WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG? Digital license plates are now legal in California.

New technology is hitting the streets in California that lets motorists use high-tech digital license plates on their vehicles instead of the old-fashioned metal variety.

The Motor Vehicle Digital Number Plates Bill (AB 984), passed earlier this month, allows California vehicle owners to use the digital plates, made exclusively by California company Reviver.

The plates, which resemble tablets. connect to an app that offers registration renewal, vehicle location services and security features — such as reporting a vehicle stolen. They are the same shape and size as traditional license plates, and give users the option to change the plate’s background color by toggling between a light or dark mode. Motorists can also personalize a banner message on the plate.

The bill’s passage follows a successful pilot program in which approximately 10,000 California drivers demoed the new technology.

“Californians are known to be early adopters of emerging innovative technologies. We welcome new opportunities to automate and integrate as many parts of our lives as possible, enabling us to streamline mundane tasks and stay connected. Our cars are no exception,” Reviver co-founder Neville Boston said in a statement.

Besides the obvious risk of hacking, what happens when the iPad bolted to the front of the car is hit from debris in the road, or is backed into by a pickup’s trailer hitch? A bent metal license plate is still readable; a smashed LCD probably won’t be.

Ars Technica notes that digital license plates aren’t the only cutting edge option for California drivers. “A larger unanswered question is whether smart license plates offer enough personal utility to see widespread adoption beyond commercial vehicles and fleets. And if the thought of a $20/month subscription is too much to bear but you don’t want a metal plate like everyone else on the road, California also just legalized using a license plate wrap instead.”