DMVs are running out of license plate numbers – new strategy means your tags will look different

A DMV in a US state is running out of license plates – meaning tags may look quite different in the near future.

The unique alphanumeric combinations for standard-issue, non-commercial license plates are being used up faster than anticipated.

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That doesn’t mean license plates will stop being issued, but rather, the state will soon shuffle how it assigns license plates.

The current system – one number followed by three letters, followed by three numbers – may potentially change to three numbers followed by three letters, followed by one number.

Nearly 13.2 million cars were registered in the state of California in 2023, where the issue of license plate availability is becoming a concern.

That’s the most of any state and nearly twice as many as the second-highest state, Texas, which had 7.4 million cars.

California’s license plate format is currently #XXX### – as it has been for nearly 45 years – with the first plate number being 1AAA000, issued in 1980.

According to a recent San Francisco Chronicle article, the most recently issued license plate numbers are currently at the 9UBA000 to 9UBZ999 stage.

This means the total number of potential combinations for the current California license plate format provides over 158 million unique combinations.

However, this doesn’t account for any banned combinations.

Eventually, the final license plate issued under this system will be 9ZZZ999, and a new format will be needed.

Reports from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) previously predicted that the state would run out of unique combinations in 2027, but officials now believe it will happen two years earlier than anticipated.

Once the state runs out of combinations under the current structure, it will simply reorder the digits to follow a “numeral numeral numeral alpha alpha alpha numeral” format, or 000AAA0.

In 2023, California saw an 11.9% increase in new vehicle registrations compared to 2022, and that growth shows no signs of slowing down.

This comes as a new law has come into effect in another state that sees drivers of certain vehicles risk huge fines.

That’s unless they provide safety presentations to customers before the trip begins.

And elsewhere, a driver has been left in limbo after paying $15,000 for a new car that she doesn’t legally own.

And she’s not the only car buyer left in a difficult situation after shopping at the same auto dealership.