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Why Guy: Why does California allow cars with temporary cardboard plates?

Today's Why Guy question is from Joseph Barnett, who asks, "Why does California allow cars with temporary cardboard plates?"

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Today's Why Guy question is from Joseph Barnett, who asks, "Why does California allow cars with temporary cardboard plates? In other states, like New York, car dealers give you metal plates when you buy your car."

According to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), California state law allows dealers 20 days to submit the registration application to DMV for processing. Until that application is processed and a record is created for the vehicle, assigning metal license plates is not possible.

"The issuance of license plates and registration decals at the point of sale for vehicles has been considered by the department," DMV Spokesman Jaime Garza said.

Also, according to DMV, it's a logistical challenge to get permanent license plates to about 1,500 new dealers and 8,000 used vehicle dealers at the time a vehicle is sold.

Assembly Bill 515, enacted on January 1, 2019, requires newly acquired vehicles without permanent tags to have the cardboard tags. The state was losing an estimated $15 million annually in lost toll collections from vehicles displaying tags only showing the name of the auto dealership.

So, going forward, the DMV's new temporary license plate program allows the issuance of paper plates to any vehicle which doesn't have permanent tags at the point of sale.

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