The California decal front plate has been in the works since 2013 when California issued Senate Bill 806, which directed the California DMV to explore alternatives to the front license plate. Chapter 569 of the bill specifically states: "This bill would authorize the department to establish a pilot program, to be completed no later than January 1, 2017, to evaluate the use of alternatives to stickers, tabs , license plates and registration cards, subject to certain requirements, and to report the results of the pilot program, as specified, to the Legislature no later than July 1, 2018."
Texas has explored the idea of removing front plate laws for specific vehicles as a way to balance the front plate law for residents.
A Huntington Beach, California company called License Plate Wraps (LPW) came up with the idea for a license plate wrap, which was tested on 28 vehicles used by the California Highway Patrol as of 2015. After having passed the initial test, a pilot program of front plate wraps was offered to California residents. This pilot program was recently extended until 2023.
To obtain a front plate wrap, California residents simply need to go to the LPW website and submit their license plate information. Customers can choose from 8 different license plate designs that include unique designs as well as important designations like a disabled license plate.