Actually taxiguy, the month on that California plate that you posted is the month the car was purchased. I was born in October, but my license plate has February on it, because the last owner bought the car in February. Another thing, I do not think you need to renew a license plate every time that car is sold to someone else, unless if the last owner had a vanity plate, or if it was sold by a dealer. By the way, it looks like the car that has that license plate was possibly purchased in January 2004 or very late December 2003.