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Vehicle registration plates of California

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 2602:306:806f:ad80:c4e3:ba3d:3078:f8c2 (talk) at 13:57, 2 October 2015 (→‎Optional types (specialty plates)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The U.S. state of California began issuing license plates in 1913. In 1956, the U.S. states and Canadian provinces came to an agreement with the Automobile Manufacturers Association that standardized the size for license plates for vehicles, except those for motorcycles, at six inches in height by twelve inches in width, with standardized mounting holes. The 1955 (dated 1956) issue was the first California license plate that complied with these standards.

License plates are issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

Passenger baseplates

California alternated issuing single-year and multi-year plates.

Base plate colors 1913 to 1962

Some plates were revalidated for multiple years. For example, the 1947-dated plate was revalidated with metal tabs until 1950.

Image Year of Expiry Characters on background Validation Tabs (if multi-year)
1913 dark blue on white single year
1914 white on brick single year
1915 black on yellow single year
1916 blue on white 1917 1918 1919
1920 white on black single year
1921 black on yellow single year
1922 blue on white single year
1923 white on black single year
1924 white on green single year
1925 black on yellow single year
1926 white on blue single year
1927 white on maroon single year
1928 yellow on blue single year
1929 orange on black single year
1930 black on orange single year
1931 orange on black single year
1932 black on orange single year
1933 orange on black single year
1934 black on orange single year
1935 orange on black single year
1936 black on orange single year
1937 orange on black single year
1938 black on yellow single year
1939 yellow on blue single year
1940 black on orange single year
1941 yellow on black 1942 -

1943 - 1944 -

1942 yellow on black 1943 - 1944 -
1945 white on black

single plate - no pairs issued

1946 -
1947 black on yellow 1948 - 1949 -

1950 -

1951 yellow on black 1952 - 1953 -

1954 - 1955 -

1956 black on yellow 1957 - 1958 - 1959 -

1960 - 1961 - 1962 -

Baseplates 1963 to present

All base plates from 1963 to present are still valid for use, assuming the plate never left the vehicle and the vehicle maintained concurrent registration.

Modern standard issue automobile plates use a 7-digit format with a leading digit that remains constant plus a 6-digit serial starting with AAA000 and ending at ZZZ999. At that point the leading digit increases by one and the series starts over at AAA000. 6ZZZ999 was followed by 7AAA000, and should count up until the 1ABC123 series is exhausted at 9ZZZ999. At that point if the California DMV follows the precedent of reversing serial numbers at exhaustion as it has done since 1963, the next series should be in the 123ABC1 format.

Exclusions: The letters I, O, and Q are not used in the first or third alpha positions of the 7-digit alpha-numeric series.

Image First issued Design Serial format Serials issued Notes
1963 gold on black, non-reflective, embossed state name ABC 123 AAA 000 to ZZZ 999 In addition to all plates in the section above these bases can be used for the year of manufacture program with appropriate year sticker. They can also be seen as regular registration with modern month/year stickers if the plates were originally registered to the vehicle.
1969 gold on blue, non-reflective, embossed state name 123 ABC 000 AAA to 999 ZZZ Stamping dies were narrowed around the 123 Wxx series to prepare for the production of 7-digit passenger plates.
1980 gold on blue, non-reflective, embossed state name 1ABC123 1AAA000 to 1SZZ999 1Uxx123 and 1Vxx123 series have been issued on special plates such as Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, and "whale tail" plates. 1ZZx123 series are issued on "LIVERY" plates used for vehicles such as for-hire limousines.
1982
 blue on white with graphic state name, reflective
Introduced as an optional plate in 1982. 		1ABC123 2AAA000 to 2GPZ999 Awarded "Plate of the Year" for best new license plate by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association in 1983, the first and, to date, the only time that California has been so honored and the first time that an optional-issue plate was so recognized.
1987 blue on white with embossed red state name, reflective 1ABC123 2GQA000 to 3FZZ999
1994 blue on white with graphic red state name, reflective 1ABC123 3GAA000 to 3XZZ999 The state name was modified twice to increase its size. (The third and largest version is shown.) 3YAA-3ZYZ series not issued. 3ZZx123 series are issued on "LIVERY" plates used for vehicles such as for-hire limousines.
1998 blue on white with graphic red state name and "Sesquicentennial - 150 Years", reflective 1ABC123 4AAA000 to 4NOZ999
2000 blue on white with graphic red state name, reflective 1ABC123 4NPA000 to 6TPV999 Identical in design to later plates on the 1994 base.
2011 blue on white with graphic red state name and "dmv.ca.gov" website address at bottom, reflective 1ABC123 6TPW000 to 7MJY000 (as of June 28, 2015)

Non-passenger types

Image Type First issued Serial format Serials issued Notes
Disabled Person 1995 12345D/P 00001D/P to 99999D/P
Disabled Person Late 1990s D/P12345 D/P00001 to D/P99999
Disabled Person Early 2000s D/PA1234 D/PA0001 to D/PZ9999
Disabled Person 2006 1234AD/P 0001AD/P to 9999ZD/P
Disabled Person 2011 D/P123AB D/P001AA to present
Disabled Veteran 12345D/V
Disabled Person—Motorcycle 1234D/P
Distributor D/S/T 1234 1/2/A Full-size number is constant for each distributing entity; stacked prefix varies.
Exempt-Local 1963-1968 E123456 E100000-E999999 Black plate with yellow numbering consisting of letter E in octagon and 6-digit number for city- and county-owned vehicles
Exempt-State 1963-1968 E12345 E00000-E99999 Black plate with yellow numbering consisting of letter E in diamond and 5-digit number for state-owned vehicles
Exempt-Local 1969-1986 E123456 E100000-E999999 Blue plate with yellow numbering consisting of letter E in octagon and 6-digit number for city- and county-owned vehicles
Exempt-State 1969-1986 E12345 E00000-E99999 Blue plate with yellow numbering consisting of letter E in diamond and 5-digit number for state-owned vehicles
Exempt-Local 1987-1997 E123456 E100000-E999999 White plate with blue numbering consisting of letter E in octagon and 6-digit number for city- and county-owned vehicles
Exempt-State 1987-1997 E12345 E00000-E99999 White plate with blue numbering consisting of letter E in diamond and 5-digit number for state-owned vehicles
Exempt 1998 1234567 1000001 to present "CA EXEMPT" across top.
Foreign Organization 123 001 to present. "FOREIGN ORGANIZATION" printed to left of serial.
Manufacturer M/F/G 1 1/A
M/F/G 1 1/2/A
M/F/G 12 1/A
M/F/G 12 1/2/A 		Full-size number is constant for each manufacturing entity; stacked prefix varies.
Motorcycle 12A1234
Permanent Trailer 4AB1234 "California Perm Trailer" across top.
Press Photographer P/P 1234
Press Photographer 2000 P/P 1234
Special Equipment S/E123456 Motorcycle-sized.
Tournament of Roses[1] 1998 TOFR123 TOFR1 to present Used on parade vehicles during the Tournament of Roses parade.
Trailer 1AB1234 Indistinguishable from passenger plates aside from serial format.
Truck Mid-1970s 1A12345 1A00001 to 8Z99999 Indistinguishable from passenger plates aside from serial format. Series was exhausted in early 2011. 9A12345 plates are issued to tractor trailers.
Truck 2011 12345A1 00001A1 to 00001R1 (as of June 2014) Indistinguishable from passenger plates aside from serial format.

Optional types (specialty plates)

Image Type First issued Serial format Serials issued Notes
1984 Olympics 1984 L/A12345
U/S12345 		L/A00000 to present No longer issued but still revalidated.
Arts Council 1994 ABC123
123ABC 		Using previously unused letter blocks. "Coastline" design by Wayne Thiebaud.[1][2]
Bill of Rights 1990 1234 US
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 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 1ABC123 No longer issued but still revalidated.
Lake Tahoe Version 2 2011 1ABC123 Using previously unused letter blocks.
Legion of Valor—Passenger 123 A sticker is placed to the right of the license plate number denoting the decoration held by the recipient. Air Force Cross -Air Force Medal of Honor -Army Medal of Honor -

Army Distinguished Service Cross -Navy Cross -Navy Medal of Honor -

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 1234 Pearl Harbor Survivor of World War II
Protect Our Coast & Ocean Version 1 1997 1ABC123 No longer issued but still revalidated.
Protect Our Coast & Ocean Version 2 2011 1ABC123 Using previously unused letter blocks.
Purple Heart—Motorcycle PH1234
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 Using previously unused letter blocks.
We Will Never Forget 2002 1234MA
University of California, Los Angeles 1994 ABC123 Using previously unused letter blocks.
Yosemite National Park 1996 1ABC123 Using previously unused letter blocks.

Year-of-manufacture plates

The use of year-of-manufacture (YOM) plates is authorized by Section 5004.1 [2] 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 and plates 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 1963-1969, 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 no 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, select cases, California has extended custom license plates to exceed 7 digits, all the way up to, but not exceeding 9 characters.[citation needed]

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

California Legacy License Plate program

California Legacy License Plate program offers vehicle owners the opportunity to purchase replicas of California license plates similar to those issued in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Only the 1960s plate reached the required 7,500 minimum orders before January 1, 2015, and will be the only one implemented. The 1950s and 1970s plates did not achieve the required 7,500 minimum orders.[3] The plates will be issued from late spring through summer 2015. Additional time is required for personalized plates.[4]

References

  1. ^ Knight, Christopher (June 29, 2010). "Wayne Thiebaud's Pop art license plate design". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  2. ^ "Arts Plate". California Arts Council. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  3. ^ http://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/legacyplates/index
  4. ^ http://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/legacyplates/faqs
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