Firefighters, agriculture, Purple Heart recipients, Breast cancer awareness, you name it.
Many of the earlier versions of these plates had license numbers consisting of 3 digits followed by 3 letters. You'll note that this is the same pattern used during the early blue license plate era for passenger cars. There were certain 3-letter combinations that were reserved, and not used on blue passenger plates; it's from among these "skipped" combinations that the early special interest plates derived their license numbers. These same combinations are also ineligible for the Year of Manufaction (YOM) program, as shown here:
These plates feaure a drawing of a farm field on the left side of the plate, adorned with the words "FOOD*FIBER FUEL*FLORA". The word "AGRICULTURE" appears in block red type along the bottom of the plate.
Early plates had license numbers consisting of 3 digits followed by 3 letters. Starting some time prior to 2021, CalAg plates started appearing with license numbers consisting of the letter A, followed by 3 digits, followed by another letter, followed by another digit. This later pattern would've started with A000A0, and cycled all the way through A999Z0 until flipping over to A000A1.
These plates feaure a drawing of 4 palm trees on the left side of the plate, a blue ocean along the very bottom of the plate, and the setting sun over the ocean on the right side of the plate. While the palm trees are by themselves, the setting sun occupies part of the space taken up by the two rightmost characters of the license number.
Early plates had license numbers consisting of 3 letters followed by 3 digits. Later plates had license numbers consisting of 3 digits followed by 3 letters. Starting some time prior to 2021, Arts Council plates started appearing with license numbers consisting of the letter A, followed by 3 digits, followed by another letter, followed by another digit. This later pattern would've started with A000A0, and managed to get as far as A###V0 by the middle of 2025.
These plates had a light pink background, with a darker pinker ribbon on their left side. The words "EARLY DETECTION SAVES LIVES" appear in pink block pink type along the bottom of the plate.
License numbers started at B000A0, and made it as far as B###E1 in 2024. Note that this overlaps with the license number combinations used by the black nostalgia plates. It is not known whether license numbers starting with B000B have been issued.
These plates featured a picture of a fireman on the left, walking dramatically into (or out of) a burning building. The word "FIREFIGHTER" appears in red block type against a black background at the bottom of the plate. Only active or retired firefighters can apply for this type of plate.
Early plates had license numbers consisting of 3 digits followed by 3 letters. The YOM-ineligible letter combinations may have been divided up between the firefighter plates and the agriculture plates in 2013. Some online images depict firefighter plates with 3 letters followed by 3 digits. Later license numbers follow the A000A0 pattern of the agriculture plates.
These plates featured a space off to the left where the plate owner could choose which military service logo to place there. There are over seventy logos available on CalVet as of 2025. At the bottom were red and blue stripes with the word "VETERAN" in red block type. Early license number patterns consisted of 3 letters followed by 3 digits. Later license number patterns consisted of 3 digits followed by 3 letters, getting as far as the H's until the plate style was discontinued.
These plates feature a space off to the left; the plate owner can choose which military service logo to place there. There are over seventy logos available on CalVet as of 2025. At the bottom is a thick red stripe; the words "HONORING VETERANS" appear in white block type in the middle of the red stripe. Early license number patterns consisted of 3 digits followed by 3 letters, starting in the H's. Later license number patters consist of A, followed by 3 digits, followed by a letter, followed by 0. It is unclear to me how these license numbers avoided overlapping with the license numbers issued for Firefighter plates.
These plates feature a drawing of a cat and dog off to the left, and the words "SPAY & NEUTER SAVES LIVES" at the bottom in red block type. License number patterns consist of 3 digits followed by 3 letters. The 3 letter combinations are always a word related to pets and neutering, such as CAT, PUG, SAT, MUT, YES, WAG, and END.
These plates feature a drawing of Snoopy (from Peanuts) off to the left, and the words "museums are for everyone" at the bottom in red lowercase block type. License number patterns consist of the letter S, followed by 3 digits, followed by a letter, followed by 0.
Send comments about this webpage to: rogermw@ix.netcom.com.
Go back to my main license plate index page.
Go back to Roger M. Wilcox's homepage.