I just received the registration and plates for my truck and the numbers seem weird to me, they are 01572D1...notice that the letter is to you right not like other trucks that have it at the left.
Is this something new the DMV is doing?

 

that's to tell the cops pull this guy over every time you see him LOL its just a different way to identify the letters easier.

 

That seems like a normal plate to me. Last time we had California plates on any of the vehicles was shortly after they when from the block CALIFORNIA to the cursive California. I was really too young to pay attention to the physical numbers at that point. Today, I think 7 letter plates are just weird. They only recently started using them here and its a group of 3 letters/numbers, then a state shape and then the last 4 letters/numbers. The only real set numbers are the disabled vet plates have a DV somewhere in them and I believe are only 6 letter still. The farm truck/trailer/tractor are still a 6 letter with really nothing special about them. I have an older plate, mine is still a stamped 6 letter (versus the painted everything else plates). To me it looks normal, maybe not by California standards now.