• Home

California License Plate Sticker Colors By Year

 
  1. Michigan License Plate Sticker Colors
  2. 2019 California License Plate Sticker
  3. Images Of 2018 California License Plate Sticker
  1. Find great deals on eBay for license plate year sticker. Shop with confidence.
  2. License Plate Sticker Colours, Part 2: 1978-1997. Over half the jurisdictions in the U.S. And Canada were issuing multi-year baseplates and plate stickers by 1970.

They can also be seen as regular registration with modern month/year stickers if the plates. California Legacy License Plate. Plate colors to.

Jump to navigationJump to search
California
Current series
Slogandmv.ca.gov
Size12 in × 6 in
30 cm × 15 cm
Serial format1ABC123
Introduced2011
Availability
Issued byCalifornia Department of Motor Vehicles
History
First issued1914; 105 years ago
(Pre-state plates and seals from 1905–13)

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]

  • 1Passenger baseplates

Passenger baseplates[edit]

1913 to 1962[edit]

Michigan License Plate Sticker Colors

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.[4] The 1955 (dated 1956) issue was the first California license plate that complied with these standards.

ImageDates issuedDesignSerial formatSerials issuedNotes
1905–12black on white (and varied)123451 to 90660A 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]
1913black on white12345690661[7] to 122444[8]Plates previously issued by the State of California from 1905 - 1912, serial numbers 1 - 90660, remained valid if they remained with the original vehicle. Cancelled registration numbers were available for reissue. Practices noted above for 1905 - 1912 continued with the exception that any new plates made during 1913 ended up being valid for only a single year since the state finally began issuing license plates in 1914. [5][6]
1914white on red porcelain1234561 to 122375[9]Replaced all 1905–13 plates.
1915black on yellow porcelain1234561 to 163557[10]
1916blue on white porcelain1234561 to 234317[11]Validation tabs:
1916 Bear (Front)
1916 Bear (Rear)
1917234318[12] to 357299[13]Registered owners of plate numbers 1 to 234317 only received the Poppy tabs to place on their 1916 plates.
Validation tab: Poppy
1918357300[14] to 485000[15]Registered owners of plate numbers 1 to 357299 only received the Bell tabs to place on their 1916 plates.
Validation tab: Bell
1919485001[16] to 599705[17]Registered owners of plate numbers 1 to 485000 only received the Star tabs to place on their 1916 plates.
Validation tab: Star
1920white on black123-4561 to 527583 (?)The Automobile License Plate Collectors Association (ALPCA) shows a high of 527583 as of August 2017, but this seems too low considering the other data present.
1921black on yellow123-4561 to 651640[18]
1922blue on white1234561 to 2000; 70001 to 881909[19]Serials 2001 through 70000 reserved for non-passenger vehicles.
1923white on black123 4561 to ?
1924white on green123-4561 to ?
1925black on yellow123 4561 to 30 00, 250 001 to 999 999Serials 30 01 through 250 000 reserved for non-passenger vehicles.
A-12 345A 1 to F-99 999
1926white on blue123 4561 to 40 00, 320 001 to 999 999Serials 40 01 through 320 000 reserved for non-passenger vehicles.
A-12 345A-1 to G-99 999
1927white on maroon1-234-5671 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.
1928yellow on blue1-234-5671 to 3-000;
450-001 to approximately 2-080-000[20]
Serials 3-001 through 450-000 reserved for non-passenger vehicles.
1929orange on black1A-12-34Coded by branch officeLetters A through L were used in Northern California, and M through Z in Southern California.[20]
1930black on orange1A-12-34Coded by branch office
1931orange on black1A 12 34Coded by branch office
1932black on orange1A 12 34Coded by branch office
1933orange on black1A 12 34Coded by branch office
1934black on orange1A 12 34Coded by branch office
1935orange on black1A 12 34Coded by branch office
1936black on orange1A 12 34
10 A 123
Coded by branch office
1937orange on black1A 12 34
A/A 12 34
Coded by branch office
1938black on yellow1A 12 34
10 A 123
Coded by branch office
1939yellow on blue1A 12 34
10 A 123
Coded by branch office
1940black on orange1A 12 34
10 A 123
Coded by branch office

1941–44yellow on black1A 23 45
12 A 345
? to ?Validation tab for 1942:
Validation tab for 1943:
Validation sticker for 1944:
1945–46white on black1A 23 45
12 A 345
? to ?Validation tab for 1946:
1947–50black on yellow1A 23 456
12A 3 456
? to ?Validation tab for 1948:
Validation tab for 1949:
Validation tab for 1950:
1951–55yellow on black1A 23 456
12 A 3 456
? to ?Validation tab for 1952:
Validation tab for 1953:
Validation tab for 1954:
Validation tab for 1955:
1956–62black on yellowABC 123AAA 000 to approximately YRT 999Validation 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[edit]

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.

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.[20] 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.

2019 California License Plate Sticker

ImageDates issuedDesignSerial formatSerials issuedNotes
1963–69gold on black, embossed state nameABC 123AAA 000 to ZZZ 999In 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.
1969–80gold on blue, embossed state name123 ABC000 AAA to 999 ZZZMonthly 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.[20]
1980–861ABC1231AAA000 to 1SWC999
1982 –late 1987blue on reflective white with graphic Art Deco state name, Golden State1ABC1232AAA000 to 2GPZ999Extra-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 1994blue on reflective white with embossed red state name1ABC1232GQA000 to 3FMG999
early 1994 – early 1998blue on reflective white with graphic red state name1ABC1233GAA000 to 3XZZ999The state name was modified twice to increase its size (the third and largest version is shown).
early 1998 – late 20004AAA000 to 4NOZ999 ('Sesquicentennial - 150 Years')
late 2000 – late 20114NPA000 to 6TPV999
late 2011 – present6TPW000 to 8KOP450 (as of April 23, 2019) ('dmv.ca.gov')

Non-passenger plates[edit]

ImageTypeFirst issuedSerial formatSerials issuedNotes
Amateur RadioA1BCDAvailable upon request for holders of FCC amateur radio station licenses. Plate numbers and letters represent the call letters assigned by the FCC.
Antique MotorcycleANTIQUE M/C 123Available upon request for any motorcycle manufactured in 1942 or before.
Apportioned1987AP12345See International Registration Plan.
1994
2015
AssemblypersonA 10A1License plate issued to current assemblymembers. Number represents which district the assemblyperson represents. A small 'A' by the number indicates a second vehicle owned by the person and so on. A small 'R' by the district number indicates that they are a retired assemblyperson. A small '1' by the small 'R' indicates another vehicle owned by the retired assemblyperson and so on.
Citizens BandABC1234Were 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.
Disabled Person199512345D/P00001D/P to 99999D/PBefore 1995, California issued only placards which were displayed on the dashboard when parking
Late 1990sD/P12345D/P00001 to D/P99999
Early 2000sD/PA1234D/PA0001 to D/PZ9999
20061234AD/P0001AD/P to 9999ZD/P
2011D/P123ABD/P001AA to present
Disabled Veteran12345D/V
Disabled Person—Motorcycle1234D/P
DealerD/L/R 1234 1/2/AFull-size number is constant for each distributing entity; stacked prefix varies. Only one plate is required on the vehicle.
DismantlerD/S/M 1234 1/2/AFull-size number is constant for each distributing entity; stacked prefix varies. Only one plate is required on the vehicle.
DistributorD/S/T 1234 1/2/AFull-size number is constant for each distributing entity; stacked prefix varies. Only one plate is required on the vehicle.
Exempt-Local1963-1968E123456E100000-E999999Black plate with yellow numbering consisting of letter E in octagon and 6-digit number for district-, city- and county-owned vehicles
Exempt-State1963-1968E12345E00000-E99999Black plate with yellow numbering consisting of letter E in diamond and 5-digit number for state-owned vehicles
Exempt-Local1969-1986E123456E100000-E999999Blue plate with yellow numbering consisting of letter E in octagon and 6-digit number for district-, city- and county-owned vehicles
Exempt-State1969-1986E12345E00000-E99999Blue plate with yellow numbering consisting of letter E in diamond and 5-digit number for state-owned vehicles
Exempt-Local1987-1997E123456E100000-E999999White 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-State1987-1997E123456E000000-E999999White 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.
Exempt199812345671000001 to present'CA EXEMPT' across top in block font. These were issued to all exempt vehicles, regardless of ownership.

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 Organization123001 to present.'FOREIGN ORGANIZATION' printed to left of serial.
Historical Vehicle1959HISTORICAL VEHICLE 123A1-9999Available upon request for any vehicle manufactured after 1922 and are at least 25 years old.
Honorary Consul1982-1987HON CONSUL CORPS 1234Issued to Honorary Consuls upon request.
1988HON CONSUL CORPS 1234Issued to Honorary Consuls upon request. Same look as the previous plate but the “HON CONSUL CORPS” part is not embossed and is in blue. Also there is no goldenrod design and “California” is in cursive.
Horseless Carriage1984HORSELESS CARRIAGE 12341-9999Available upon request for any vehicle manufactured in 1922 or before, or for motor vehicles with 16 or more cylinders manufactured prior to 1965.
Livery1ABC1231ZZA000 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.
ManufacturerM/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. Only one plate is required on the vehicle.
MopedA123456Required on all mopeds in California.
Motorcycle12A1234
Off-Highway Motor VehicleA12A34Assigned to Off-Highway vehicles that are used off of public roads.
Permanent Trailer4AB1234'California Perm Trailer' across top.
PressPhotographerP/P 1234Old Press Photographer plates. New ones say 'California' in cursive at the top.
Prorate PlateN/ANo 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.
RemanufacturerR/M/F 1234 1/2/AFull-size number is constant for each distributing entity; stacked prefix varies. Only one plate is required on the vehicle.
RepresentativeU.S. CONGRESS 1ALicense plate issued to current U.S. representatives. Number represents which district the representative represents. A small 'A' by the number indicates a second vehicle owned by the person and so on.
Senator (National Level)UNITED STATES SENATE A1License plate issued to current U.S. senators. A small 'A' by the number indicates a second vehicle owned by the person and so on.
Senator (State Level)S 10A1License plate issued to current state senators. Number represents which district the state senator represents. A small 'A' by the number indicates a second vehicle owned by the person and so on. A small 'R' by the district number indicates that they are a retired state senator. A small '1' by the small 'R' indicates another vehicle owned by the retired state senator and so on.
Special EquipmentS/E123456Motorcycle-sized.
Special Equipment Dealers and ManufacturersM/F/G 1234 1/AFull-size number is constant for each distributing entity; stacked prefix varies.
Public Service (state representative)P/S12345
Tournament of Roses[21]1998TOFR123TOFR1 to presentUsed on parade vehicles during the Tournament of Roses parade.
Trailer1963AB 1234AA 1000 to HV 9999
1971HX 1000 to TZ 9999
19831AB12341AA1000 to approximately 1BJ9999
19871BP1000 to approximately 1EU9999
19941FC1000 to 1MY9999 (as of September 29, 2018)
TransporterT/R/N 1234 1/2/AFull-size number is constant for each distributing entity; stacked prefix varies. Only one plate is required on the vehicle.
Truck1963A 12 345A 10 000 to V 99 999
196712 345 A10 000 A to 99 999 J
196900 000 K to 99 999 Z
19751A123451A00000 to 2Y05999
19873A00000 to 3P99999? (golden), 3R00000? to 5A99999? (block red)
19945T00000? to 6J99999? (sesquicentennial), 5B00000? to 5S99999? and 6K00000? to 8Z99999 (normal script)Serials with 9 as the first digit issued to tractor trailers.
201112345A100000A1 to 99999E1 (normal script), 00000F1 to 29999R2 (as of February 4, 2019)
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) PlateAssigned by the DMV or CHP when a number is removed, destroyed, or obliterated.

Optional types (specialty plates)[edit]

ImageTypeFirst issuedDesignSerial formatSerials issuedNotes
1984 Olympics1984L/A12345
U/S12345
L/A00000 to presentNo longer issued, but still currently revalidated.
Arts Council1994ABC123
123ABC
Using previously unused letter blocks.'Coastline' design by Wayne Thiebaud.[22][23]
Bill of Rights19901234 US
Children's Trust FundABC123Using 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 —Passenger198412Given to Medal of Honor recipients.
Congressional Medal of Honor 93 —Passenger199312Given to Medal of Honor recipients.
Firefighter—Motorcycle00A1200A01 to present.
Firefighter—Passenger1995ABC123Using 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 —Passenger2011123ABCUsing previously unused letter blocks.Given to family of fallen soldiers while in the line of duty.
Lake Tahoe Version 119961ABC123No longer issued but still revalidated.
Lake Tahoe Version 220111ABC123Using previously unused letter blocks.
Legacy Plates2015B000A0Gold on black reflective plates in the style of the 1963 to 1969 plates. The series started at B000A0
Legion of Valor—Passenger123A sticker is placed to the right of the license plate number denoting the decoration held by the recipient. Air Force Cross -Air ForceMedal of Honor -ArmyMedal of Honor -

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

Olympic Training Center Version 11990C/A12345
U/S12345
No longer issued, but still currently revalidated.
Olympic Training Center Version 21999C/A12345
U/S12345
No longer issued, but still currently revalidated.
Olympic Training Center Version 32000C/A12345
U/S12345
Pearl Harbor Survivor —Passenger1234Pearl Harbor Survivor of World War II
Protect Our Coast & Ocean Version 119971ABC123No longer issued but still revalidated.
Protect Our Coast & Ocean Version 220111ABC123Using previously unused letter blocks.
Purple Heart1234PH
Purple Heart—Motorcycle1234PH
POW Ex-Prisoner of War —MotorcyclePOW1234
POW Ex-Prisoner of War 93 —Passenger1993POW1234
POW Ex-Prisoner of War 00 —Passenger2000POW1234
Veteran Version 11994ABC123
123ABC
No longer issued but still revalidated.
Veteran Version 22012123ABC
A000A0
Using previously unused letter blocks.
We Will Never Forget20021234MA
University of California, Los Angeles1994ABC123Using previously unused letter blocks.No longer issued, but still currently revalidated.
Yosemite National Park19961ABC123Using previously unused letter blocks.

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[edit]

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 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 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.

OhioSticker

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

Images Of 2018 California License Plate Sticker

In August 2016, California extended the year-of-manufacture license plate program to include vehicles through the 1980 model year.[24]

California Legacy License Plate program[edit]

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.[25] The plates were issued from late spring through summer 2015 and are still[when?] available for order from the DMV website. Additional time is required for personalized plates.[26][27]

References[edit]

  1. ^'Archive: California Porcelain License Plates (Part 1 of 2)'. PorcelainPlates.net. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
  2. ^http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=4850&lawCode=VEH
  3. ^http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=5200&lawCode=VEH
  4. ^Garrish, Christopher (October 2016). 'Reconsidering the Standard Plate Size'. Plates. Vol. 62 no. 5. Automobile License Plate Collectors Association.
  5. ^ abMinard, Jeff (February 2000). 'California, License Plates of the Golden State'. The ALPCA Register. Vol. 52 no. 3. Automobile License Plate Collectors Association. p. 7.
  6. ^ abMinard, Jeff (June 2006). 'We're All Ears! California's Automobile Club Pre-States'. Plates. Vol. 62 no. 5. Automobile License Plate Collectors Association. pp. 24–30.
  7. ^Registered Motor Vehicles (January 1913 ed.). Sacramento, California: State of California. 1913. p. 1.
  8. ^'Automobile License Plate Collectors Association'. ALPCA. Retrieved August 2, 2017.[permanent dead link]
  9. ^Registered Automobiles (November 1914 ed.). Sacramento, California: State of California. 1914.
  10. ^'Automobile License Plate Collectors Association'. ALPCA. Retrieved August 3, 2017.[permanent dead link]
  11. ^Registered Automobiles 1916 (December 1916 ed.). Sacramento, California: State of California. 1916. p. 60.
  12. ^California Automobile Registration 1917 (Volume 1 ed.). Sacramento, California: State of California. 1917.
  13. ^Registered Automobiles (December 1917 ed.). Sacramento, California: State of California. 1917.
  14. ^Registered Automobiles (January-February 1918 ed.). Sacramento, California: State of California. 1918.
  15. ^Registered Automobiles (December 1918 ed.). Sacramento, California: State of California. 1918.
  16. ^Registered Automobiles (January, February and March 1919 ed.). Sacramento, California: State of California. 1919.
  17. ^'Automobile License Plate Collectors Association'. ALPCA. Retrieved August 4, 2017.[permanent dead link]
  18. ^California Automobile Registration 1921 (Volume XVI ed.). Sacramento, California: State of California. 1922.
  19. ^'Automobile License Plate Collectors Association'. ALPCA. Retrieved August 4, 2017.[permanent dead link]
  20. ^ abcd'California License Plates'. allaboutlicenseplates.com. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  21. ^http://bp1.blogger.com/_A6xZ_nscqCM/R3R6F5BcH0I/AAAAAAAAA20/sgMCuY6Ho3c/s1600-h/IMG_0073+copy.jpg4
  22. ^Knight, Christopher (June 29, 2010). 'Wayne Thiebaud's Pop art license plate design'. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  23. ^'Arts Plate'. California Arts Council. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  24. ^https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billCompareClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160SB1429
  25. ^http://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/legacyplates/index
  26. ^http://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/legacyplates/faqs
  27. ^http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-california-black-license-plates-20150622-story.html

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to License plates of California.
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vehicle_registration_plates_of_California&oldid=896569720'
Categories:
Hidden categories: