Indiana license plate's 5G mark unrelated to cellular infrastructure
- Published on June 9, 2026 at 18:47
- 2 min read
- By Marisha GOLDHAMER, AFP USA
A video viewed more than 1.5 million times on Facebook is warning drivers they are being tracked by a small 5G imprint on the side of a license plate from the US state of Indiana. But the state's bureau of motor vehicles said the marking is a manufacturing code on the plate's reflective sheeting and in no way connected to the 5G infrastructure that powers cellular networks, adding that no tracking technology is embedded in the plates.
"5G wireless tracking on license plates," says the caption on a June 4, 2026 Facebook video of an Indiana license plate.
"It's also very crucial for when they start implementing the 15-minute cites," says another user, referencing a widely debunked conspiracy theory that misrepresents an urban planning concept to falsely claim governments plan to confine residents to small segments of cities.
The video spread across platforms including X, TikTok and Instagram, preying on a lingering mistrust of 5G telecommunications technology that previously led to the burning of infrastructure during the Covid-19 pandemic.
5G -- the faster, fifth-generation mobile broadband system that makes it easier to browse, stream and transfer data -- was first deployed in Indiana in 2018.
It can help drivers utilize the Global Positioning System, or GPS, for directions, and it also allows logistics companies to monitor commercial fleets.
But the marking on the license plate in the video is "simply a manufacturer's date code for the reflective sheeting on the plate," Gregory Dunn, executive director of communications for the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), told AFP.
The code can be used to help identify when the material was made, in case there are any errors on the plates.
"This code is in no way connected to cellular networks and 5G infrastructure," he said in a June 8 email. "Indiana does not currently use any tracking technology embedded on our license plates nor does the Indiana BMV plan to implement such technology."
Dunn sent AFP several images of plates manufactured at different times to illustrate how the markings change.
Dunn said the state's plates are produced by the Irwin Hodson Group. AFP contacted the manufacturer for more information, but a response was not forthcoming.
License plates are required in Indiana. They help authorities link a car to its registered owner and are utilized by police to check if a vehicle has been stolen.
Some states have legalized digital license plates, but Indiana is not among them (archived here).
Read more of AFP's reporting on conspiratorial claims about 5G technology here.
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