# Custom Licence Plates — Seen in the Wild **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 11, 2023, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965 "2023-11-11T02:25:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 140
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2026, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2781 "2026-03-28T02:31:08Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Did they ever issue NNNN AAA NNN plates? They could start the cycle again with 1000 AAA 000 and that would last quite a while. IIRC, the plan is to flip the pattern around, i.e. the current pattern is NLLLNNN. The new pattern will be NNNLLLN. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2026, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2782 "2026-03-28T05:29:35Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > IIRC, the plan is to flip the pattern around, i.e. the current pattern is NLLLNNN. The new pattern will be NNNLLLN. Yes that is the plan. I’ve seen plates beginning with 9Y, but haven’t yet seen plates beginning with 9Z. We’ll start seeing them soon. They flipped the pattern for pickup trucks. That pattern used to be NLNNNNN and when that ran out they flipped it to NNNNNLN. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2026, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2783 "2026-03-28T11:43:19Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Did they ever issue NNNN AAA NNN plates? 10-character plates? Nope. The current CA standard is 7 characters. NY has 8-character plates, but AFAIK not as normal series issue. not real confident about that assertion. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2026, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2784 "2026-03-28T12:11:23Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > not real confident about that assertion. Be very confident. You are spot on. California’s current max capacity is 7 characters on plates. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2026, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2785 "2026-03-28T12:14:50Z")
My semi-confident assertion was about NY plates. I know NY has 8s; I’ve seen them. But I don’t know for sure that NY has series 8s as opposed to only personalized 8s. Sorry to be unclear. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2026, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2786 "2026-03-28T12:34:48Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > **SNWUPY** with a caricature of Snoopy on it I posted that a couple of weeks ago. California has Snoopy available as a symbol. This is like the plate I saw: [![](https://i.imgur.com/8ewnAcm.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/8ewnAcm.jpg) And, I captured the other symbols and designs available for cars: [[Album] Available Symbols for California plates ![](https://i.imgur.com/FE6vmUR.jpeg?fb "Available Symbols for California plates") ](https://imgur.com/gallery/qj5vxmw) ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2026, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2787 "2026-03-28T12:37:11Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Sorry to be unclear. No problem but it should be easy to find out from NY’s DMV site, like the ones I just posted for California’s designs. Order personalized California plates here ➜ [Special Interest and Personalized License Plates Orders - California DMV](https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-registration/license-plates-decals-and-placards/license-plates/order-special-interest-and-personalized-license-plates) ■ ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2026, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2788 "2026-03-28T17:02:46Z")
[quote="Bullitt, post:2784, topic:992965AA California’s current max capacity is 7 characters on plates. [/quote] D’oh! Let’s try that again. Current pattern is NAAANNN and that first N is now 9. Did they ever do NNNNAAA, ie 1000ABC? I don’t think so and that would last another generation. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2026, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2789 "2026-03-28T19:00:20Z")
Yes NY has 8 character custom plates. I saw 3 of them today, all of them comprehensible **XXXXOOOO k** isses and hugs? **AUSSIE M8** Australian mate **YOUANDME** Current NY series plates are 7 characters, 3 letters, a space and 4 numbers. They’re up to M this year, so a newly issued plate could be MNO 1243 Another one I saw today was **WLD WYMN** Wild women? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2026, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2790 "2026-03-29T11:55:02Z")
Scored three I can remember, and a couple I can’t. Curses. One side effect of having GF along is I can’t as easily fiddle with my phone at lights, taking notes of the plates I just saw. - **KILDAR** on a late model Corvette. Maybe a sly way to say the owner is a physician? Or just somebody’s last name. - **SPINE⎵KG** on a newish 911 series convertible, one of the fancy ones. Guy driving was tan, upper 40s, prosperous, smug dude with movie star looks. Maybe another doctor whose initials are KG? - **7-JP** on a Bentley sedan. Maybe he’s also got 1-JP through 6-JP for the other Bentleys he drives on the other days of the week. Or he’s cleverly alluding to that joke despite getting by with just one Bentley. Presumably JP represents either his initials, or his business’s initials. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2026, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2791 "2026-03-29T19:04:32Z")
**MZ CLAY** in the Meijer parking lot on a clay-ish colored small truck. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2026, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2792 "2026-03-29T19:47:46Z")
I am very curious to see the new California plate number pattern, and frustrated that I haven’t spotted one yet. Yesterday I saw a car that started with 9XZY that was a year old, so it would seem like they must have started the new pattern by now. According to a couple of sources, the new pattern will be (or has been) introduced this year, and the pattern is 123ABC1 (i.e. NNNAAAN using @DesertDog’s pattern naming). I don’t drive a whole lot, so that could account for why I haven’t seen one yet. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2026, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2793 "2026-03-29T21:28:30Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > I am very curious to see the new California plate number pattern, and frustrated that I haven’t spotted one yet. I’ve been looking out for them. I’ve seen only a plate or two beginning with 9Y, but none yet with 9Z. They may not be out yet. ETA: my first car was bought in 1980 and its plate began with 1A, so I’m very interested in spotting my first one ending with A1. ---
**Author:** ![bodangus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c37758/32.png) [@bodangus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bodangus)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2026, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2794 "2026-03-29T21:38:52Z")
IEDFNDR in MI. Interesting. Made me want to ask questions, but y’know, not possible. ---
**Author:** ![motu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/motu/32/259_2.png) [@motu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/motu)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2795 "2026-03-30T01:28:17Z")
**BABY BY** on a white I don’t remember, not sure if driver or car is “Baby Boy” ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2796 "2026-03-30T02:12:47Z")
What sort of questions? ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2797 "2026-03-30T02:20:51Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > ETA: my first car was bought in 1980 and its plate began with 1A, so I’m very interested in spotting my first one ending with A1. My first car in California I bought new in 1980 and it started with 1 (but not 1A). I didn’t realize at the time that it was a new numbering system that year. > [@Bullitt](#): > > I’ve been looking out for them. I’ve seen only a plate or two beginning with 9Y, but none yet with 9Z. They may not be out yet. If 9X was out a year ago, they must be through the sequence by now. In 45 years they’ve gone through 9 numbers, that’s 6 years or 72 months per number, or roughly 3 months per number-letter combination. In a year they should have gotten from 9X to 9Z easily. It’s not a straight line sort of thing, but close enough, I would think. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2798 "2026-03-30T04:09:48Z")
I’ll keep my eyes peeled for 9Zs. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2799 "2026-03-30T06:30:00Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > According to a couple of sources, the new pattern will be (or has been) introduced this year, and the pattern is 123ABC1 (i.e. NNNAAAN Just today I spotted a California plate NNNNNAN and the letter was a Y. I don’t see anyone ordering that as a custom plate so I’m confused. Here in Arizona we were steadily working through NNNNAAA. One of my little pleasures was incrementing the latest one in the series I’d spotted. About the time the series was reaching 9999CZZ there was a switch to no discernible pattern. Sometimes there are six characters with a space, sometimes seven with no space. There’s one numeral, sometimes two and it (or they) can be anywhere in the sequence. It’s frustrating. Anyway, here’s my crop from the past few days. **TRMENDA** A name I’m guessing. **DALLASH** Nothing to indicate whether they’re a Cowboys fan or from the city or what. **IM A SPY** O-o-okay. **NASKID** A Wiki search comes up with a lot of possibilities for NAS. **PPD WIFE** on a first responder plate. Phoenix Police Department – or maybe Peoria. **HAKU** No idea. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2800 "2026-03-30T06:36:04Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > **NASKID** A Wiki search comes up with a lot of possibilities for NAS. If NAS is for “Naval Air Station,” possibly a Navy brat. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965.md?page=139) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965.md?page=141)