1ABC123 serial format was introduced in 1980. In this format, the ABC123 portion of the serial progresses from AAA000 to ZZZ999, before the leading digit advances by one and the progression begins again. All letters are used, although I, O and Q are used only as the second letter.^[19] Some series have not been issued, while others have been reserved for non-passenger and optional plates, such as 1ZZA through 1ZZZ and 3ZZA through 3ZZZ for Livery plates, and 1UAA through 1VZZ for Lake Tahoe, Yosemite and Coastal Protection ("Whale Tail") plates.

It is expected that when 9ZZZ999 is reached, the next serial format will be 123ABC1, maintaining the DMV's practice since the 1960s of reversing serial formats at exhaustion.

Image	Dates issued	Design	Slogan	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	1963–69	embossed gold on black, embossed state name and debossed "63" on top right sticker box	none	ABC 123	AAA 000 to ZZZ 999
	1969–80	embossed gold serial on blue, state name on top	none	123 ABC	000 AAA to 999 ZZZ	Monthly staggered registration introduced 1976. I, O and Q not used as first letters in the 123 ABC serial format. Narrower serial dies introduced at the beginning of the WLA series in late 1977, in preparation for the 1ABC123 format.[19]
	1980–86			1ABC123	1AAA000 to 1SWC999
	late 1982 – late 1987	blue on reflective white with graphic Art Deco state name	The Golden State	2ABC123	2AAA000 to 2GPZ999	Extra-cost optional plate until 1987, when it briefly became the standard passenger base after the 1969 blue base was discontinued. Awarded "Plate of the Year" for best new license plate of 1983 by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association, the first and, to date, only time California has been so honored.
	late 1987 – early 1994	blue on reflective white with embossed red state name	none	1ABC123	2GQA000 to 3FMG999
	early 1994 – early 1998	blue on reflective white with graphic red state name	none	3ABC123	3GAA000 to 3XZZ999	The state name was modified twice to increase its size (the third and largest version is shown).
	early 1998 – late 2000		Sesquicentennial - 150 Years	4ABC123	4AAA000 to 4NOZ999
	late 2000 – late 2011		none	1ABC123	4NPA000 to 6TPV999
	late 2011 – present		dmv.ca.gov		6TPW000 to 8XZZ942 (as of August 26, 2021)

Non-passenger plates[]

Image	Type	First issued	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	Amateur Radio		FCC call sign		Issued to holders of FCC amateur radio station licenses, upon request.
	Antique Motorcycle		ANTIQUE M/C 123		Available upon request for any motorcycle manufactured in 1942 or before.
	Apportioned	1982	AP12345	AP00001 to approximately BP10000
		1987		BP30001 to CP99999; SP00001 to approximately VP70000
		2011		VP70001 to YP19975 (as of July 11, 2021)
	Citizens Band		ABC1234		Were issued upon request for holders of FCC citizens band radio licenses until 1983. Plate numbers and letters represent the call letters assigned by the FCC.
	Commercial	1963	A 12 345	A 10 000 to V 99 999
		1967	12 345 A	10 000 A to 99 999 J
		1969		00 000 K to 99 999 Z
		1975	1A12345	1A00000 to 2Y05999
		1982		3A00000 to 3P59999
		1987		3P60000 to approximately 5A99999
		1994		5B00000 to approximately 5S99999
		1998		5T00000 to 6J99999	With "Sesquicentennial - 150 Years" slogan.
		2001		6K00000 to 8Z99999	Serials 9A00000 through 9Z99999 reserved for tractor units.
		2010	12345A1	00000A1 to 99999E1
		2011		00000F1 to 73853F3 (as of June 23, 2021)	With "dmv.ca.gov" slogan.
	Disabled Person	1995	12345D/P	00001D/P to 99999D/P	Before 1995, California issued only placards which were displayed on the dashboard when parking.
		late 1990s	D/P12345	D/P00001 to D/P99999
		early 2000s	D/PA1234	D/PA0001 to D/PZ9999
		2006	1234AD/P	0001AD/P to 9999ZD/P
		2011	D/P123AB	D/P001AA to D/P999ZZ
		2019	AB123D/P	AA001D/P to FV125D/P (as of July 17, 2021)
	Disabled Person – Motorcycle		1234D/P
	Disabled Veteran		12345D/V	00001D/V to 72987D/V (as of June 10, 2021
	Exempt – Local	1963	E123456	E100000-E999999	Black plate with yellow numbering consisting of letter E in octagon and 6-digit number for district-, city- and county-owned vehicles
		1969	E123456	E100000-E999999	Blue plate with yellow numbering consisting of letter E in octagon and 6-digit number for district-, city- and county-owned vehicles
		1987	E123456	E100000-E999999	White plate with blue numbering consisting of letter E in octagon and 6-digit number for district-, city- and county-owned vehicles. "California" was either in red block or red script font. For "E0....." plate, see below
	Exempt – State	1963	E12345	E00000-E99999	Black plate with yellow numbering consisting of letter E in diamond and 5-digit number for state-owned vehicles
		1969	E12345	E00000-E99999	Blue plate with yellow numbering consisting of letter E in diamond and 5-digit number for state-owned vehicles
		1987	E123456	E000000-E999999	White plate with blue numbering consisting of letter E in diamond and 5-digit number for state-owned vehicles. "California" was either in red block or red script font.
	Exempt	1998	1234567	1000001 to 1615867 (as of April 29, 2021)	Issued to all exempt vehicles, regardless of ownership. "CA EXEMPT" screened at top. Some plates were issued as "E0....." due to a surplus of prestamped octagon "E" plates. On these plates the "E" was to be considered "1". They still had "California" in script font.
	Foreign Organization		FOREIGN ORGANIZATION 123
	Historical Vehicle	1959	HISTORICAL VEHICLE 123A		Available upon request for any vehicle manufactured after 1922 that is at least 25 years old.
	Honorary Consul	1982	HON CONSUL CORPS 1234		Issued to Honorary Consuls upon request.
		1988
	Horseless Carriage	1984	HORSELESS CARRIAGE 1234		Available upon request for any vehicle manufactured in 1922 or before, or for motor vehicles with 16 or more cylinders manufactured prior to 1965.
	Livery		1ABC123	1ZZA000 to 1ZZZ999; 3ZZA000 to approximately 3ZZG999	"LIVERY" screened at bottom. Issued to limos and fleet vehicles until program eliminated by Senate Bill 611 on September 30, 2014. Plates remain valid but cannot be replaced or reassigned.
	Moped		C123456	C000001 to present
	Motorcycle	1983	12A1234	11A0000 to 25H2529 (as of May 23, 2021)	Letter progresses before prefix number (11A–11Z, 12A–12Z, etc.). I, O and Q not used.[20]
	Permanent Trailer	2001	4AB1234	4AA1000 to 4UB0128 (as of June 2, 2021)	"California Perm Trailer" across top.
	Press Photographer	1987	P/P 1234
		2011
	Prorate Plate		N/A		No longer in circulation. Used by interstate fleets to display apportioned stickers. California's stickers are placed in the third well from the top on the left side.
	Special Equipment	1969	S/E123456		Motorcycle-sized.
	Public Service (state representative)		P/S12345
	Tournament of Roses[21]	1998	TOFR123	TOFR1 to present	Used on parade vehicles during the Tournament of Roses parade.
	Trailer	1963	AB 1234	AA 1000 to HV 9999
		1971		HX 1000 to TZ 9999
		1983	1AB1234	1AA1000 to approximately 1BJ9999
		1987		1BP1000 to approximately 1EU9999
		1994		1FC1000 to 1NN7377 (as of March 17, 2021)
	Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Plate				Assigned by the DMV or CHP when a number is removed, destroyed, or obliterated.

Occupational plates[]

On each occupational plate type, the full-size number is constant for each distributing entity, while the small suffix (or prefix on the Special Equipment Dealer/Manufacturer plate) varies. Only rear plates are required for each type.

Image	Type	First issued	Serial format	Notes
	Dealer		D/L/R 1234 1/2/A
	Dismantler		D/S/M 1234 1/2/A
	Manufacturer		M/F/G 1234 1/2/A
	New Vehicle Distributor		D/S/T 1234 1/2/A
	Remanufacturer		R/M/F 1234 1/2/A
	Special Equipment Dealer/Manufacturer		1A MFG 1234	Motorcycle-sized.
	Transporter		T/R/N 1234 1/2/A

Legislative plates[]

Image	Type	First issued	Serial format	Notes
	Assembly Member		A 12	Issued to current and retired members of the California State Assembly. The number in the serial corresponds to the district represented by the Assembly member. A small 'A' by the number indicates a second vehicle owned by the Assembly member. A small 'R' indicates a retired Assembly member, and a small '1' after the small 'R' indicates a second vehicle owned by the retired Assembly member.
	Representative		U.S. CONGRESS 1	Issued to current U.S. representatives. A small 'A' by the number indicates a second vehicle owned by the representative, a small 'B' indicates a third vehicle, and so on.
	State Senator		S 12	Issued to current and retired members of the California State Senate. The number in the serial corresponds to the district represented by the Senator. A small 'S' by the number indicates a second vehicle owned by the Senator. A small 'R' indicates a retired Senator, and a small '1' after the small 'R' indicates a second vehicle owned by the retired Senator.
	U.S. Senator		UNITED STATES SENATE 1	Issued to current U.S. Senators. A small 'A' by the number indicates a second vehicle owned by the U.S. Senator, a small 'B' indicates a third vehicle, and so on.

Stickers[]

Image	Type	First issued	Notes
	Emissions controlled OHV		Assigned to motor vehicles that are used on roads not publicly maintained (e.g. in State Parks and National Forests). The green sticker program existed as a means of generating revenue for the maintenance of state OHV areas.
	Uncontrolled OHV	1999	Emissions controlled OHVs are granted Green Stickers while uncontrolled OHVs such as motocross and closed-course off-road racebikes are granted Red Stickers for seasonal use on public lands.

Optional types (specialty plates)[]

Image	Type	First issued	Design	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	1984 Olympics—Motorcycle	1984		L/A12345	L/A00000 to present	No longer issued, but still revalidated.
	1984 Olympics—Passenger	1984		L/A12345 U/S12345	L/A00000 to present	No longer issued, but still revalidated.
	Agriculture	2013		123ABC A123B0		White plate with artwork of the sun screened at left and "Agriculture" screened at bottom.
	Arts Council	1994		ABC123 123ABC A123B0	Using previously unused letter blocks.	"Coastline" design by Wayne Thiebaud.[22][23]
	Bill of Rights	1990	Blue on white with red Liberty Bell graphic	1234 US	0001 US to approximately 1000 US	Commemorated the 200th anniversary of the Bill's ratification.
	Breast Cancer Awareness	2017		B123A1		Pink plate with pink ribbon screened at left and "Early Detection Saves Lives" screened at bottom.
	California Museums (Snoopy)	2016		S123A0		White plate with Peanuts character Snoopy screened at left and "museums are for everyone" screened at bottom.
	Children's Trust Fund			ABC123	Using previously unused letter blocks.	An embossed heart, hand, star, or plus sign appears to the left of the serial, or can be incorporated into "vanity" numbers.
	Congressional Medal of Honor 84 —Passenger	1984		12		Given to Medal of Honor recipients.
	Congressional Medal of Honor 93 —Passenger	1993		12		Given to Medal of Honor recipients.
	Firefighter—Motorcycle			00A12	00A01 to present.
	Firefighter—Passenger	1995		ABC123 A123B0	Using previously unused letter blocks.	Only active or retired firefighter can apply for this type of plate. Logo of a firefighter on a blazing background.
	Gold Star Family —Passenger	2011		123ABC	Using previously unused letter blocks.	Given to family of fallen soldiers while in the line of duty.
	Lake Tahoe Version 1	1996		1UAB123	No longer issued but still revalidated.
	Lake Tahoe Version 2	2011		1UAB123	Using previously unused letter blocks.
	Legacy	2015	Gold on reflective black	A123B0	B001A0 to X929A0 (as of May 2, 2021)	In the style of the 1963–69 passenger plate. 'S' series of serials are reserved for California Museums (Snoopy) plate, shown above.
	Legion of Valor—Passenger		Blue on white	LEGION OF VALOR 123		Sticker placed at right denoting the decoration held by the registrant: Medal of Honor (Army, Navy or Air Force), Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, or Air Force Cross.
	Olympic Training Center Version 1	1990		C/A12345 U/S12345		No longer issued, but still revalidated.
	Olympic Training Center Version 2	1999		C/A12345 U/S12345		No longer issued, but still revalidated.
	Olympic Training Center Version 3	2000		C/A12345 U/S12345
	Pearl Harbor Survivor —Passenger		Blue on white; "PEARL HARBOR SURVIVOR" in blue at left	1234		Only issued to survivors of the Attack on Pearl Harbor. May be retained on a vehicle owned by a surviving spouse.[24]
	Pet Lover	2012		123ABC		White plate with artwork from international actor, artist, and pet lover Pierce Brosnan screened at left and "Spay & Neuter Saves Lives" screened at bottom.
	Protect Our Coast & Ocean Version 1	1997		1VAB123	1VAA000 to 1VAZ999; 1VDA000 to 1VDY999	No longer issued, but still revalidated.
	Protect Our Coast & Ocean Version 2 – Commercial	2011		2Z12345	2Z00000 to 2Z58120 (as of August 23, 2013)
	Protect Our Coast & Ocean Version 2 – Passenger	2011		1VAB123	1VDZ000 to 1VEN542 (as of September 7, 2020)
	Purple Heart			1234PH
				PH1234
				12PH34
	Purple Heart—Motorcycle			1234PH PH1234 12PH34
	POW Ex-Prisoner of War —Motorcycle			POW1234
	POW Ex-Prisoner of War 93 —Passenger	1993		POW1234
	POW Ex-Prisoner of War 00 —Passenger	2000		POW1234
	Veteran Version 1	1994		ABC123 123ABC	No longer issued but still revalidated.
	Veteran Version 2	2012		123ABC A123B0	Using previously unused letter blocks.
	We Will Never Forget	2002		1234MA
	University of California, Los Angeles	1994		ABC123	Using previously unused letter blocks.	No longer issued, but still revalidated.
	Yosemite National Park	1993		1UAB123	1UAA000 to 1UEV399 (as of June 26, 2019)

See the Passenger Baseplates section above for the 1982–87 "Golden State" plate, which was briefly issued as the standard passenger base.

Year-of-manufacture plates[]

A California car license plate saying ANRCHST (a vanity plate–speak form of anarchist) from 2006

The use of year-of-manufacture (YOM) plates is authorized by Section 5004.1 of the California Motor Vehicle Code. It is a law that allows vintage cars to be registered to use vintage license plates. Any officially manufactured California license plates which were produced prior to 1963 can be used on a currently registered vehicle or trailer of a corresponding model year. If used on the original plate, a sticker or metal tab that corresponds to the year of the vehicle is required.

In July 2009, California extended its YOM program to include passenger vehicles from 1963 to 1969, and commercial vehicles (pick-ups, etc.) through 1972. Any black-and-gold plate from this era may be used on these vehicles, as long as they are "clear" with the DMV (i.e., not used, reported stolen, or any records found, for the last 10 years). A valid sticker must be attached to the plate corresponding to the year of the vehicle that is to be registered.

As of January 2014, in very rare cases, California has extended custom license plates to allow more than seven digits, but not to exceed nine characters. However, most plates are limited to seven-and-a-half characters (the half-character is a half-space).^{[citation needed]}

In August 2016, California extended the year-of-manufacture license plate program to include vehicles through the 1980 model year.^[25]

California Legacy License Plate program[]

The California Legacy License Plate program offers vehicle owners the opportunity to purchase replicas of California license plates similar to those issued in the 1960s. California proposed issuing plates similar to those of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. The original plan was to restrict the plate colors to what would have been issued to the vehicle when purchased new. After a few months, the program was opened to all model years. Only the 1960s (gold on black) plate reached the required 7,500 minimum orders before January 1, 2015. The 1950s (black on gold) and 1970s (gold on blue) plates did not achieve the required 7,500 minimum orders.^[26] The plates were issued from late spring through summer 2015 and, as of 2021, are still available for order from the DMV website. Additional time is required for personalized plates.^[27][28]

Temporary registration plates[]

2021 Californian temporary license plate for a Ferrari Roma.

California did not issue temporary license plates for new vehicle purchases until 2019.^[29] Prior to 2019, California was unusual among the U.S. states in not requiring any form of temporary license plate. Vehicle dealers were still required to electronically report sales of new vehicles to the DMV, but they were only required to print out a DMV report-of-sale form at the time of sale.^[30] Newly purchased vehicles typically drove around for a month or more with nothing but a dealer's advertisement or logo on a paper plate insert where the license plate would go. Due to California's DMV issuing permanent plates by mail, it was only required that the DMV report-of-sale form was instead taped to the windshield. This made the new vehicle essentially "untraceable" both by plain visual observation by persons, and by automated means such as license-plate reading systems, red light cameras, and automatic number plate recognition. This led to drivers of newly purchased vehicles cheating Fast Track toll lanes, mainly on Fast Track and toll roads where a transponder system is used instead of toll booths, causing the state to lose $15–19 million per year. Because of this, new state legislation was adopted in 2016 requiring temporary license plates in California beginning in 2019.^[30][31] The DMV's reporting system was modified so that dealers could print out the temporary license plates on special paper.^[29]

The law was inspired by the hit-and-run death of a pedestrian who was struck by a car with dealer paper inserts, and because it had no temporary plates it was impossible to trace the suspect.^[32] California's previous lack of a temporary plate requirement was mocked and known as the "Steve Jobs loophole" due to the Apple founder's habit of keeping rolling six-month leases on a series of Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMGs specifically to avoid having to put license plates on the cars.^[33] California's previous lack of temporary plates was also taken advantage of by criminals, who knew that a car driving with a dealer ad paper insert was both untrackable, and did not raise suspicion.^[34]

References[]

Sources[]

• CA Department of Motor Vehicles License Plate Introduction
• Other types of Specialty Plates
• California License Plate Data (1914–1962)
• Special Recognition Plates
• Legacy Plates

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to License plates of California.

• California license plates, 1969–present
• Photo library of California license plates