PA PLATES (Current Pennsylvania License Plates)

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Pennsylvania License Plate Images

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Here's another PERSON WITH DISABILITY MOTORCYCLE plate image. Still trying to find one of these without a frame, reflectors, extra stickers, etc. It appears that the starting point for this relatively new type was P00A. That would make this plate the 248th to be produced. The P that is part of the serial number is a non-advancing character. The small PD with the wheelchair symbol are not part of the registration number. Posted 7/21.

Here's a triple combination on the far left — an ANTIQUE MOTORCYCLE plate, an inspection sticker from what appears to be 1979-80, and a motorcycle plate from 1916, all on this antique motorcycle and sidecar. I'm guessing that the A30 plate is old (circa 1980) based on the narrow hole spacing and its serial number. Sorry I didn't get the make of the motorcycle. The 1916 plate is not a sidecar plate as PA never registered these, only the bike itself. All the images can be enlarged except the inspection sticker. If anyone is interested, I have a 2.75 MB version of the full image image. Posted 7/17.

This IOCC (International Organization of Christian Charities) I recently added to my collection. Don't know the vintage of this plate but it bears a resemblance to some of the GOVERNORS' plates from the mid-1940s thru the 60s with the raised loaf and vertical legend. This image is part of the OFFICIAL FRONT PLATE images. Posted 7/16.

This COMMONWEALTH COAT OF ARMS plate image was provided by Nick Tsilakis. This plate, unlike many coat of arms plates, has the raised loaf but no contrasting color like the plate above. This image is part of the OFFICIAL FRONT PLATE images. Posted 7/16.

Spotted this TRAILER DEALER plate recently. This dealer type is one of the more unusual. I have a total of seven images of this type ranging from TD1023D to the one pictured, which may be considered the current high. All are formatted alike with "TD"1000"D", with the TD prefix and D suffix remaining as fixed, non advancing characters. I believe that TD1000D was also the starting point when the www plate came into being at the time of replating. Posted 7/15.

This plate type has been in existence for many years and may go back to 1954. There are also quite a few bikes registered as ANTIQUE MOTORCYCLES, although to the casual observer this may not be the case. According to a PennDOT, Report of Registrations, for 2007 there were 6,464 motorcycles registered as antiques in PA, while in 2003 there were 4,233. As this number continues its steady growth, so do the formatting variations of the registration plates. I have accumulated well over 60 images of antique motorcycle plates from PA, and in so doing have tried to identify the formatting variations and various alpha-numeric serial progressions used. These plates pictured above represent a new serial format not previously seen. It appears that the AA0 to ZZ9 series has been exhausted and has been replaced by this new series which probably began at A0A. As always, if anyone has images or data that would be helpful in this research effort, your input is always welcome. Posted 7/14.

Spotted these MOTORCYCLE DEALER plates at the Boyertown bike show. The plate on the far left is the oldest. It is unknown where the number series began when PA began issuing plates on the www base. I will guess that it was somewhere in the 7000 range because I have images in the 7, 8 and 9000 series but none lower on this base. I have no images of M/C dealer plates just prior to the transition to the www base. If someone does, I'd appreciate the info. The next two images represent plates made on the visitPA base. This base was first seen in June of 2006 and began when the previous series was exhausted after hitting MCD9999. These plates follow a MCD/000A format with the numerical portion advancing from 000A thru 999A, then 000B, etc. I don't think anyone is tracking the high plates for this type but I submit that the MCD033C is close to the current high. Posted 7/13.

Got quite a few images at the Boyertown motorcycle show last evening, among which was this low number MOTORCYCLE VANITY plate. Posted 7/13.

Spotted on the road today . . . outside the emergency room of a local hospital I saw a hospital security vehicle with an EMERGENCY VEHICLE plate. The plate was in the EV-30000 range suggesting that it was not one of the free registrations which are in the EV-50000 to the current high. The vehicle was using amber lights so it definitely was not a police vehicle. These plates are permitted to be used on Fire Department, Ambulance, Police, Sheriff, Blood Delivery, Organ Delivery, Armed Forces Emergency Vehicle, Coroner, Medical Examiner, Haz-Mat Vehicle, Philadelphia Parking Authority, and certain privately owned vehicles used as emergency vehicles. Quite a list but seldom seen outside of Fire and EMS vehicles. Posted 7/10.

Ned Flynn captured this image of the number 1 CARPENTER'S UNION plate. Posted 7/8.

After the ^PD0000Y series of the PERSON WITH DISABILITY plates was exhausted, the expectation would have been the continuation of the series with the Z suffix, such as ^PD0000Z. However back in May 2007 Nick Tsilakis reported a plate in a new series — 00000^PD, and now on the visitPA base. OK, so it appeared that the Z suffix series had been skipped. Then shortly thereafter visitPA plates with the Z suffix started appearing in numbers, but what happened to the 00000^PD plates? It seems like there was an early release a few 00000^PD plates then these were stopped and the distribution of the Z suffix plates continued. Now the Z plates have been exhausted or nearly so. See Pa Plate Highs page. The plate pictured here looked brand new. Posted 7/3.

Spotted on the road today . . . I saw a large wrecker with two PA plates on the front. One was an Apportioned plate and the other was a Repair / Towing. There was no good way to photograph it as it was in my rear view mirror. I've seen this truck in the past, or at least one with the same combination of plates, but now I know who the owner is, so I will attempt to get an image or two. Posted 7/3.

Added CHRISTIAN HOMESCHOOL ASSOCIATION OF PA as a new Special Organization / Specialty plate. Posted 7/3.

This is not a new image, having been originally posted on this site back in August of 2006 as a mystery plate. I received the following information today. At the time when these plates were issued, this was a pet project of Governor Ridge (being from the Erie area). This information was provided by Chuck Harrington. This plate could very well have been given to him. Posted 7/3.

This same friend reminds me that STATE OFFICIALS AND DIGNITARIES' plates in addition to the number series of 24 thru 999 also includes A0 thru Z9 and 0A thru 9Z. Of course this group also includes some low numbered vanities from within the same series. This information was provided by Chuck Harrington. Posted 7/3.

AVONDALE FIRE COMPANY joins the ever growing list of PA fire companies with special organization plates. With PA having some 2500 fire companies . . . that could be quite a list of possible future plates. Posted 6/25.

Here is a unique FLAGSHIP NIAGARA plate. The plate is odd because it has more digits than a standard F/N plate. This plate was recently sold on eBay. The seller at the time claimed to know nothing about the plate. It appears the plate was never on a vehicle and never had a validation sticker applied to it, so it may have been something experimental. Posted 6/25. Revised 7/2.

GREENFIELD TWP VFC OF LACKAWANNA COUNTY will soon have its own official plate. Posted 6/22.

*WIKIPEDIA WEBSITE DISCLAIMER*

While surfing the web I came across a Wikipedia page dedicated to Pennsylvania plates. (It appears that there are similar pages for most other states.) As I scrolled down the page, I saw a number of plate images that came from my PA PL8S website, even listing this site as the source. I want to make it clear that I have never submitted images to any Wikipedia site. I find this a little disturbing but what is much more disturbing is the listing of several plate types (with pictures!) that do not exist in PA, for example, COMMERCIAL, LIVERY and RENTAL TRUCK. This is an obvious hoax, and I would hope the party or parties responsible would remove this fakery. I believe the posting of fictitious information does a disservice to the hobby by inviting skepticism and distrust. Posted 6/21.

After the above was posted at 07:42, the fake plates were removed by 13:17.

Images and photos are always welcome. Please send to:

John McDevitt, Walnutport, PA

ALPCA #4376

(Formerly ALPCA #9271)