Are black and white California license plates legal?

Q: Yvonne Murphy of Corona said she has noticed several black and white California license plates on vehicles on the roads recently, but she was not able to find them posted anywhere on the Department of Motor Vehicles website. “Are they a legal plate?” she asked.

A: The DMV does not currently produce a license plate that is black and white. So, there are a couple of possibilities here. First, Murphy may be referring to digital license plates, DMV spokesperson Katarina Snow said. “Assembly Bill 984 required the DMV to establish a program that will allow entities to issue alternatives to conventional license plates, stickers, tabs and registration cards. Non-traditional license plates are just one way the DMV is modernizing and digitizing its services,” Snow said.

Before AB 984 passed, existing law authorized the DMV to conduct a pilot program to evaluate the use of alternatives to stickers, tabs, license plates and registration cards until Jan. 1, 2023, Snow said. AB 984 extended the pilot program and creates a path to make it permanent, she said.

The other possibility is that Murphy is referring to the temporary license plates, or TLPs. In 2016, the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 516 which created a TLP and an electronic report of sale system.

“The DMV authorized the issuing of TLPs starting in January 2019. TLPs are issued for vehicles that are awaiting permanent plates,” Snow said. They are printed on a paper that can withstand weather conditions and contains a QR code with the vehicle’s basic information. The TLP is valid until the driver receives their permanent license plates or for up to 90 days after the vehicle sale. Extensions are also possible under certain circumstances.

Q: Anne Palatino said she travels from Moreno Valley to Murrieta once a month for chemotherapy treatment and her appointment is usually at 10:30 a.m. Thursday mornings.

“Almost every time I am headed down southbound (on the 215 Freeway) to make it to my treatment, a lane is closed while street sweeping takes place on the shoulder of the freeway. All traffic slows down to a crawl, while motorists merge into one lane,” Palatino said she’s often late for her appointments. She asked why the sweeping can’t be done earlier, like before the morning rush hour.

A: Better visibility and safety are the issues here and why freeway cleaning isn’t done at night or during the pre-dawn hours before rush hour. Caltrans spokesperson Eric Dionne said sweeping takes place during the day because it’s safer for workers and travelers.

“Sweeping crews perform sections each day and work in one direction. When they get to the end of their coverage area, they head back in the other direction. This is to ensure and clear the roadways of dangerous road hazards,” he said.

It’s unfortunate freeway commuters are inconvenienced but the reality is that highway construction and maintenance work is among the most dangerous jobs nationwide. According to the Caltrans website, “Since 1921, 193 Caltrans employees have been killed on the job. One of the biggest hazards faced by highway workers are inattentive and distracted motorists.”

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