California Personalized Plates

[Bayviews88]

I just got my plates yesterday. It took about 13 weeks total. It is so nice having them shipped directly to my house instead of having to go to a DMV office...

Congratulations! The 1960s legacy MachE Rapid Red looks awesome!

BTW, if it really took 13 weeks from ordering to delivery you should buy a lottery ticket. It’s week 34 and counting for my personalized plate. I called the DMV and they said to check back if they don’t send it after 37 weeks! (November)

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[Mach1EV]

Congratulations! The 1960s legacy MachE Rapid Red looks awesome!

BTW, if it really took 13 weeks from ordering to delivery you should buy a lottery ticket. It’s week 34 and counting for my personalized plate. I called the DMV and they said to check back if they don’t send it after 37 weeks! (November)

Thanks, a lottery ticket does sound like a good idea...

I ordered them on Aug 1st through the DMV website (used a credit card for payment) and they arrived on Oct 18th.. I was definitely expecting a longer wait time as well. Hopefully you will get yours soon!

 

[MyLittlePony2022]

When I applied they indicated 8 to 9 months for a special plate. I think I got mine in less than 3 months, which shocked me.

 

[Trick.Mach-E]

Well, it only took the California DMV, 218 days or 7 months, 4 days or 31 weeks and 1 day to get my Personalized Plate (RSMACHE). The website says 6-8 weeks! They are such a good business model, almost as good as the Post Office! Way to go guys!

I ordered the plates for my wife back in August, 2021. In February, 2022, I get a notice from the DMV that her plates are ready to ship but since our registration is almost due the DMV will not ship the plates until we pay the registration fee. OK... registration paid. Still nothing!

So in May I start calling the DMV for answers and find out that I was supposed to pay the registration in person with the notice I received back in February. The notice said nothing about going to the DMV. The guy I was speaking to had to then go get special permission to complete the order because the original plate order was in my wife's name. It didn't matter that I am also the registered owner of the Mach-E. It had to be my wife they had to speak to since her name was on the order form and that was a problem as she is a professor and is busy during DMV working hours.

Surprisingly a DMV manager did call my wife a couple of times and said my wife's plates were sitting on her desk, she just needs to speak to my wife. Finally my wife was able to get in touch with the lady, confirm her order and in June, 2022 the plates arrived...

Two weeks after the plates arrived at our home we received *ANOTHER* set of personalized plates! So now we have an extra set sitting in our garage.

 

[dmitry]

I was mentally prepared for long waiting … surprisingly today I received my license plates. 08/05/22 ordered. ? ?

 

[Bayviews88]

I was mentally prepared for long waiting … surprisingly today I received my license plates. 08/05/22 ordered. ? ?

I am glad to see so many folks now receiving their personalized plates in 2-3 months instead of 9. This gives me hope!

However, it looks like folks are ordering the 1960s Legacy personalized plate - which is the best value and great style IMO. In my case, I ordered the Coastal Commission Whale Tail plate since I wanted to support their work. Perhaps that is a deprioritized or less popular design now resulting in longer wait times.

 

[andruw000]

Just curious, but can you order the personalized plates at the dealer when making the new car purchase? Or is that done separately through the DMV after you take possession of the car?

 

[fpasta]

Same here. Waited close to three months and they finally came.

Pretty Space White Color/hue on this pic. Oh nice plate(s) too. How you get the black and white?

 

[moparguy]

And people ask for more government control!
The California DMV is the living example of why we need less government in our lives.
Title shows up now in 6-8 weeks, used to take a week, renew your DL, takes about 6 weeks, used to be 1 week!

 

[Kevmont]

Well, it only took the California DMV, 218 days or 7 months, 4 days or 31 weeks and 1 day to get my Personalized Plate (RSMACHE). The website says 6-8 weeks! They are such a good business model, almost as good as the Post Office! Way to go guys!

Your plate is very similar to ours!

 

[richsi]

Your plate is very similar to ours!

That's cool, Like it!

 

[Bayviews88]

I am glad to see so many folks now receiving their personalized plates in 2-3 months instead of 9. This gives me hope!

However, it looks like folks are ordering the 1960s Legacy personalized plate - which is the best value and great style IMO. In my case, I ordered the Coastal Commission Whale Tail plate since I wanted to support their work. Perhaps that is a deprioritized or less popular design now resulting in longer wait times.

The saga continues: After making my way up the DMV customer service chain through chats and calls in late November, it turns out my online request from February 2022 was somehow never processed. A staffer in the Field Office Support Unit helped to clear things up, but I had to resubmit all of my paperwork and initial receipt!
I was told the new personalized plate request will be expedited, meaning it should be processed in 30 days and my plates should arrive in 3 months…which is March 2023!
I have the patience of a tortoise, but this ridiculous. This really is a broken system.

 

[Bayviews88]

The saga continues: After making my way up the DMV customer service chain through chats and calls in late November, it turns out my online request from February 2022 was somehow never processed. A staffer in the Field Office Support Unit helped to clear things up, but I had to resubmit all of my paperwork and initial receipt!
I was told the new personalized plate request will be expedited, meaning it should be processed in 30 days and my plates should arrive in 3 months…which is March 2023!
I have the patience of a tortoise, but this ridiculous. This really is a broken system.

Final Update:
On December 31st, the diligent DMV Field Support Unit (aka HQ team for issues the branches can’t solve) staff called me to let me know that she had my new plates on hand and was putting them in the mail that day. What a way to end 2022!

I checked Friday evening January 6th and my new plates were in my mailbox, 333 days or almost 11 months after my initial order but two months earlier than the revised date of March 2023 given in November 2022!

At least I don’t have to pay a renewal fee until September 2023 when the renewal is due on my current MME. The original lemon-ish MME that the plates were ordered for will soon (fingers crossed) be delivered back to Ford.

 

[Bayviews88]

Final Update:
On December 31st, the diligent DMV Field Support Unit (aka HQ team for issues the branches can’t solve) staff called me to let me know that she had my new plates on hand and was putting them in the mail that day. What a way to end 2022!

I checked Friday evening January 6th and my new plates were in my mailbox, 333 days or almost 11 months after my initial order but two months earlier than the revised date of March 2023 given in November 2022!

At least I don’t have to pay a renewal fee until September 2023 when the renewal is due on my current MME. The original lemon-ish MME that the plates were ordered for will soon (fingers crossed) be delivered back to Ford.

Just realized that I didn’t include a photo of the new plate. Yes, she needs a wash after driving in 2+ weeks of California rain.

 

[Bigfeets]

I waited a year for Ford to deliver my MME order. (Ordered 12/7/21. I bought it 12/9/2022.) This wait has much been reported elsewhere on this forum. Now, I'm waiting again for Ford/dealer to honor the price protection promise: you know, that $2000 overcharge they made me pay at purchase so they can refund it to me at some later date. Meanwhile, Cal DMV delivered the Title and the plates exactly ONE MONTH after the purchase. It's day-40 since the purchase and not a whisper of the $2000 refund check from Ford/dealer. Dealership acknowledged that notorius DMV has performed better than Ford. They don't want to talk about the Cal sales tax I had to pay on the $2000 overcharge.

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