# Why do so many California license plates begin with the number 2? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 30, 2005, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-california-license-plates-begin-with-the-number-2/314864 "2005-07-30T07:40:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Thin\_Lizzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@Thin\_Lizzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thin_Lizzy)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-california-license-plates-begin-with-the-number-2/314864/1 "2005-07-30T07:40:47Z")
I have noticed a large portion of California license plates start with the number 2. Why? ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-california-license-plates-begin-with-the-number-2/314864/2 "2005-07-30T08:07:31Z")
California license plates are usually seven alphanumeric figures. From my memory, in the 50s through the early 70s, they were black with gold letters and were in the format ABC 123. Then once those combinations were used up, they switched to blue plates with gold letters/numbers and they were in the format 123 ABC. (Commercial vehicles and vanity plates) are different. After going through all of those combos then they went to 1 ABC 123, and once those were used up it was 2 ABC 123. I’m pretty sure they’re beyond 2 in that system, but a lot of the cars on the road would be from the era when 2 started the license plate. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-california-license-plates-begin-with-the-number-2/314864/3 "2005-07-30T08:11:24Z")
My 1 and 1/2 year old car in California starts with 5. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-california-license-plates-begin-with-the-number-2/314864/4 "2005-07-30T16:43:11Z")
You’re just seeing older cars. There’s also a lot of car plates starting with 1, 3, 4 and 5. They’re issued more or less sequentially, so 2ABC023 is a good bit older than 2UYM589 and a heck of a lot older than 5MNO001, which is roughly what we’re up to now. ---
**Author:** ![nivlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nivlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nivlac)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-california-license-plates-begin-with-the-number-2/314864/5 "2005-07-30T17:00:29Z")
The first digit of a California license plate gives you an idea of when a car has last changed ownership. A license plate that starts with a “2” changed ownership in the late 1980’s or early 1990’s. My old 1983 car started with a “1”, 1991 with a “2”, 1997 with a “3”, 1999 with a “4”. Note that the first digit is not necessarily when the car was first purchased, but the last time it changed hands. ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-california-license-plates-begin-with-the-number-2/314864/6 "2005-07-30T17:10:45Z")
We’re up to 7 now. My husband just bought a truck a couple of months ago, his plate starts with 7. I bought my car about 4 years ago, my plate starts with 4. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-california-license-plates-begin-with-the-number-2/314864/7 "2005-07-30T17:53:56Z")
> [@nivlac](#): > > The first digit of a California license plate gives you an idea of when a car has last changed ownership. A license plate that starts with a “2” changed ownership in the late 1980’s or early 1990’s. My old 1983 car started with a “1”, 1991 with a “2”, 1997 with a “3”, 1999 with a “4”. Note that the first digit is not necessarily when the car was first purchased, but the last time it changed hands. Ar? 😕 AFAIK, license plates are not changed when a car is sold unless it’s a vanity plate the owner wants to keep. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-california-license-plates-begin-with-the-number-2/314864/8 "2005-07-30T18:13:24Z")
> [@nivlac](#): > > The first digit of a California license plate gives you an idea of when a car has last changed ownership. A license plate that starts with a “2” changed ownership in the late 1980’s or early 1990’s. My old 1983 car started with a “1”, 1991 with a “2”, 1997 with a “3”, 1999 with a “4”. Note that the first digit is not necessarily when the car was first purchased, but the last time it changed hands. California plates go with the car. It does not matter if the car changes hands, the plate stays with the car. As \*\*Johnny L A \*\*pointed out vanity plates are an exception to this rule. The ony other exception I can think of is if you lose one plate, the DMV issues a new set, they do not “reprint” a match for your missing plate. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-california-license-plates-begin-with-the-number-2/314864/9 "2005-07-30T18:15:18Z")
> [@Thin Lizzy](#): > > I have noticed a large portion of California license plates start with the number 2. Why? WAG Because so many California cars/drivers are full of “it.” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-california-license-plates-begin-with-the-number-2/314864/10 "2005-07-30T22:43:28Z")
> [@psycat90](#): > > We’re up to 7 now. My husband just bought a truck a couple of months ago, his plate starts with 7. Trucks have a different numbering system, which goes number - letter - 5 more numbers. Like, 7A12345. Oddly, SUV’s use car plates when in fact they are registered as light trucks. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-california-license-plates-begin-with-the-number-2/314864/11 "2005-07-30T23:31:32Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > You’re just seeing older cars. There’s also a lot of car plates starting with 1, 3, 4 and 5. They’re issued more or less sequentially, so 2ABC023 is a good bit older than 2UYM589 and a heck of a lot older than **5MNO001** , which is roughly what we’re up to now. Does California differentiate between the number zero and the letter oh? I think Ontario, where I live, does not. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-california-license-plates-begin-with-the-number-2/314864/12 "2005-07-30T23:33:52Z")
Hm. CA motorcycle plates seem to be similar to truck plates. My motorcycle plates have been 5G8366, 1M7749, 1M7750 (dad’s), 13Y0241 and 16V7572. ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2005, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-california-license-plates-begin-with-the-number-2/314864/13 "2005-07-31T01:24:13Z")
> [@KGS](#): > > Trucks have a different numbering system, which goes number - letter - 5 more numbers. Like, 7A12345. Oddly, SUV’s use car plates when in fact they are registered as light trucks. Huh. I did not know that. I do have an SUV. And he’s got just a small Mazda truck. I’ve lived in this state for 5 years now, but I’m still learning new things about it. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2005, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-california-license-plates-begin-with-the-number-2/314864/14 "2005-07-31T01:43:03Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Does California differentiate between the number zero and the letter oh? I think Ontario, where I live, does not. I had a California license plate 3KML000 where the last three numbers were zero. When CA went to number letter letter letter number number number, they started with 1 not with zero. I don’t remember any plates with letter “O” in the three letter places. ---
**Author:** ![mike1dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@mike1dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mike1dog)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2005, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-california-license-plates-begin-with-the-number-2/314864/15 "2005-07-31T01:59:09Z")
Slight hijack here. I’ve noticed in a lot of classified ads for old cars that many of the cars have as a selling point that they have black California plates. I guess this would be important for someone living in California, but I don’t know why someone from another state would care.