Effective January 1, 2023, all California vehicle owners will be
able to display a digital license plate in lieu of a traditional,
state-issued license plate. Assembly Bill 984—approved by the
governor on September 29, 2022—effectively ends
California's multi-year pilot program, which capped digital
license plates at roughly one-half of one percent of the
state's motor vehicles. California will join Arizona, Colorado,
Georgia, and Michigan as states that have approved digital license
plates for widespread use among the motoring public.
While digital license plates may look like a traditional license
plate, they are not surface-printed or embossed on plastic or
metal. Instead, a digital license plate typically includes a
processing unit, storage media, and wireless connectivity all built
into an electronic display—similar to a tablet e-reader and
roughly the same size as a traditional license plate. On one hand,
this technology makes it easier for vehicle owners to
