In 2023, California had the most automobile registrations: almost 13.2 million such vehicles were registered in the most populous U.S. federal state. California also had the highest number of registered motor vehicles overall: nearly 30.4 million registrations.

In 2022, California was the federal state with the highest number of motor vehicle registrations in the United States. More than 31.1 million motor vehicles were registered in the nation’s most populous state. Overall, the United States recorded over 283.4 million vehicle registrations. Vehicle classes Automobiles and trucks are the leading categories in terms of motor vehicle sales in the United States, accounting for roughly 96 percent of all registrations. Motorcycles and buses comprise the remaining categories, with buses accounting for a miniscule 0.33 percent of registrations. In terms of sales, light trucks were the most popular category in 2023 with retail sales of nearly 12.4 million units. Leading state California recorded around 30.1 million registrations of automobiles and trucks, having a resident population of just under 39 million people. California is the largest market for car registration. The state is known for progressive state legislation that promotes the manufacturing and sale of electric vehicles.