# Question about California license plate format **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 20, 2013, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-california-license-plate-format/653428 "2013-03-20T04:20:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2013, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-california-license-plate-format/653428/1 "2013-03-20T04:20:39Z")
I saw a license plate today in a format I have not seen before: “5X55555” where “5” is a digit (any digit) and “X” is a letter of the alphabet. (any letter) Is this a particular kind of plate? ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2013, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-california-license-plate-format/653428/2 "2013-03-20T04:39:41Z")
> [@brujaja](#): > > I saw a license plate today in a format I have not seen before: > > “5X55555” > > where “5” is a digit (any digit) and “X” is a letter of the alphabet. (any letter) > > Is this a particular kind of plate? Commercial Plate common on pickup trucks. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2013, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-california-license-plate-format/653428/3 "2013-03-20T04:51:33Z")
Yeah, you automatically get one like that if you register a truck whether it’s for commercial use or not. It’s been like that since at least the '60s. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2013, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-california-license-plate-format/653428/4 "2013-03-20T05:06:19Z")
Really? All numbers, with just one letter? I know commercial plates have seven characters, but I always thought they had three letters and four numbers. Oh well, thanks guys. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2013, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-california-license-plate-format/653428/5 "2013-03-20T05:14:54Z")
A bit of a clarification. Just recently (in the last year or two) the single letter on truck plates has moved to the sixth position from the second. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2013, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-california-license-plate-format/653428/6 "2013-03-20T05:44:29Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Yeah, you automatically get one like that if you register a truck whether it’s for commercial use or not. It’s been like that since at least the '60s. It was later than the 60’s. Gerry Brown was govenor when it was changed. You can get standard plates for a pick up if you file a form stating the the truck will not be used to haul anything, like if you keep a camper on the truck. But if a cop notices you hauling anything in the bed he cangiveyou a ticket. Commercial cost more than passenger plates that was why the change was made. ---
**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 20, 2013, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-california-license-plate-format/653428/7 "2013-03-20T06:22:36Z")
Occasionally I will see pickup trucks with the car’s plate format, #AAA#### when it should be #A#####; and will see a minivan with the truck format, #A##### when it should be #AAA####. Minivans usually have the ‘car format’ of #AAA####. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2013, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-california-license-plate-format/653428/8 "2013-03-20T07:31:31Z")
I remember a bit of a dust-up some years ago (well, I think I remember it) regarding US-made vs foreign-made minivans. For some reason, the US mini-vans were to be classified as cars while the foreign minivans were to be classified as trucks. Perhaps that had something to do with what **echo7tango** noticed? ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2013, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-california-license-plate-format/653428/9 "2013-03-20T19:42:58Z")
> [@brujaja](#): > > Really? All numbers, with just one letter? I know commercial plates have seven characters, but I always thought they had three letters and four numbers. > > Oh well, thanks guys. All plates in California have seven characters – unless the car is very old, that is. (Or it’s a personalized license plate. ) Three letters and four numbers is what regular cars get. ---
**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 20, 2013, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-california-license-plate-format/653428/10 "2013-03-20T21:34:53Z")
California went to 7 characters in 1980 when they went from the 999ZZZ format to the 1AAA000 format ([Wikipedia’s page on CA LP history](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_registration_plates_of_California#Baseplates_1963_to_present)). (My first car, bought in 1980, had issued plates 1ALW422 until I replaced them with individualized plates - still remember that to this day.)