History School me on California license plates

All right are you ready for a boring read because now you asked

Every single year California issued a news license plate to vehicles registered in California between the first license plate in I think it was 1914 all the way through 1955.
I have no idea if they're there is number clones or not of earlier year plates I would imagine there is because even in the 1930s and '40s California had a pretty large population for six digit license plates.
The only exception to new license plates being issued every year is I think during wwII California did not issue new plates to already existing automobiles because of the steel rationing. I don't believe they even used tags but if you bought a brand new car or brought a car in from out of state in 1942, 1943, 1944 and 1945 you got a new license plate.

California before 1916 I think used porcelainized enamel license plates that are different colors for both years. 1916 through 1928 if I remember correctly they changed color every single year but they were paint not enamel (so they can rust) and you were issued a new plate every single year with the date stamped on the plate. Every color California used was to aid in visual identification so there are no sexy color combos.

1929 the California license plate shrunk to the size they used through 1955, it is larger than a modern license plate but it is very normal looking like a typical rectangle most people don't realize it's larger they just think it looks cool and they can't figure out why...

This is a fairly complete color list and I am going to start in 1928 because it is the first year I remember the color to and there are exceptions for trailers or specialty license plates but overall where to run a year of manufacturer plate this is what you would do or see for your car.

Here is the list by year:
The 1928 is a great looking blue color with yellow numbers, it is pretty long compared to what license plates would become in 1929.

In 1929 is the first year of what you would consider the standard size through 1955, the '29 license plates were yellow numbers with a black background for high visibility.


1930 through 1938 the colors reversed the background was yellow and the numbers were black and each individual year was stamped on every single license plate it was very visible but I always thought it was odd from if you were a cop standpoint because from a little distance they all look the same.

1939 is a special plate as it is a true one year only in it's looks and stamping it says "California world's Fair 1939" it is a blue and yellow plate (you would not see this color combo again until 1970)

In 1940 the license plate is yellow with black writing very similar to the 38 and older plates except it was stamped "19 CALIFORNIA 40" across the top

In 1941 the cali plate is a black background with yellow writing it pretty much looks the same except it stamped 1941 across the top.

In 1942 the California plate has a black background with yellow numbers. Again it looks pretty much the same as all the other plates.

In 1943 1944 California used a black background with yellow numbers. Again it looks pretty much the same as all the other plates

In 1945 and 1946 it is a plate you never ever see that it's definitely high visibility with the world's most boring colors, it is a black license plate with white letters/numbers, honestly it's a good looking plate and was perfect for the black and white era of photographs but the reality is it's only cool because it's not seen every day you would not see this color combo come back until the brand new digital plates that we have today as an option.

In 1947 through 1950 California went typical again and they used a yellow back ground with black writing.

1951 through 1955 California issued a black background with yellow numbers, 1955 was the last year of the slightly larger rectangle size that California had been using since 1929.


In 1956 to 1962 is the federally mandated standardized size license plate, it is yellow with a black numbers like it had been off and on for years but California did do something different it started issuing tags/stickers during these plates instead of new plates , so even though all California plates are stamped "56" each year between 1957 and 1962 California issued a unique colored tag it was supposed to go on a little license plate tag holder above the license plate but most people usually stuck it directly on the license plate. In 1963 all previous plates were no longer allowed to be used or registered and everyone driving a vehicle in California at that time was issued a brand new black background with yellow writing standard size plate and they just issued a year tag that was color coordinated to the year which is still used today. In 1970 the blue background with yellow numbers license plate came out that lasted until I believe 1985. I believe it was 1974 or 1975 that California went away from the six digit license plate and moved to the modern seven digit license plate that we still use today.

In 1986 1987 and 1988 the California art deco inspired "Golden Sun" license plate, it was an off-white metallic background I think it was technically reflective and it had a art deco inspired California Golden State rising Sun looking thing up across the top of the license plate in between the bolts (I am not a fan of the 1980s but it is a good looking license plate if I'm being honest especially for California and it's boring plates) it was replaced after only a few years and I don't think anyone knows why it was replaced so soon.

In 1989 with California still stamped in it, the stamped numbers were a navy blue color and the background was a reflective White. I believe that lasted through 1997.

In 1998, I believe California went away from the steel license plate and started making them out of aluminum because the license plates are a lot lighter, the plate looks very similar to the previous plate except California was no longer stamped in the license plate and it was wrote in cursive and it said along the bottom "sequentineal 150 years". I believe that license plate lasted 1998 1999 and when they ran out in early 2000 with no hard cut off date.
The DMV then replaced the "sequintennial 150 years" with "WWW CALIFORNIADMV.GOV" that license plate is still used today. This license plate is quite possibly the ugliest license plate in the history of California ugly license plates and there is a lot to choose from.

in 2020 or 2021 California approved a fully digital television screen license plate you see them all the time here in Southern California but you usually never noticed them. They are usually on really high-end cars or the smug yayholes that drive electric vehicles because it cost a few hundred dollars a year to have one it's a total gimmick but you can change and have multicolors and if your car is stolen the license plate will flash I think white and red to draw people's attention to it in that respect it's kind of neat.

Supposably around May or June of 2024 California is going to run out of seven digit license plates and nobody has said what they are going to replace them with they started with 1xxxxxx back in the 1970s today they are on 9xxxxxx, all the car people are freaking out because it is hard to read an eight digit license plate from distances and obviously they can't go back and reuse old numbers so they are getting ready to hit a wall that they haven't figured out how to fix yet.

 

All California black license plates are stamped in 1963 in the upper corner behind where the tag would go that is the first year they were issued they ran through 1969 on cars and around mid-year 1970 on trucks and on travel trailers I have seen black plates used clear into 1971.
You're at so having the original black plates means it was in California at least since 1963 more than likely it spent its entire life in California every single vehicle registered in California in 1963 got issued a brand new 1963 license plates all the old license plates were supposed to be discarded.

 

Wow! Thanks Atomic and Merry Christmas.

That was a serious history lesson. I’ve never seen one of those digital plates. I’m in LA all the time so I’ll start looking for them. Kind of a good idea that it flashes if the car gets stolen.

You said they reissued plates every year through 55. This would explain why the plate is different than the hot rod cover on the Desbrow truck. Do you know if they reissued plates when the registered owner changed?

 

California plate info...

 

Sorry the dates of these cars are off topic, but the circumstances would be the same as on topic dates. It just makes it easier for me to explain, with out making up on topic numbers. Md used to get new year stamped tags every year into the 70's, then went to stickers. If you sell a car you have to turn the tags in, still today. I have 66-7-8 tags in case I ever find a Hemi car in those years. Old cars can find a set of old plates to put on them, then they stay with the car. I met a guy at a local show. He built a beautiful 70 Hemi Cuda clone. He was at a big show where they would stamp tags with up to 7 digits. He had one made in the proper color and font for 1970, and had 426 Hemi put on it. Took it to DMV and it turned out some one with a 70 Road Runner already had them. He went to another DMV and they issued him with the tag. Now 2 cars in MD have the same tag.

 

^^^^ Oops, question was for Cali plates.

 

@Atomic Reverend Alexander

1929 the California license plate shrunk to the size they used through 1955

1939 and 1940 CA plates are not the same shape.

 

Did California plates mount in front and back or could you just run one in the back?

 

At one time I was drawn into the “ego” plates and currently have 3 in my garage. For some reason they appear to be mine forever even if I choose not to use them. I can, I understand, allow them to go to someone else with some forms. I obviously kept them when the cars were sold.
The dilemma is if I want to go back to using one of them again ….. I will need to pay a penalty for every year I DIDN’T use them. Soooo they stay in my garage. Taxifornia at its best..

 

There must have been some exceptions on cars in 1970. My dad bought a wrecked ‘70 Corvette. I still have the plates with the ‘71 sticker on it.
I’ll get a pic of it later. Can’t recall the month sticker right now. May have been early 1970.

 

So, If someone had a California plate off a Classic car that left the state in the early 1970's and retuned to the state with a different owner, could it be registered again with the plate it once left with?

 

I am not even 100% sure that I gave you the right information I just memorize weird stuff that no one but a gearhead would ever care about.
In my opinion most of California license plates aren't worth the headache or the trouble unless they are already issued to the car. I can't see giving California extra money to run a vintage license plate because in return they will just use that money to fund more anti gasoline automobile legislation type stuff but I digress.
To answer your question I do not know if you were issued new plates when the vehicle changed ownership I don't think so but I'm not positive.
All I can tell you is about a year ago I bought 100ish oddball license plates from 1929 through 1941 that used to be on a shed at a junkyard in Los Angeles supposedly they were used as siding (I wish I could have seen it) it caused me to go down the license plate rabbit hole and kind of educate myself on old plates.
The photo "Fordy 6" posted I think is pretty accurate for the year changes of the Cali plates.
Also I know when it comes to the black plates that are the iconic 1960s California plates that they now reproduce there is no hard cut off date when they quit using them it's when the DMV ran out of the black license plates they went to the blue ones so you will occasionally see a 1970 model with a black plate or an early '70s trailer or motorcycle with a black plate. I believe the same goes with the blue plate in 1985, have noticed from looking at cars over the years it's usually the smaller DMVs where the license plate lasted longer so in Southern California a 1970 car will almost always have a blue plate but if you were in say some where like Yuba there's a good chance it may still have a black plate because the population was small at that time.
Anyways have a Merry Christmas.

 

You are correct it's got rounded corners I think all 1940 through 1955 all have rounded corners that being said I believe the overall dimensions are still the same (although I could be wrong I've never measured them) although you can't really use an earlier license plate frame on the slightly newer license plate because it would look Goofy.

I could see why the federal government stepped in to regulate license plate size in the mid 1950s.
Could you imagine Frenching in a license plate or buying a car with a factory-frenched license plate and for a few years the license plate fits then all suddenly the license plate is too big for the hole or you move to a different state and the plate was a different shape or size.

 

Digital license plate looks very similar to a normal plate it's very easy to miss when you are out and about look at the back of Tesla's and BMWs that is usually where I notice them. They are almost always on a "smug persons" car that think they are better than everyone else.

Also on Amazon there are people that make stickers that lay right over the top of your stock license plate to change the color of them so you can have a modern white and blue plate and turn it into a black and yellow plate and most people would never be the wiser... I have been seeing this a lot the last year or two I thought people were painting their license plates but it turns out it's just a vinyl sticker.
I know technically speaking it is illegal to do that but if you stayed with factory colors most cops probably would never harass you unless on their computer it says it's supposed to be a white plate or a black plate.
I tried to just post the link but for some reason it is corrupted and sends you to a different website so instead I'm going to screenshot it, it's worth the 5 minutes to look on Amazon it's rather interesting and it explains why I have seen all kinds of goofy colors on license plates the last year or two.

 

My wife had a unique plate on her 912 Targa that some one wanted. When she sold the car, I transferred it to MC plate so no one could get it.

 

if the plate number is no longer in use they could only do it through the YOM plate program. if it was a 62 or earlier car they couldn't use them because 62's had 1956 plates with 62 stickers

 

original black plates were only 6 numbers. 3 letters -3 numbers.

 

That's correct, DMV won't assign a plate other than a YOM plate and you gotta have a matching pair, plus, if it's a pre-'56, you need at least one YOM registration tag as well. On my '55 Chevy, I run a '51 plate with a '55 tag, for example. I couldn't run the later black and yellow plate legally.

 

1945 & 1946 ('45 plate with '46 tab) was the only year California issues a single plate. Other then those you need to have both plates to register your vehicle, it's up to you if you want to run a front plate. Legally you have to run both, but most don't and run the risk of a ticket and fine (I remember when it was just a free "fix it" ticket).

If you had paperwork (old title, registration) that had the VIN and the plate numbers, you still had both plates and the plates were "clear" then YES you could. Unless the laws have changed in the last few years this would NOT have to be part of the YOM program, just regular registration. The term "clear" means the plate numbers are being used, California re uses old plate numbers effectively making an old plate useless and a wall hanger.


I would MUCH rather see YOM plate on an old car vs new crappy white plates any day. I try not to get anything without plates but sometimes it happens, you just need to know how the system works to find plates.

Also the YOM plate are kinda looked at like personalized plates. Meaning they're the owners property, the owner has to sign a release if they're going to give up the plates. The downside is those plates can ONLY be issued to another same year vehicle (more of a problem with multi year plates) which limits the re sale of the plates. But once the plates fall out of the system them they're fair game for the all they year brackets again.

 

From the horse's mouth
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/handb...lates/year-of-manufacture-yom-license-plates/
There may be more, but this is a start. I understand that most .gov websites are fractured, verbose and written in legalese, but if you are going to try to get something done with them, it pays to search for the actual standards. I used to carry an old code book in my HAMB era car, just so I could discuss the codes that were in force at time of manufacture. It got me out of 2 tickets, back when LE wasn't as hostile.

 

As an aside, I haven't checked other states, but AZ sure has a LARGE selection of special plates!
https://azdot.gov/mvd/services/vehicle-services/plates-and-placards/plate-selections

If I ever get the 40 on the road, I may go for the Alice Cooper plate.

 

In 2013 I sold a 2004 truck with a vanity plate I kept. In late 2017 I wanted to reuse the plate on the new truck.. I was told I had to back pay the 4 years by a DMV office so I declined. Now that the 2018 truck I bought in 2017 is 5 years old I’ll check and see if they want 9 years back registration fees.

 

May be avoided if you put them on non-op, one time $15 dollar fee. Also, once the plate number falls out of the DMV system, they retain no previous history and are clear to use; not sure of the length of time this is.

 

Again this is IF they haven't changed recently. I have 3 cars in limbo with YOM plates for many years. 1 car was registered with YOM plates for 10+ years and the other 2 have never seen the road (waiting they're turn). But all 3 I paid to place them in non-op status only once and the plate numbers still show on the yearly paperwork they send in case I want to register them.

Also things still do fall out of the system (at least as of early this year). I have my plates for my old '54 panel truck ('51 Commercial plates are $$$), I sold the truck and it went out of the country. I called on the plates last year and they're not attached to my panel anymore (sold it in 2017). I've called the Sacramento office MANY times since the 90s to see if plates were clear and if they're in use they'll tell you. Funny they used to even tell you what they were on, I remember checking one for a friend that he bought at the Pomona swap and it was registered to a 80s Suzuki motorcycle at the time.....he was lucky and the guy gave his money back.

The take away here is, if you have YOM plate a want to run them....do it sooner then later. The numbers might be taken up later, at least get them saved on your car.

 

I've often wondered what that face with all the knowledge between its ears looked like. I always enjoy your comments concerning anything related to our disease. Now, about CA license plates. In our travels, we have eyed several A and Deuce rides sporting tags which reflected '40s, '50s, or maybe '60s styles. I took it for granted that this was allowed in CA. In Texas, we are strictly regulated to YOM plates in correct color. I've seen many local rides with plates that match or contrast with the color of their ride. That's a no-no, but our LEO are more concerned with getting sniped by a fucking gangbanger than nit-picking some benign violation of licensing laws.