California MFG License Plates: Qualifications, Costs, and Penalties

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 a specific vehicle, which lets a licensee rotate the same plate through different cars or trucks it owns. Who can drive an MFG-plated vehicle, and for what, is tightly defined by state law.

Who Qualifies

You cannot get MFG plates without first holding a vehicle manufacturer occupational license from the DMV. Under the California Vehicle Code, no one can act as a manufacturer, remanufacturer, or distributor of vehicles without that license, and it applies to any person or business that manufactures, assembles, or produces vehicles or vehicle components in California. Applicants have to show they run an actual production facility and are genuinely in the manufacturing business. These are not plates a private owner can pick up to avoid registering a personal vehicle.

How the Plates Attach to the License

Once the DMV grants the license, it assigns the licensee a general distinguishing number and issues special plates displaying that number. Each plate also carries a unique identifier so the DMV can tell one plate apart from another within the same license.1California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code Section 11714 The plates can be displayed on any vehicle the manufacturer owns or lawfully possesses, which is what makes them useful to a business that constantly builds, tests, and moves inventory.2Cornell Law School. Cal Code Regs Tit 13, 201.00 – Use of Special Plates Issued to a Dealer, Manufacturer, Remanufacturer, or Distributor

There is no hard cap on how many plate sets a manufacturer can hold. Additional sets require a separate application and the per-plate fee for each one.

MFG plates are sometimes confused with DLR (dealer) plates because both are tied to an occupational license. The difference is simple: dealer plates go to businesses that sell vehicles, manufacturer plates go to businesses that build them. A dealership cannot use MFG plates, and a factory cannot use dealer plates.

Who Can Drive an MFG-Plated Vehicle and For What

California regulations spell out exactly who is allowed behind the wheel of an MFG-plated vehicle and what that person can do with it. The rules depend on the driver’s role.

Uses That Will Get You in Trouble

The “any purpose” privilege for owners and officers is the exception. For everyone else, MFG plates are limited to legitimate business activities, and the Vehicle Code treats using special plates outside their authorized purpose as a prohibited act by the licensee.4California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code VEH 11713

Several situations are off-limits regardless of who is driving:

  • A truck or van the manufacturer uses as a regular work or service vehicle cannot carry MFG plates, even if the manufacturer owns it. Those vehicles need standard registration.3California State Department of Motor Vehicles. Special Dealer, Manufacturer, Remanufacturer, and Distributor License Plates
  • A vehicle being moved from a port, rail depot, or warehouse under a DMV-issued transit permit cannot also display MFG plates.
  • Rank-and-file employees cannot use MFG-plated vehicles for personal transportation or commuting. The personal-use privilege belongs only to owners and officers actively managing the business.

Any use outside these boundaries can trigger disciplinary action against the manufacturer’s occupational license, up to suspension or revocation.

How to Get the License and Plates

Manufacturer applications go to the DMV’s Occupational Licensing unit, and the process is more involved than standard vehicle registration because the DMV needs to verify that the applicant is running a legitimate manufacturing operation.

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.5California State Department of Motor Vehicles. Live Scan Fingerprinting Applicants bring DMV Form 8016 to the fingerprint site, and there is a separate $32 fee for the DOJ records check.

Along with fingerprinting, the application package includes the Application for Original Occupational License, a Personal History Questionnaire for each person listed under ownership, and a Corporate Declaration if the business is a corporation or LLC. Vehicle manufacturers must 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

The DMV’s fee schedule splits between the initial application and annual renewal. These figures 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 card submissions in place of Live Scan

Annual renewal:

  • $85 renewal fee plus a $1 Family Support Program fee
  • $92 per auto plate and $94 per motorcycle plate, plus county fees
  • $85 per branch location

Plate fees apply every year at renewal, not only at issuance, so the ongoing cost scales with the number of plate sets a manufacturer holds.

Bond Requirement

California requires vehicle industry licensees to post a surety bond as a condition of the license. The Vehicle Code sets the remanufacturer bond at $50,000.7California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code Section 11710 Manufacturers should confirm the specific bond amount with the DMV’s Occupational Licensing unit when applying, since the required amount can vary by license type. Letting the bond lapse suspends the license.

Penalties for Misuse

Administratively, 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 the license shuts down the ability to legally operate vehicles on public roads for testing or delivery.

Criminal exposure is more serious. 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 provision reaches situations like putting MFG plates on a personal vehicle to dodge registration fees or lending plates to someone unconnected to the manufacturing business.

The Separate Federal Registration

A California manufacturer license and MFG plates cover the state side. Federal law imposes its own obligation: any motor vehicle manufacturer 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 has 30 days from the start of production to register and must keep the information current.9eCFR. 49 CFR Part 566 – Manufacturer Identification Skipping that step does not invalidate the California plates, but it creates compliance problems under federal safety and recall requirements.