In the United States, the appearance of license plates is frequently chosen to contain symbols, colors, or slogans associated with the issuing jurisdiction, which are the 50 U.S. States, the District of Columbia, the 5 inhabited U.S. Territories, and Native American tribes, each of which independently registers motor vehicles.
- California License Plate Tag Sticker Colors
- California Dmv Registration Sticker Colors
- California License Plate Images
Vehicle owners in California must have a registered vehicle with the appropriate license plates. All rear plates must display a validation sticker that is up-to-date. Failure to do so leads to additional fees when renewing a vehicle.
- Dec 14, 2018 California V. 4464 prohibits changing the color of an issued license plate. California offers many different license plates in several colors. Some plates have qualification requirements; others all you have to do is order a design you like and pay the required fees. You cannot design your own.
- California License Plates. California uses the letters I, O, and Q in the second alpha position, but not in the first or third. Stickers 11 - black on red 12 - black on green 13 - black on orange 14 - black on blue 15 - black on yellow 16 - black on red 17 - black on green.
- License Plate Sticker Colours, Part 3: 1999-present. These tables summarize the colours of validation stickers used on passenger-car, light truck, and motorcycle license plates in all North American jurisdications during the last twenty years. Several interesting trends have come about in this time.
Sample California License Plate
Getting a License Plate in California
If you’re living or plan to live in California, you can register your vehicle with the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The DMV is the place to register, apply for license plates, and purchase validation stickers.
Remember, California law states that you must have up-to-date license plates with a valid sticker displayed on the rear of your vehicle.
Types of License Plates in California
When you register your vehicle and apply for license plates, you can choose between the state’s standard california license plate or a specialty plate.
- Standard California License Plate: White plate with dark blue letters
- Specialty Plate: See Specialty License Plates in California
Upon registration, you must show your license (not expired). When you receive your license plates, you are expected to place 1 on the front and 1 at the rear.
If you are registering a motorcycle, you may only be required to display 1 license plate on the rear.
Validating Your California License Plates
In addition to registering your vehicle at the DMV, you must also purchase a validation stick to show the month of expiration. This sticker must be placed on the rear plate and be visible at all times.
You will obtain both a month stick and a year sticker. The month sticker should never change and a new year sticker will be given to you upon renewal of your registration.
Personalized License Plates in California
It's not uncommon to see catchy slogans and phrases found on license plates in California. You can personalize your license plate using a combination of numbers, letters, and some special characters.
If you are personalizing standard plates, you must follow these guidelines:
- Limit of 2 to 7 characters
- No slang or offensive words (English or any other language)
- Cannot look like an existing license plate (i.e. interchanging letters and numbers).
The California DMV does not provide a search to see which plates are available. Instead, you can go here to look up California plates for free.
Specialty License Plates in California
There is a wide range of specialty license plates offered by the California DMV. The cost for these plates add an additional $50 (more or less) to your total. Take a look at a few of the specialty plates you can get in California:
- Agricultural License Plates
- Arts Council License Plates
- UCLA Collegiate License Plates
- Firefighter License Plates [for current of retirees]
- Child Health & Safety License Plates
- Pet License Plates
- Wildlife Conservation License Plates
- Historical License Plates
- Special Recognition License Plates
Some of these plates require an application form to be considered. To be eligible, you may have to provide additional documentation. For example, if you are applying for the Firefight License Plates, you would have to provide documentation that shows that you are/were a firefighter.
Applying for California License Plates
Whether you have just moved to California with your car or you are a resident purchasing a new vehicle, you must get your vehicle registered at the DMV within 20 days.
To register your vehicle, you’ll need:
- Valid Car Insurance
- Application Form
- Money to Pay for Fees
Depending on the vehicle you are registering, you may also need additional documents such as an emissions test or previous title.
Surrendering License Plates in California
In California, you do not surrender your plates to the DMV when you sell your car. Instead, your plates remain with the car and transfer to the new owner (if there is a new vehicle owner).
However, if you have purchased specialty plates, those remain yours and you can have them transferred to your new motor vehicle or simply to hold onto.
If you already have standard plates for your vehicle and wish to upgrade to specialty plates, you will have to surrender your standard plates to do so.
Lost or Stolen California License Plates
Sometimes you may find your license plates missing. If this occurs, you must apply for new plates immediately. You can obtain new plates by submitting a application for replacement then bring it in person or mail it to the DMV.
You will also be required to pay replacement fees:
- Replacement Plate: $21
- Replacement Sticker: $21
To receive your new plates faster (sometimes in the same day) it is best to go to the DMV instead of mailing an application for replacement.
Note: you can obtain a replacement for the monthly stickers absolutely free!
Renewing License Plates in California
Before your the date on your license plate stickers expire, you should go to the DMV and renew your vehicle’s registration. You’ll have to renew your vehicle once per year, and upon renewal you will receive a new year sticker to apply to your license plate.
Depending on the year your vehicle is made, you may also be expected to undergo an emissions test. Changes to legislation occur each year, and with the advancements in car technologies, your car may be subjected to additional fees if it does not keep the air clean.
How to lookup California license plates
Before ordering your personalized license plate, you can look up available license plates in California for free. You’ll be able to find which plate names are available.
As well, if you are looking to purchase a vehicle privately, this license plate search engine gives you VIN information such as vehicle history and previous owners.
Here is a step by step guide on how to lookup a California license plate number and report bad drivers:
- Open a web browser
- Go to FindByPlate.com
- Enter the plate number and select state
- View the report
- View images submitted by the community
- View videos submitted by the community
- Add comments
- Add pictures of the vehicle
- Add videos related to the vehicle
Stickers
11 - black on red
12 - black on green
13 - black on orange
14 - black on blue
15 - black on yellow
16 - black on red
17 - black on green
Chris Cargill reports that California started the present sticker color rotation in 1978 with Green stickers. The rotation was Green - White - Orange - Blue - Yellow - Red. White was removed from the rotation after 1997.
California License Plate Tag Sticker Colors
He has also seen two different validation stickers being used for late 2012 and on 2013 registrations. Version one is as it's been before with a 4-digit year (2012 - 2013), but he has seen two-digit validations (12 - 13) and there is now an explanation. The difference is the 4-digit version has the random serial numbers on the sticker that CA DMV has always used. The 2-digit sticker has the license plate number printed as the serial number. The 2-digit stickers are issued by the self-serve renewal vending machines at the DMV offices. Every other method of renewal uses the 4-digit stickers.
California Dmv Registration Sticker Colors
Isaac Wilson IV reports 2-digit printed validation stickers do NOT have the plate number on them; they have the same standard Lnnnnnnn format as the four-digit stickers. 2014 stickers start with P, while 2015s start with Z.
California License Plate Images
Chris Cargill reports that California's Black with Yellow letter plates are coming back as a special issue, and will be issued similar to Yosemite and Lake Tahoe plates (special order, etc). The latest word is they will be 6 digits using a Connecticut style numbering sequence (but in reverse letters on either end, numbers in the middle, as above), such as A12 34B. We'll see if that sequence sticks when they hit the road.