These are the most recently issued California license plate numbers, based on my observations of vehicles on the road in the Los Angeles area as of the date spotted.

Latest Passenger Spotted 04/15/08

Latest Commercial Spotted 10/23/07

California Year of Manufacture Registration

	Base OK for YOM
	Bases NOT for YOM

The Year of Manufacture law, frequently referred to as YOM, allows you to register an old California license plate which matches the year that your old vehicle was made in.

Currently, this type of registration is only available for vehicles that were made in 1962 or before. That means that only the 1956 black on yellow style plates, which were used through 1962, and older styles, are available for YOM. The 1963 yellow on black style plates, and all bases that came after them, are currently NOT available for YOM registration in California.

Confusion as to which bases are available for YOM registration stems from the fact that all the bases shown here can still be seen on the road. However, any old plate still on the road is only valid because it has been continuously registered to the same vehicle since it was originally issued. The CA legislature has attempted several times in recent years to extend the YOM law past 1962, but it has been vetoed by the Governor each time. There is currently no pending legislation to try again.

1956 style and older plates for YOM use can be purchased from plate collectors, at swap meets and garage sales, and on eBay. The old plate must have a number that is not currently in use on a California license plate. This is called being "clear".

To find out if a plate is clear, visit your local DMV office, or call the DMV Special Processing office in Sacramento, and ask if the plate number is clear for YOM. If they say there is no record, or the number is not in the computer, then it is clear. The phone number for the DMV Special Processing office in Sacramento is (916) 657-7606 or (916) 657-7654. There is no website access for this info.

California Sample Plates

A list of the sample plates currently available for purchase from the California DMV may be requested by sending a letter to:

California DMV Links

More info about California license plates is availble from the California DMV at these websites:

• CA DMV Homepage
• CA Vehicle Code
• CA Special Interest Plates
• CA Online Plate Ordering System

These California agencies are related with issuing license plates:

• California Arts Council
• California Coastal Conservancy
• California Dept. of Veterans Affairs
• California Professional Firefighters
• Yosemite Fund

This website is not associated with or endorsed by the California Department of Motor Vehicles or the State of California.