it depends on whom you ask. If you ask the Calif DMV central office, they’ll likely tell you that license plates are required. But if you ask why there are very many cars not displaying license plates, I expect they’d say something like “That’s somebody else’s problem, not the DMV’s.”
Not a theoretical thing. It’s well known here in Silicon Valley that Steve Jobs never displayed license plates on his personal car.
Good to see you posting again tsm 
I’m too poor to live in Silicon Valley
So I wouldn’t know about Steve Jobs and his license plates 
Thanks. 
I read a story about that in the LA Times … lol …
People of all income strata live in silicon valley btw.
California doesn’t have temporary plates. You get a folded document stuck the lower right corner of the windshield with the temporary registration info and a colorful ad for a car dealer in the place where the plates go. You get new plates sent to you in 90 days.
Lots of people never get plates at all, or get them and throw them in the trunk. With no plates you get no parking tickets, pay no tolls, get no tickets for passing a red light camera or a radar speed scanner. You can smash the windows on parked rental cars and slip away because all the surveillance cameras in the world won’t get a number. You can solicit prostitutes, sell drugs, do drive by shootings, etc. Maybe somewhere in California police will pull you over for no plates, but I’ve never seen it and, considering the number of no plate cars you see every day, it’s pretty unusual.
And the number of expired plates is huge, too.
In a state that just elected an illegal into a government political office it probably isn’t “PC” to pull anyone over for any kind of identifying markings on their vehicle in Cali. Plus the police are probably worried about any kind of retribution by the SJW crowds out there.
Really. Is Mutual Respect on the hwy going obsolete? Packs of cars roll up out of no where through 80 mph traffic like its standing still. I don’t think their delivering girl scout cookies. but may be you don’t recognize. I guess I would feel safer if I knew the vehicle cutting me off or 20 miles under the speed limit was registered.
Dealers use to give out temps before you left the lot-I have no idea. Maybe it feels adventurous to be anonymous on the road…
It’s the dichotomy of the thing that’s puzzling to me; you get pulled pronto if your license plate light bulb isn’t working, but if you have no plates at all, free sailing.