California getting ready to switch over its license plate numbering scheme

[y_p_w]

The current scheme is 1 digit, 3 letters, and 3 digits, except for vanity, commercial, and exempt (just numbers). Also some specialty plate types have different schemes (if one doesn't get a vanity plate) and even some nonstandard characters. Apparently this numbering scheme has been around since 1980 when the lead number was a 1 (I guessed they skipped 0) but will max out at 9ZZZ999. I remember when they were 3 digits followed by 3 letters (e.g. 000AAA).

The new scheme will be 3 digits, 3 letters, and 1 digit. The first example would be 000AAA1.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/california-is-running-out-of-license-plate-numbers​

It’s relatively difficult to predict precisely when California will issue its last current-style plate, but in June 2024, The Sacramento Bee wrote that the California DMV was sitting on about 18 months’ worth of license plate numbers, pegging the final current-style plate for the end of the year. The system, which started with 1AAA000, will be replaced with its reverse. The new system will consist of three numbers, three letters, and one number, so the first one could be something like 000AAA1 or 001AAA1 or 100AAA1 depending on whether or how they exactly implement the existing “no leading zeroes” rule.​

 

[CKN]

Well.......they have more vehicles registered than any other state in the country.

Commence California bashing beginning somewhere in this thread..............

 

[AZjeff]

This barely seems newsworthy. The article didn't even mention how many combinations either format has.

 

[Rmay635703]

176 million unique license plate combinations isn’t enough for 39million people

 

[AZjeff]

176 million unique license plate combinations isn’t enough for 39million people

The article says the plate stays with the car through it's life and gets retired. Don't know if that true or not.

 

[BHopkins]

If my memory serves me well, I vaguely recall many, many years ago, reading that California was trying to get vehicle owners to turn in license plates when they sold or scrapped a car, so the number could be reused. I wonder what came of that?

 

[4WD]

If my memory serves me well, I vaguely recall many, many years ago, reading that California was trying to get vehicle owners to turn in license plates when they sold or scrapped a car, so the number could be reused. I wonder what came of that?

000AAA1

 

[Rmay635703]

The article says the plate stays with the car through it's life and gets retired. Don't know if that true or not.

Unless you buy the plate once and never pay again that is stupid, other states the plate is stuck like glue to the driver not the car .

 

[shortyb]

The article says the plate stays with the car through it's life and gets retired. Don't know if that true or not.

And they still have this ugliness on the front to remind folks coming or going.

 

[fantastic]

That's "rad" in California slang.

 

[mikeduf]

That's fantastic if the license plate stays with the car for its life!

I'm being facetious,
so the high school student that gets his or hers first car gets a license plate from a law offender.

The officer sees the license plate and pulls it up on history and immediately sees the relationship to the car and makes an assumption that the kid driving is a drug lord!
If I were a Leo that would be the first commonality I would tag to the car and the occupants.

Hopefully something on the license plate will show car sold new owner with registration and history.

That would be very bad if the history is flagged to the car by the license plate and the assumption would go with the occupants. Just my two cents here I'm sure it's been thought through from Sacramento

 

[bdcardinal]

The article says the plate stays with the car through it's life and gets retired. Don't know if that true or not.

They 100% do not. Every used vehicle I bought I have received a new plate with a new number, not including the custom plates on Mustangs.

 

[y_p_w]

176 million unique license plate combinations isn’t enough for 39million people

I believe there are several letter combinations that have been skipped. Basically anything that would be rejected if part of a vanity plate request. I heard “BVD” isn’t on any California license plate because of a connotation with underwear. The rest you can use your imagination about what might be considered inappropriate, but there are quite a few.

Also only 24 letters are used, with I and O unused because of possible confusion with 1 and 0. That alone reduces the number combinations by more than 20%. They also started the current 7 character plate with 1 instead of 0, that that’s 10% less.

 

[Al]

Commence California bashing beginning somewhere in this thread..............

Well its just that there is so little to say that's "good" about the State.

 

[CKN]

Well its just that there is so little to say that's "good" about the State.

Well...if you bought a house in the state (and assuming you didn't borrow against it) 20 years ago your equity totals a million dollars. That's the price of admission to any decent area in California. That's good part of a decent retirement program.

 

[Oliveoil2]

311GPI1 ? Possible plate? Seriously, is anyone going to be able to read and remember this plate at a hit and run?

 

[97prizm]

The current scheme is 1 digit, 3 letters, and 3 digits, except for vanity, commercial, and exempt (just numbers). Also some specialty plate types have different schemes (if one doesn't get a vanity plate) and even some nonstandard characters. Apparently this numbering scheme has been around since 1980 when the lead number was a 1 (I guessed they skipped 0) but will max out at 9ZZZ999. I remember when they were 3 digits followed by 3 letters (e.g. 000AAA).

The new scheme will be 3 digits, 3 letters, and 1 digit. The first example would be 000AAA1.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/california-is-running-out-of-license-plate-numbers​

It’s relatively difficult to predict precisely when California will issue its last current-style plate, but in June 2024, The Sacramento Bee wrote that the California DMV was sitting on about 18 months’ worth of license plate numbers, pegging the final current-style plate for the end of the year. The system, which started with 1AAA000, will be replaced with its reverse. The new system will consist of three numbers, three letters, and one number, so the first one could be something like 000AAA1 or 001AAA1 or 100AAA1 depending on whether or how they exactly implement the existing “no leading zeroes” rule.​

I wonder how much it would cost to go to 8 digits on a plate? New York is the only state where 8 digits are allowed on vanity plates.

 

[Opelman]

I had 072 EAT and 396 BRP as a kid in CA. I went through a lot of used cars in CA and all kept the plates they came with. Only time new were issued was if one was missing or the previous owner kept their vanity plates. I wonder if they will change the color with the new series? Others family and I had were WRR 809, HLU 156, 204 NLT, FSF 395, XOJ 307, SLZ 591, 2DKU011. There are more but I don't remember them all.

 

[johnmyster]

Well...if you bought a house in the state (and assuming you didn't borrow against it) 20 years ago your equity totals a million dollars. That's the price of admission to any decent area in California. That's good part of a decent retirement program.

Sell the million dollar house and retire homeless? Loving the logic.

 

[mikeduf]

Sell the million dollar house and retire homeless? Loving the logic.

Yeah let's not forget gains taxes by the time you get through selling a million dollar house you'll be lucky if you walk away with 850k. 850k in California doesn't really get you much!
So all these people that are bailing out of California and thinking they're going to make a killing on their houses they get a real hard door slammed in their face when they pay their taxes and if they decide to come back it's almost impossible unless they are multiple homeowners.
Then you can join the homeless community.
Just my two cents here