California MFG license plates are special plates the DMV issues to licensed vehicle manufacturers so they can legally drive unregistered vehicles on public roads for business purposes such as testing, demonstration, and moving inventory. The plates attach to the manufacturer’s occupational license rather than to any single vehicle, so the same plate can move between cars or trucks the licensee owns.
Who Can Get MFG Plates
You cannot buy an MFG plate as a shortcut around normal registration. Under the California Vehicle Code, no one may act as a vehicle manufacturer, remanufacturer, or distributor without first holding an occupational license from the DMV. That license is the gatekeeper for the plates.
The licensing requirement applies to any person or business that manufactures, assembles, or produces vehicles or vehicle components in California. Applicants must show they operate a real production facility and are genuinely in the manufacturing business. Once the DMV grants the license, it assigns the licensee a general distinguishing number and issues special plates displaying that number, with a unique identifier on each plate so the DMV can tell them apart within the same license.1California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code Section 11714
There is no hard cap on the number of plate sets. To get more, the licensee submits an application for each plate and pays the per-plate fee.
What You Can Do With Them
California regulations spell out who can drive a vehicle displaying MFG plates and what they can do with it. The rules change based on the driver’s relationship to the business.2Cornell Law School. Cal Code Regs Tit 13, 201.00 – Use of Special Plates Issued to a Dealer, Manufacturer, Remanufacturer, or Distributor
- A sole owner, general partner, LLC manager, or corporate officer or director who is actively involved in running the business can drive an MFG-plated vehicle for any purpose, including personal errands. This is the broadest privilege, and it only reaches people in management roles.
- A licensed driver considering a purchase or lease can test-drive an MFG-plated vehicle for up to seven days.
- On the business side, the plates cover testing new vehicles or components, transporting inventory between facilities, demonstrating vehicles, and towing or carrying other vehicles.3California State Department of Motor Vehicles. Special Dealer, Manufacturer, Remanufacturer, and Distributor License Plates
What You Can’t Do With Them
The “any purpose” privilege for owners and officers is the exception, not the rule. For everyone else, MFG plates are limited to legitimate business activities, and the Vehicle Code makes it a prohibited act for a licensee to use special plates for anything beyond what the law allows.4California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code VEH 11713
Several uses are off-limits no matter who is driving:
- Work or service vehicles. A truck or van the manufacturer uses as a regular work vehicle cannot carry MFG plates, even if the manufacturer owns it. Those need standard registration.
- Vehicles already covered by a DMV transit permit. A vehicle being moved from a port, rail depot, or warehouse under a DMV-issued permit cannot also display MFG plates.
- Employee commuting and personal use by rank-and-file staff. The personal-use privilege belongs to owners and officers actively managing the business, not to employees generally.
Any use outside these boundaries can trigger disciplinary action against the manufacturer’s occupational license, up to and including suspension or revocation.
How to Apply
Getting a manufacturer license takes more than filling out a form. Applications go to the DMV’s Occupational Licensing unit, and the agency wants to confirm the applicant is running a real manufacturing operation before issuing plates.
Every first-time applicant must complete Live Scan electronic fingerprinting so the Department of Justice can run a criminal background check. The DMV will not release a license until the applicant clears that check. Applicants bring DMV Form 8016 to the Live Scan site and pay a separate $32 fee at the location for the DOJ records check.5California State Department of Motor Vehicles. Live Scan Fingerprinting
The application package itself includes the Application for Original Occupational License (Parts A and C), a Personal History Questionnaire for each person listed under ownership, and, for a corporation or LLC, a Corporate Declaration. Vehicle manufacturers also provide a sample 17-digit VIN configuration and, for engine-powered products, a copy of the California Air Resources Board executive order.
What It Costs
Costs break into the initial application and the annual renewal. The figures below are current as of 2026.6California State Department of Motor Vehicles. Vehicle Manufacturer License
Initial application:
- Application fee of $100 (nonrefundable), plus a $1 Family Support Program fee
- $92 per auto plate set, plus applicable county fees
- $94 per motorcycle plate set, plus applicable county fees
- $50 for each additional branch location
- $42 per person for out-of-state fingerprint cards submitted in place of Live Scan
Annual renewal:
- Renewal fee of $85, plus a $1 Family Support Program fee
- Plate fees of $92 per auto plate and $94 per motorcycle plate, plus county fees
- $85 per branch location
The per-plate fees apply every year at renewal, not just when you first obtain the plates, which is worth planning for if you hold multiple sets.
Bond Requirement
California requires occupational licensees in the vehicle industry to post a surety bond as a condition of their license. The Vehicle Code sets the remanufacturer bond at $50,000.7California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code Section 11710 Confirm your specific bond amount with the DMV’s Occupational Licensing unit when applying, because the required amount can vary by license type. The bond protects consumers and the state against losses from the licensee’s business activities, and losing coverage will cause the license to be suspended.
Penalties for Misuse
Consequences scale with how serious the violation is. At the administrative level, using MFG plates for any unauthorized purpose violates CVC 11713 and puts the manufacturer’s entire occupational license at risk.4California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code VEH 11713 Losing that license ends the manufacturer’s ability to legally run vehicles on public roads for testing or delivery.
Criminal exposure is worse. Anyone who fraudulently alters, forges, or misuses a license plate with intent to defraud faces felony charges under CVC 4463. A conviction carries 16 months, two years, or three years in state prison, or up to one year in county jail.8California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code Section 4463 That reaches conduct like putting MFG plates on a personal vehicle to avoid registration fees or lending plates to someone outside the manufacturing business.
Federal Registration Is Separate
Holding a California manufacturer license and MFG plates covers the state side. Vehicle manufacturers also have a separate federal obligation: under federal regulations, any manufacturer of motor vehicles must register with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and submit identifying information about the company and the types of vehicles it produces. A new manufacturer must complete that registration within 30 days of starting production and keep the information current.9eCFR. 49 CFR Part 566 – Manufacturer Identification Skipping the federal step does not invalidate California MFG plates, but it creates compliance problems with federal safety standards and recalls.