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California is running out of license plate numbers. Here’s what comes next
An entrance sign reads "State of California Department of Motor Vehicles"
(
Justin Sullivan
/
Getty Images
)
One lucky California driver will soon receive a license plate with the number 9ZZZ999, marking the end of an era for Golden State motorists.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles is quickly running out of numbers that follow its current license plate format. A DMV spokesperson told LAist the department expects to exhaust this series at some point in 2026.
California’s existing license plate configuration has enjoyed a long run. It was first christened in 1980 with the plate 1AAA000.
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California is running out of license plate numbers. Here’s what comes next
Prior to 1980, California license plates followed a different, shortened format. The six-figure plates consisted of three numerals followed by three letters.
What comes next? The department has landed on a new configuration that is basically a mirror-image reversal of the current format.
In an email to LAist, DMV public information officer Ronald Ongtoaboc said, “The formatting of the next sequence will be ‘Numeral Numeral Numeral Alpha Alpha Alpha Numeral’ (e.g., 000AAA0).”
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