- California is nearing the end of numbers available for its current license plate format.
- It has taken more than 45 years to exhaust the entire available library of numbers.
- The change in format will be subtle and likely go unnoticed by most drivers on the road.
Since 1980, California’s passenger car license plates have followed the same format: one number, three letters, and three numbers (think 1ABC234). But that tried-and-true combo is at the end of its rope. Despite a recent surge in car sales, the current plates are expected to last through the rest of the year, at which point a solution will need to be implemented. Thankfully, it’s a straightforward fix.
The state knew this day would come sooner or later. The first few months of 2025 have seen a huge spike in car buying there, too. According to the California New Car Dealers Association, 463,114 cars were registered in the first quarter. That’s up 8.3 percent year over year. No doubt, buyers are eager to snap up cars in case tax incentives disappear or before tariffs cause prices to rise.
As a result, the DMV is running out of plates in its current format. The SF Chronicle reports that it’s currently issuing plates in the 9UBA000-9UBZ999 range. When it finally reaches 9ZZZ999, it’ll have to make a change to the format that has lasted for almost 50 years. Don’t worry, though. The state isn’t going to just throw in the towel and ban new cars once the current plate format runs out…