How to Get a Black License Plate in California

To get a black license plate in California, order the 1960s Legacy plate through the DMV. It costs $50 to start, then $40 added to your registration every year after that, and you can request it online, by mail, or at a DMV office.¹ The price is the same whether you take a random six-character sequence or personalize the letters and numbers yourself.

What the Black Plate Is and Who Can Order One

The black plate with yellow lettering is one of three designs in California’s Legacy License Plate program. It replicates the plates the state issued from 1965 to 1968. Two other designs exist under the same program: yellow with black lettering (1956–1962) and blue with yellow lettering (1969–1986).²

Your car doesn’t have to be old. A new vehicle qualifies just as a 1967 model does. Legacy plates can go on automobiles, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, trailer coaches, and permanent trailers. The one exclusion is vehicles registered under the International Registration Plan, which covers commercial carriers running across state or national borders.²

You have two configuration choices. A sequential plate carries a six-character combination the DMV assigns. A personalized plate lets you pick your own combination of two to seven characters, subject to the DMV’s standard content rules.²

What It Costs

Unlike most special interest plates, the legacy plate charges the same fee for sequential and personalized versions.

Initial order, sequential or personalized: $50
Annual renewal, added to your regular registration bill: $40
Transfer to another vehicle you own: $15
Replacement for a lost, stolen, or damaged plate: $35
Retention of personalized plates not currently on a vehicle: $38 per year

These fees are set by Vehicle Code Section 5004.3 and sit on top of your normal registration charges.¹ Paying online with a credit or debit card adds a 1.95% processing fee.³

The $40 renewal is the fee people forget about. It reappears on every annual registration bill for as long as you keep the plates, so plan for it as an ongoing cost.

How to Order

Online

The DMV’s online ordering portal is the quickest route. Have your vehicle registration card in front of you, since the system asks for information from it. You’ll get confirmation once payment goes through.³ The online system only handles original orders. Renewals, transfers, conversions of existing plates, and replacements have to go through paper.

By Mail or in Person

Use the REG 17 form, the Special Interest License Plate Application, available as a PDF on the DMV website or at any DMV office.³ Fill in your VIN, current plate number, vehicle make, model, and year, along with your name and mailing address. Make sure everything matches your current registration records exactly; mismatches will slow the order down.

Mail the completed form with a check or money order to the address printed on the form, or bring it and your payment to a DMV office. Staff at the counter can process it on the spot and check whether a personalized combination is available.

How Long It Takes

Sequential legacy plates are manufactured and mailed to the address on your registration. The DMV estimates about four to six weeks once your order is processed.⁴

Personalized plates take much longer. The DMV’s current posted processing time is roughly four months.⁵ When they’re ready, the DMV notifies you by mail and you pick them up at a DMV office instead of receiving them at home. If your registration expires within 30 days of pickup, you’ll need to renew before the DMV will assign the new plates to your vehicle.⁴ Processing times shift, so check the DMV’s processing times page before you order if timing matters.

Keeping, Moving, or Replacing the Plates Later

To transfer legacy plates to another vehicle you own, submit a REG 17 marking the reassignment and pay the $15 fee. Both vehicles need to be registered in your name with fees current.⁶

Personalized legacy plates belong to you rather than the vehicle. When you sell a car with personalized plates, take them off before the sale. To hold onto them without putting them straight on another vehicle, file a REG 17 requesting retention and pay the $38 annual retention fee. That fee is due every year whether the plates are mounted or sitting in your garage.⁷ Sequential legacy plates work differently; they stay with the vehicle when it changes hands.¹

A replacement plate costs $35. If your vehicle qualifies, you can request one online using your plate number, the last three digits of your VIN, and the registered owner’s name. Vehicles that aren’t eligible for the online process, including those with personalized plates or certain registration holds, need a REG 17 or REG 156 submitted by mail or at a DMV office.⁸

1
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Appendix 1F – Fees
2
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Vehicle Industry Registration Procedures Manual – California (CA) 1960s Legacy License Plates
3
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Order Special Interest and Personalized License Plates
4
California DMV. How To: Obtain Personalized and Special Interest License Plates
5
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Processing Times
6
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Special License Plate Interchanges
7
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Personalized License Plates Retention
8
California DMV. Replacement of Standard License Plates