Telepeer

Can others have virtually the same personalized license plate as me?

April 3, 2026

Q: Hi there, Honk. I have had a special vanity plate that was a gift from my father before he passed away, and I have been moving the plate from car to car since 1993. A friend of mine just sent me a photo of a car in her neighborhood that has almost the identical plate — only one letter is different. The meaning behind the personal plate is quite universal, but I was surprised that the Department of Motor Vehicles allowed these plates to be so similar. Can you please shed some light on this?

– Carin A. Guertin, Newport Beach

A: Certainly.

“Yes, the DMV can issue plates that differ by only one letter or number, provided both configurations are available and meet personalization guidelines,” Katarina Snow, a DMV spokesperson, told Honk in an email. “Customers can order personalized plates that are unique, even if they closely resemble existing plates.”

The license-plate sequence, under California law, must meet guidelines, which include no sexual, violent, gang, weapon, scatological, obscene, ethnic or religious reference.

Q: For the last few months, I’ve noticed that 18-wheelers are parking on the northbound 5 Freeway entrance ramp at Alton Parkway. One day I saw five of them there, on another day I saw three. Is this entrance a new rest stop? Or is there some law that requires them to stop at that entrance?

– Ray Villagracia, Lake Forest

A: If they were stopped at that Irvine ramp to catch a snooze or read the latest edition of Trucker News or Honk, well, they should have kept truckin’ on.

“They are not allowed to park there,” said Fernando Perez, an officer and spokesman for the California Highway Patrol’s Santa Ana station, which patrols that stretch. “Anytime someone stops on a shoulder, it can only be on an emergency.”

In fact, generally, a vehicle can’t stop along a freeway, or a ramp, except for an emergency.

A parked semi there could become a hazard for another vehicle taking the ramp, including one with its own emergency — say it was hit and the driver is just trying to find a landing spot.

“It’s a risk to the public,” Perez said.

And, yes, a truck parked there could get cited by a CHP or other officer.

HONKIN’ FACT: When a 2005 GMC SUV pulled up to the San Ysidro Port of Entry to get into the United States from Mexico, a K-9 for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection told the handler something was up. Further inspection found a Mexican citizen scrunched into a makeshift, dry compartment in the gas tank that February day. The 20-year-old driver was arrested on suspicion of smuggling, and the human cargo was taken to a hospital for injuries suffered during the smuggling attempt, authorities said.

To ask Honk questions, reach him at honk@ocregister.com. He only answers those that are published. To see Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk. Twitter: @OCRegisterHonk

Orange County Register

News Details

Can others have virtually the same personalized license plate as me?

News

CONTACT INFO

QUICK LINKS

SERVICES

CURRENT NEWS