Talk:Vehicle registration plates of California

Golden State base
According to calpl8s.com the Golden State plates only ran from 2AAA001 to 2GPZ999. California printed in red started at 2GQA001 to the 3FZZ999 mark listed in our article. I do not feel that site quite meets standards for sourcing. However he does have pictures of plates past 2GPZ and before 3AAA that are clearly not on Golden State bases. Also there's a car in my neighborhood with 2NAN series plates not on the Golden State base. I belive 2GPZ999 probably is the cutoff, can anyone confirm this with a verifiable source?

(in response to the paragraph above) I do not have a verifiable source for the 2GPZ999 sequence being the very last passenger plate, but I do know that the very first one ever made was 2AAA000, not 2AAA001. It's currently on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California. (end of my comment) Mazdapickup89 (talk) 7 October 2022 — Preceding undated comment added 03:03, 8 October 2022 (UTC)

I supsect California stopped making the Golden State base due to a peeling problem we're starting to see here in Arizona. The graphic designs are decaled onto the plate and coated with a sealant. Over time this brakes down and the design starts to peel off, including the graphic state name. California plates are permanent and are not voided after a new design is released. That could explain why the design was abruptly retired at an odd point such as 2GPZ. Skywayman (talk) 13:24, 17 April 2008 (UTC)

Regarding the Golden State base question. In mid-1980 we started the 7-digit plates with 1AAA000 numbering with the same blue/gold colors as the 000AAA plates used. Then in late 1982 the Golden State plates were introduced, as an optional plate with a $5 premium, and the regular blue/gold plates were not discontinued. The Golden State plates started at 2AAA000 to avoid interfering with the regular blue plate numbering sequence. Then, on Jan 1, 1987 a new state law dictated that all plates must be made of a reflective material, and because the blue plates were not reflective, they stopped the blue plates at the end of 1986 (the highest I remember seeing was 1SWCxxx). They started issuing the Golden State plates to everyone in 1987. Then probably to save money they switched to the red/white/blue version in late 1987. I still see cars with Golden State plates on them occasionally (in 2017), and the plates don't appear to be suffering from any peeling of the design graphics.

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"Drive Safely"
This is not a type issued by the State of California; it would be some sort of movie prop, which I don't think would merit inclusion in this article, as the article is about plate types that are issued by the state and valid for vehicle registration purposes. Qqqqqq (talk) 14:12, 26 August 2011 (UTC)

What happens when we run out of white licenses plate numbers
What happens when we run out of white licenses plate numbers, can we have a section on that in here? 98.242.49.22 (talk) 19:09, 5 November 2011 (UTC)
 * Any such section must conform to WP:OR, which states, "The term "original research" (OR) is used on Wikipedia to refer to material—such as facts, allegations, and ideas—for which no reliable, published sources exist." Speculation based on what "the general public can observe," in addition to having been wrong before, falls within that definition of original research. Doctor Whom (talk) 13:28, 17 January 2013 (UTC)

the answer regarding running out of white license plate numbers is we will reverse the number/letter orientation. So when we get to 9ZZZ999 the next number will be 000AAA1. Then the first 6 digits will change as normal, and after we get to 999ZZZ1, it rolls over to 000AAA2. This pattern has already been established over the last few years with commercial plates, which always run out of numbers faster than the auto plates.

In reference to the above, what would be the next number after 000AAA1, would it be 000AAB1 or 100AAA1? Which of the seven characters changes first? Rot band ito 18:34, 20 June 2017 (UTC)

3FMA000 - 3FZZ999 Missrepresented
For years, I have been tracking the license plates I see on the streets. I have never seen a plate between 3FNA000 and 3FZZ999. The reference at http://www.15q.net/ca.html implies that the 1993 "3" series stopped at "3FMG..."

I am not a Wikipedia editor, (my sole attempt was almost immediately reversed by someone who actually knew the rules) so I am not even going to try to fix this. I hope that I can leave the this info here, and that someone else will make a wise decision. (107.200.133.51 (talk) 15:32, 8 May 2014 (UTC))

Commercial plates
Where are the Commercial plates like the vertical "COM", PT (for pneumatic tire), or ST (for solid tire) plates??? --Scalhotrod (Talk) ☮ღ☺ 20:09, 12 December 2014 (UTC)

Exempt-State and Exempt-Local
I came to this site while researching a photo of a new San Francisco MUNI bus allegedly from 1975 with a black and gold "E plus 5" exempt license plate. You can see this photo here. The plate is an exempt black and gold with E in an octagon (not a diamond), and has the number 89907. I suppose it is possible (though unlikely) that this bus was state-owned, making this a five-digit "state-owned exempt". But if so, this should be an E in a diamond, right? Otherwise, if this is not state-owned, it should be octagon-E plus 6 digits, right? This example photo seems to contradict the information in the table of this article. Help? (And yeah, I suspect the SFMTA-provided date of 1975 is incorrect, unless "old" plates were applied to this "new" bus.) Imperpay (talk) 00:09, 20 May 2017 (UTC)

California's black license plates are back in production
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-california-black-license-plates-20150622-story.html California's black license plates are back in production Charles Fleming By CHARLES FLEMING JUN 23, 2015 | 5:00 AM California's black license plates are back in production California's classic black license plates are back. The DMV will begin production of the iconic plates, which adorned California cars in the 1960s, thanks to legislation from Assemblyman Mike Gatto. (DMV) The black license plates used on California cars from 1963 to 1969 are back, thanks to a piece of legislation sponsored by Los Angeles Assemblyman Mike Gatto and 7,500 paying customers.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles announced Monday that it has received 7,500 orders for the classic black plates -- which is the minimum required for the state agency to begin production.

Gatto's AB 1658, introduced in 2012, created the California Legacy License Plate Program. The DMV will begin production now. Motorists who've placed orders for the iconic plates will begin receiving them in two to three weeks, Gatto's office said.

The new plates, which will cost $50, can be ordered by anyone, regardless of their car's age. Black plates can be personalized, like other plates, and plates will also be available for motorcycles.

Gatto's interest in classic plates and classic cars is personal, his representatives said.

"He's a car guy," said Eric Menjivar.

Gatto once restored a Chevrolet Camaro, Menjivar said, and wanted to do something to make it easier for auto enthusiasts to restore their vehicles to a full and complete period look.

So, how good a reproduction are the modern plates?

They're made from the same molds the original were -- molds the DMV discovered at Folsom Prison, where the classic plates used to be made.

The new ones, Gatto's office said, are still being made in Folsom Prison, where a team of 110 inmates produces a total of 8.5 million license plates a year.

The new plates will still be distinguishable from the old in one way, though: The new ones will feature reflective yellow paint on the letters and numbers, as is now required by law.

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Paper plates for new cars
Paper plates for new cars are now being issued. The format is AB12C34. knoodelhed (talk) 19:02, 5 February 2019 (UTC)

Legislative plates: Assembly Member or Assemblyman?
In the table of legislative plates on September 25, Hunter Hutchins changed "Assembly Member" to "Assemblyman".

I changed it back on September 30, pointing out that there are Assemblywomen as well as Assemblymen. On October 3, however, Hunter Hutchins changed it to "Assemblyman" again, claiming that this term covered *both* Assemblymen and Assemblywomen.

Personally, I disagree. Even if, by chance, it's common for female members of the California State Assembly to be referred to as Assemblymen - rather than Assemblywomen, Assembly Members (two words or one), or Assemblypeople - it just doesn't feel right. To me, anyway, "Assemblyman" and its plural imply masculinity, and hence are not gender-neutral terms.

On the other hand, "Assembly Member" and its plural *are* gender-neutral terms without question - implying neither masculinity nor femininity. Likewise "Assemblyperson" and *its* plural.

As one might gather, I'm not a Californian. But also, contrary to what one might think, I'm not a member of the PC brigade either. I just feel that this is a genuine situation in which it is more appropriate to use a term that is unquestionably gender-neutral. (If I *was* a member of the PC brigade, I'd more than likely be calling for the use of unquestionable gender-neutral terms in *every* situation, regardless how appropriate it really was.)

What do other users think? Is "Assembly Member" an appropriate term to use here and "Assemblyman" a not-so-appropriate term, or vice versa?

For the record, the CA DMV uses "Assembly Member" too.

NorthAmericanPlateNut (talk) 18:00, 4 October 2019 (UTC)

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Alternative devices (electronic paper display license plate - trial program)
On September 29, 2002, Governor Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill No. 984 which allows for "alternative devices" instead of traditional metal plates and tags to be issued. This specifically allows for electronic paper display alternative to standard license plates. The company Reviver (https://reviver.com/about/) had conducted a pilot program under prior authorization (which was authorized to run until January 1, 2023) of this technology. The new law allows for the DMV to allow other alternative devices to be evaluated under a limited pilot program, and to authorize them.

The alternative devices may incorporate location tracking (GPS) within certain prescribed limits.

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB984

Toybuilder (talk) 03:25, 20 October 2022 (UTC)

After 9ZZZ999
Wouldn't California still be able to use 0AAA000-0ZZZ999 before changing formats? Bill S. (talk) 05:25, 6 January 2023 (UTC)