License Plate News

[Scott5114]

Several other states added a 7th digit to the same 6 digit standard as a 4th number on the end NNN-0000 which my guess is would result in far fewer combinations just due to where the 7th digit ids placed.

Nope, same number of combinations. The number of combinations is the number of possibilities for each position multiplied together. Because multiplication is associative, it makes no difference where you stick the extra 10.

What does increase the number of combinations is adding a fourth letter.

[mgk920]

Several other states added a 7th digit to the same 6 digit standard as a 4th number on the end NNN-0000 which my guess is would result in far fewer combinations just due to where the 7th digit ids placed.

Nope, same number of combinations. The number of combinations is the number of possibilities for each position multiplied together. Because multiplication is associative, it makes no difference where you stick the extra 10.

What does increase the number of combinations is adding a fourth letter.

That why I believe that best for California would be to convert to 'plates stay with the vehicle's owner' and use the [LLLL-NNN] (Ontario) format for regular issue auto plates.

Mike

[Scott5114]

Eh, having had both systems (since Oklahoma converted from "plates stay with vehicle" to "plates stay with owner" when I was there) I think I like "plates stay with vehicle" better. One less thing to worry about during the transfer process. (And for some reason half the time when you go to register a car in Oklahoma they give you a new plate anyway.)

[TheCatalyst31]

Eh, having had both systems (since Oklahoma converted from "plates stay with vehicle" to "plates stay with owner" when I was there) I think I like "plates stay with vehicle" better. One less thing to worry about during the transfer process. (And for some reason half the time when you go to register a car in Oklahoma they give you a new plate anyway.)

As a license plate collector I'm biased, because "plates stay with owner" makes it a lot easier for us to find old plates from cars people got rid of. On a more practical level, though, it means you don't have to remember a new plate number, or deal with whatever hoops the state makes you jump through to transfer personalized and specialty license plates.

[Scott5114]

Eh, having had both systems (since Oklahoma converted from "plates stay with vehicle" to "plates stay with owner" when I was there) I think I like "plates stay with vehicle" better. One less thing to worry about during the transfer process. (And for some reason half the time when you go to register a car in Oklahoma they give you a new plate anyway.)

As a license plate collector I'm biased, because "plates stay with owner" makes it a lot easier for us to find old plates from cars people got rid of. On a more practical level, though, it means you don't have to remember a new plate number, or deal with whatever hoops the state makes you jump through to transfer personalized and specialty license plates.

On the other hand, "plates stay with car" means you can get as many as you want from the pull-a-part junkyards, since most people won't bother to yank the plate off before they junk the car. When my dad would make me go to one of those with him, I'd get bored while he searched for whatever he was there for, so he'd give me a screwdriver and I'd go around grabbing license plates. They would usually let us have the plates for free (I think they charged by weight or something so it wasn't worth trying to come up with a price for them).

I have to admit, I still have no idea what my Nevada plate number is, I just remember that it has a 0 in it and the only letter is A. I only remember my Oklahoma one because it was BZZ100, which is incredibly easy to remember (it's like someone on a game show being asked "What denomination of currency is Ben Franklin on?").

[kalvado]

Several other states added a 7th digit to the same 6 digit standard as a 4th number on the end NNN-0000 which my guess is would result in far fewer combinations just due to where the 7th digit ids placed.

Nope, same number of combinations. The number of combinations is the number of possibilities for each position multiplied together. Because multiplication is associative, it makes no difference where you stick the extra 10.

What does increase the number of combinations is adding a fourth letter.

That why I believe that best for California would be to convert to 'plates stay with the vehicle's owner' and use the [LLLL-NNN] (Ontario) format for regular issue auto plates.

Mike

3 letters and 4 digits gives something like 80 million combinations, depending on what kind of combinations you disallow. CA has something like 30 million cars.
So that single 1ABC2345 would last 25 year or so if plate stays with the car, and car lasts for 10 years.
Now they opened up a second bank for another 25 years... And most people have better things to worry about than what would happen with the car in 25 years. Heck, some don't even plan for retirement!

[74/171FAN]

PennDOT - Statewide News: New "Preserve Our Heritage" License Plates Now Available for Purchase

[TheCatalyst31]

PennDOT - Statewide News: New "Preserve Our Heritage" License Plates Now Available for Purchase

That's a major downgrade from the previous design:

[Road Hog]

Still haven't seen the Y series come out in Texas. But once it comes out, it seemingly comes out in a torrent and they're everywhere.

I agree that when the current numbering arrangement runs out, Texas will reverse the scheme and will go with 1111 BBB. They did the same thing with the old plates when they briefly (inexplicably) rehashed the old AAA-NNN and NNN-AAA plates in the 2000s and flipped the old truck plates to read backwards.

(The truck plates finally went away and are now rolled into the general numbering, although farm truck plates are still a thing.)

[SP Cook]

https://wchstv.com/news/local/west-virginia-unveils-limited-time-america-250-license-plate

IIRC, Bicentennial plates were pretty common and many states issued these as the standard issue.  Haven't seen very many for the 250.

[vtk]

https://www.cleveland.com/open/2026/05/ohio-motorists-could-get-a-new-blackout-specialty-license-plate-option.html

Ohio is considering simple white-on-black plates as an option, for an extra annual fee comparable to that of the various logo designs. As my license plate is nearing 20 years old and the current standard issue design is rather busy, I will be strongly considering getting logo (or, if available, blackout) plates next spring.

[vtk]

Lawsuit filed over rejected vanity license plates in Ohio

[TheCatalyst31]

Lawsuit filed over rejected vanity license plates in Ohio

Since the article mentions it, I know Wisconsin issued GAY because I've seen it on the road in Madison. Every state has different standards, but I'm glad Ohio eventually had to approve that one.

[jzn110]

https://wchstv.com/news/local/west-virginia-unveils-limited-time-america-250-license-plate

IIRC, Bicentennial plates were pretty common and many states issued these as the standard issue.  Haven't seen very many for the 250.

Michigan has one that replicates the 1976 design.

[formulanone]

https://wchstv.com/news/local/west-virginia-unveils-limited-time-america-250-license-plate

IIRC, Bicentennial plates were pretty common and many states issued these as the standard issue.  Haven't seen very many for the 250.

Michigan has one that replicates the 1976 design.

Just saw this one last week, I had to squint to see the "26" instead of "76". Which means it's great.

[SSOWorld]

SERIOUSLY? WISDOT??

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Also - I notice that they have laws that say "It is unlawful for the owner of a vehicle to place any frame around or over the registration plate which does not permit full view of all numerals and letters printed on the registration plate." (Iowa's)

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Registration plates shall be attached firmly and rigidly in a horizontal position and conspicuous place. The plates shall at all times be maintained in a legible condition and shall be so displayed that they can be readily and distinctly seen and read. Any peace officer may require the operator of any vehicle on which plates are not properly displayed to display such plates as required by this section.

Vague - but essentially in both cases - every letter, not just the big ones - must be visible.

News flash: No one enforces it on either side.

[TheCatalyst31]

SERIOUSLY? WISDOT??

Minnesota also issues a separate ZXX-### series for its blackout plates. If you really wanted to keep your old number on the blackout plates, you could always get it as a vanity. I still see the occasional ### XXX vanity that I assume belongs to someone who wanted to keep their number from the red-letter plates.

[kphoger]

The Kansas blackout plates also use a separate series.  It's only six characters (as was the old standard series) instead of seven, but there's no space in the middle between the ABC and the 123.