Commentary: From stamped metal to digital, the strange history of our GLDN ST8 PL8S

California has exhausted all available character combinations for its current license plate sequence, which has been in use since the 1980s. The state is now transitioning to a new system as it runs out of options.
California has run out of combinations for its current license plate sequence, ending a string dating back to the 1980s. How did we get here?
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