“License Plate Wrap is the only company authorized to sell wraps at this time,” a spokesperson for the DMV said, adding there is no direct funding allocated to the program.

A vinyl plate costs $131.60 on top of standard license plate fees and takes four to five weeks to fulfill.

“When I get an order, that information gets submitted to DMV, and they clear it,” Mendoza said. “Whatever is registered with the DMV, that's the only thing I can issue.”

A participant’s registration must be current, and they must provide Mendoza with the installation date and vehicle mileage.

The vinyl wrap plate, which is reflective and scannable by license plate readers used by law enforcement, comes with a letter declaring the vehicle is part of the program in the event any questions about the authenticity of the tag are raised.

Taking one of the license plate wraps off of a vehicle is extremely difficult for thieves because the vinyl would stretch and tear, Mendoza said.

These sticker-like plates conform to bumpers and don’t require screws, allowing discerning motorists to keep the front sides of their vehicles pristine. The DMV only allows vinyl plates on the fronts of cars; rear plates must still be metal.

California is the first state to try them out, and polls on online forums indicate Tesla owners seem happy to spend extra to keep their Model X SUVs pristine—much more than the $25 for traditional plates.

Mendoza is actively pitching all of the states in the union to embrace vinyl license plates and says North Dakota is showing keen interest along with Texas. He’s working to persuade more drivers in California to try out his product. He’s now giving car dealerships posters to market his product.

“Everybody loves it,” Mendoza said. “They just love the whole thing: that it's out there and that there's an alternative.”