Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ucla-cs.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!trwrb!trwrba!cepu!ucla-cs!wales From: wales@ucla-cs.UUCP Newsgroups: net.auto Subject: Re: What does "E" in a diamond mean on a CA license plate? Message-ID: <4586@ucla-cs.ARPA> Date: Fri, 29-Mar-85 22:14:23 EST Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.4586 Posted: Fri Mar 29 22:14:23 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 1-Apr-85 03:37:28 EST References: <159@ucbcad.UUCP> Reply-To: wales@ucla-cs.UUCP (Rich Wales) Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department Lines: 56 Summary: In article <159@ucbcad.UUCP>, Mike Klein says that an "E" in a diamond on a California license plate denotes an emergency vehicle. Not quite. The "E" in a diamond (or, on older California plates, an "E" in an octagon) denotes a publicly owned vehicle that is exempt from regis- tration fees. (The "E" thus stands for "exempt", I assume.) I was unable to find any section of the California Vehicle Code which specifically talks about plates with this "E", but I think that the applicable section of the Code is Section 4155, which basically says that: (1) License plates on publicly owned vehicles must display a distinguishing symbol or letter (not specified in the Code, but I assume it is the "E" in a diamond). (2) Such plates need not display the year issued. (For "normal" cars in California, the rear license plate must display stickers showing the month and year when the current regis- tration expires. A new "year" sticker is issued each year after payment of registration fees, and it is stuck on the plate over the old "year" sticker.) (3) Registration of such a vehicle lasts indefinitely and need not be renewed annually (again, unlike normal cars). I have seen many, many NON-emergency vehicles with "exempt" plates. For example, school buses owned by public school districts have them. Also, here at UCLA (which is a state-run school), ALL the cars owned by the University have "exempt" plates. (They also have decals on the back saying "University of California -- For Official Use Only" -- but that's another story altogether.) If I remember correctly, the "exempt" plates in at least some other states have an embossed caption that says "PUBLICLY OWNED" or some such. California "exempt" plates, on the other hand, have no special marking except for the "E" in a diamond/octagon. -- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rich Wales University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Computer Science Department 3531 Boelter Hall Los Angeles, California 90024 // USA -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Phone: (213) 825-5683 // +1 213 825 5683 ARPANET: wales@UCLA-LOCUS.ARPA UUCP: ...!{cepu,ihnp4,trwspp,ucbvax}!ucla-cs!wales -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "UCLA" is a registered trademark of The Regents of the University of California -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-