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3w ago

California Retires 46-Year License Plate Format and Debuts Mirrored Sequence

The DMV says the new three-number, three-letter, one-number layout will provide more than 100 million combinations and roughly 40 years of capacity as production begins and old stock is used up.

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People waiting in line at the DMV, with an inset of the back of a grey car with a California license plate.
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Overview

  • The DMV confirmed Friday that it finished producing the final plate in the long-running 1980 format, 9ZZZ999, and has begun making the new mirrored series.
  • The mirrored layout places three numbers first, followed by three letters and a final number and will offer over 100 million unique combinations.
  • The agency projects the new sequence will meet vehicle registration needs for about 40 years based on historical issuing patterns.
  • Rollout to motorists will be gradual because more than 110,000 old-format plates remain in DMV and auto-club inventories and local offices will issue new plates only as they deplete that stock or when drivers request replacements.
  • California’s plates are manufactured through a work program at Folsom State Prison, and officials say early public sightings of the new format are anecdotal while broad issuance remains limited.