by California is nearing the end of available numbers for its current license plate format. It took over 45 years to exhaust the entire available archive of numbers. The format change will be minor and likely unnoticed by most drivers on the road.
Since 1980, California license plates have had one number, three letters, and three numbers (e.g., 1ABC234). However, this tried-and-true combination is running out. Despite the recent surge in car sales, the current license plates should last through the rest of the year, after which a solution will be needed. Fortunately, it’s resolved quite easily.
The state already knew this day would come sooner or later. The first months of 2025 brought a huge increase in car purchases here. According to the California New Car Dealers Association, 463,114 cars were registered in the first quarter. That’s an 8.3 percent increase compared to the previous year. Undoubtedly, buyers are rushing to purchase cars in case tax incentives or other benefits disappear.
Thus, the DMV is already feeling the license plate format change. It’s reported that plates are currently being issued in the range from 9UBA000 to 9UBZ999. When 9ZZZ999 is finally reached, the format that has existed for nearly 50 years will have to change. However, there’s no need to worry. The state isn’t about to throw in the towel and ban new cars when the current license plate format runs out.
We reached out to the California DMV, and a spokesperson told Carscoops, “The current sequence, which will end with 9ZZZ999, is expected to conclude around 2026 due to the dwindling number of available combinations. The new sequence format will be ‘Number Number Number Letter Letter Letter Number’ (e.g., 000AAA0).”
Thus, the change will actually be minor, and few will notice. Additionally, it’s worth noting that commercial vehicles, trailers, and other specialized categories won’t be affected. They use a different format.
Interestingly, the state initially thought it would exhaust the supply of license plates in the current format this year. Now, the transition is expected in early 2026. This may be because the CNCDA believes sales will slow down this year.
A report from earlier this month stated: “The forecast is cloudy with uncertain predictions for the remainder of 2025; registrations are expected to decline by 2.3 percent to 1.71 million for the full year. Future trade policy changes have muddled the picture. The rapid surge in demand in March and April, likely ahead of expected tariffs, may be temporary if car prices skyrocket.”
While it may sound dramatic, the change in California’s license plate format isn’t a serious disruption. It’s a minor adjustment most people likely won’t even notice. Let’s hope the transition goes smoothly, and we can get back to worrying about more important things, like how much longer we’ll have to pay registration fees.
