California black plate issuance by DMV office

[crustycurmudgeon]

I’ve been watching a thread on a Volkswagen forum for a few years now regarding the issuance of CA license plates in the 60’s. Apparently, blocks of plates were assigned to the various DMV offices throughout the state to be issued to their local customers. I’ve known for years that a list exists of these plate blocks and which offices they were assigned to. A member of the VW forum got his hands on the first part of the list up to plate RDA 999 and for the past few years has been doling out the info on an as-requested basis. He was often asked if he could scan the document and post it, but his excuse was always that his scanner was broken. About 3 months ago someone made him a generous offer to send him money so he could go to Kinko’s and scan it so he could post it. He then fell silent for the next three months until someone finally confronted him and rattled his cage and he finally posted the list. This was the first bunch of plates issued and I believe the next batch was issued in 1966. Here’s the list:

As you can see, this shows that any starting letter up to R could have appeared on any car from 1963 until at least 1966. Now I just have to get my hands on the rest of the list.

Frank

 

[66gt350]

Cool information, Frank.

My plates are from LA. No wonder I feel like a gangsta when I drive to work now!!!

 

[monkeystash]

Great info Frank! Looks like I'm Los Angeles too.

 

[abrahamfh]

Darn. How did I get stuck with Fresno. LoL

The ones I got from you Frank are from Pasadena. Much better than Fresno.

Hmmm! Which plates should Fred rock?

 

[crustycurmudgeon]

Darn. How did I get stuck with Fresno. LoL

The ones I got from you Frank are from Pasadena. Much better than Fresno.

Hmmm! Which plates should Fred rock?

If Fred is currently registered with the Fresno plates or you have an old registration slip with the Fresno plates, then definitely go with the Fresno plates. Your initial fee would be zero and no additional annual fee, whereas for the YOM plates you'd have to pay $45 up front and $10 extra each year.

Frank

 

[DEL65]

Very cool history. My plate is JKN, Glendale (LA County), but the original owner was in Redlands CA (San Bernadoodoo County).

 

[JeffTepper]

Frank:

Remember that 1963 was a plate year, meaning 100% of all vehicles received new plates when they renewed their annual registration, thus the massive production and distribution to cover all existing registered vehicles. Since 1963 was the last plate year in California (that's why original 1963 issued plates are still considered current despite the passage of 48 years) all annual renewals have been evidenced by stickers and the demand for new plates has not been as great as during a plate year. In the mid 1970's I recall that batches of plates were delivered to central locations (such as Oakland) where they were distributed as needed to the other 14 field offices and AAA offices in the SF Bay Area. I assume that this was the general practice statewide. Anyone know different?

 

[FordDude]

Frank you continue to live up to your "title" Mr. Black Plate. :bowdown That is really cool info and that puts Dad's vert with John in Glendale. :steer

fd

 

[2ndgen]

I'd love to see the list for the rest of the plates...

-Rory

 

[crustycurmudgeon]

Frank:

Remember that 1963 was a plate year, meaning 100% of all vehicles received new plates when they renewed their annual registration, thus the massive production and distribution to cover all existing registered vehicles

Yep, very true. A few examples of the point I was trying to make: Alturas got AAA-AAE and that presumably was expected to last til 1966 for that very small community in the middle of nowhere. Likewise with a lot of the other A series (which explains the 1967 car that you remember with A plates). Conversely, Los Angeles got a huge block of plates, NTA-RDA, so we can assume all their N's and a lot of their O's were used up promptly in 1963.

Frank

 

[GTchris]

Mine are not on the list, TUC

 

[opentrackerSteve]

Two data points to verify the list.

IVL - my Mustang's classic plates - issued in Ventura

and

KHU - plates that were on my parent's 1962 Corvair stationwagon that was purchased in Long Beach....

Excellent info indeed!

 

[jims6t6]

One data point to verity. NCJ was on my 51 Ford Licensed in Sacramento in 1965.

 

[crustycurmudgeon]

Sacramento (headquarters), by the way, is supposedly for plates that were delivered by mail rather than being picked up at a local DMV office. "Mail out" was written on that document but cut off in the picture.

Frank

 

[jims6t6]

Sacramento (headquarters), by the way, is supposedly for plates that were delivered by mail rather than being picked up at a local DMV office. "Mail out" was written on that document but cut off in the picture.

Frank

I don't recall if I was given them at the time I registered of if they mailed them. Could have been either way.