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Pennsylvania License Plate Images John McDevitt, Walnutport, PA |
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PLATE TYPE (first year of issue) PLATE FORMATTING REFERENCE INFORMATION
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PLATE PHOTOS & NEEDED IMAGES |
UPDATES |
SAMPLES AND PROTOTYPES |
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FORMAT 1: On www base, FCC Call Sign, beginning with A, K, N, or W. Most PA Amateur Radio plates use the
number 3 to designate the region. The N0XOH call letter is used by
someone who brought an existing call sign into PA when they moved. The call letter is N0(zero)XOH.
In PA the number fonts are larger than the letters. It's hard
to distinguish this on the photo. The WD5 call is the same situation.
If an owner desires a second Amateur Radio plate, it will be issued with the
call sign plus a hyphen and the number two (-2).
FORMAT 2: On visitPA base. All other
characteristics the same as FORMAT 1. |
from Jordan Irazabal from Bruce Bufalini
from Nick Tsilakis |
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Apportioned Truck (1982) FORMAT 1: AE-00000 to AF-49999 On www base, with dash separator.
FORMAT 2: AF-50000 to current high On visitPA base, with keystone separator.
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from Jordan Irazabal |
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Circus-Carnival Truck (1990)
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from Jordan Irazabal from Tom Perri
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Commercial Implement of Husbandry FORMAT: CI1500H to current high
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FORMAT: FM-0000A to current high
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from Jordan Irazabal |
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FORMAT: HE-03000 to current high |
from Tom Perri
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FORMAT: IMP-5000 on www base Better image needed
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Photocopy |
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FORMAT 1: BA000 to BM999 on www base
FORMAT 2: BN000 to current high on visitPA base Image added 9/21/07
Plate measures 4 x 7
Same format as the plates above. |
from Jordan Irazabal |
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FORMAT 1: HG-00000 to HG-05999 On www base with dash separator, uses different font than later plates, note the 'M'. FORMAT 2: HG-06000 to HG-99999 On www base with dash separator, uses different font than earlier plates, note the 'M'
FORMAT 3: HH-00000 to current high On visitPA base with keystone separator Spotted 5/4/06 |
From Clayton Moore
from Jordan Irazabal |
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Motorcycle (www base) (1914) FORMAT 1: AAA00 to NZZ99 On www base
FORMAT 2: PAA00 to ZZZ99 FORMAT added 5/7/05 Plate measures 4x7
FORMAT 3: 0000A to current high FORMAT added 5/28/09
Motorcycle (LiveFreeRideAlive base) FORMAT 4: 7600L or 7601L to between 7499L and 7699L FORMAT added 4/3/10. Supposedly released in 3/10. These are part of a 60,000 plate run. In Bulletin 10-09 PennDOT says "that the "Live Free Ride Alive" motorcycle registration plate is a limited edition . . . plate and is the current standard . . . motorcycle plate. PennDOT began issuing the redesigned . . . plate in March 2010. Agents . . . are required to issue the "Live Free Ride Alive" . . . plate in place of the regular . . . plate. Once inventory of [these] registration plates is exhausted, they will . . . return to the previous standard . . . plate design." As a side note, vanity plates on this base seem to be very rare.
FORMAT 5: Between 7500T and 7700T to current high. Same as Format 3 above. |
from Jerry McCoy from Bill Ceravola
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FORMAT 1: Up to 5 characters, one space or dash permitted but not both, on www base Plate measures 4 x 7
Motorcycle Vanity (visitPA base) FORMAT 2: Same formatting as FORMAT 1 but on visitPA base. FORMAT added 5/7/05
Motorcycle Vanity (Live Free Ride Alive base)
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from Bruce Bufalini
from Bruce Bufalini
from Justin Davis from Bruce Bufalini
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Passenger (www base) (1906) FORMAT 1: DAA-0000 to FYC-9999 then switched to visitPA base above Image at right is first of the www.state.pa.us plates.
High plate observed: FYC-9994 on WWW base. From Eric Butler, 8/13/06.
with
Temporary Registration Permit (2001) Note that this plate and permit go together until arrival of validation sticker at which time the Temporary Registration Permit is removed.
Temporary Plate with Temporary Registration Permit (2010) Note that this plate and permit go together until arrival of validation sticker at which time the Temporary Registration Permit is removed.
FORMAT 2: GBA-0000 to current high This image represents a revision to the www base and is similar in design to the new specialty plates. PennDOT confirmed on 12/15/04 that they were planning to begin using the new visitPA.com base in place of the www.state.pa.us base on all plate types where the web address was normally used. One source suggests they were first issued on 12/22/04.
Inversion Error Reversal of plate legend and field characters |
from Nick Tsilakis from Jim Moini
from Jordan Irazabal from Grant MacKenzie |
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This plate type should have been replaced by 8/02, but is still in use with a 5/06 validation sticker.
Here is another plate from an later base than the one above but still wearing a current validation sticker. Seen 9/16/06.
This plate, which was just recently replaced, had a valid registration card which did concur with the plate number. Somehow it missed getting replaced way back when. The answer many have something to do with the purchase of a new vehicle in 2001 and this yellow-on-blue plate being issued rather than a www base plate. |
from Ed Coghill
from Nick Tsilakis from Bill Adams |
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Passenger - re-make of old bases Re-Makes of 1977 Keystone State Base, yellow on blue. Plate could be 6-digit numeric or 5-digit with an alpha character in the 1st, 2nd or 6th position.
Note use of keystone separator.
Re-Make of 1983 You've Got a Friend Base Originally issued starting in 1983 with the series HAA-000 to RZZ-999
Re-Make of 1987 Keystone State Base Originally issued starting in 1987 with the series SAA-000 to ZZZ-999
Re-Make of 1991 Keystone State Base Originally issued starting in 1991 with the series AAA-0000 to CEE-????. Owner requested to keep old number on new base. This then makes the plate a personalized plate. However, note the use of a keystone separators in place of the dash separator. See License Plate Replacement Fact Sheet for additional information. |
from Salvatore J. Dodd, Sr. From The Triborough Organization from Nick Tsilakis
from Nick Tsilakis
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Not a current TYPE
FORMAT 1: Up to 7 characters, one space or dash permitted but not both. At least two 8-digit plates have been confirmed ("HUMPBACK" and "MCERLANE"). At least the latter, if not both, have been recalled by PennDOT. The GJS-MSON is actually an invert error plate. Note the second S is upside down.
Passenger Vanity (visitPA base) FORMAT 2: This plate with its visitPA.com tagline, represents a departure from the www base. It is similar in design to the Specialty Plates except for the 'tag line'. 12/04
The plate to the right is actually reads 7 and the letter O, not seventy (70). Letter characters are smaller than numbers. The state coat of arms was added by the owner.
In spite of the Corvette Club logo, and masking off the visitPA plate legend, I believe this is just a vanity. |
from Bruce Bufalini
from Nick Tsilakis
both above from Rob Macsi
from Bill Ceravola
from Chas Stokes II
from Bill Jesse
from Steve Ondik from Bruce Bufalini from Jordan Irazabal from Tom Perri from Tom Perri from Jordan Irazabal
from Tom Perri
from Ned Flynn from Grant MacKenzie from Ned Flynn from Grant MacKenzie from Eric Conner from Chas Stokes II from Steve Ondik
from Jim McDevitt
from Nick Santiago
from Grant MacKenzie
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Passenger look-alike is actually a vanity
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Permanent Trailer (1997) FORMAT 1: PT-0000A to PT-9999K on www base, dash separator.
FORMAT 2: PT-0000L to current high on visitPA base base, keystone separator. First seen 3/2007.
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from Jim Moini
from Jordan Irazabal from Jordan Irazabal |
Image added 1/29
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On www base, font used for PD is taller than later plates, and wheelchair symbol is larger.
Same as Format 1 except font used for PD is lower, and wheelchair symbol is smaller.
Type added 8/9/07. See note under Type 4 below. On visitPA base.
Type added 5/24/07. No other examples of this type variation were reported until 7/2008. For reasons unknown, the Type 4 plates were seen prior to the Type 3 plates, then after a few months the Type 3 came out and the Type 4 were not distributed until the Type 3 plate were exhausted.
There is a spacing variation between the plates. There is a noticeable shift of the 5-digit number to the left on the higher number plate, while the wheelchair symbol is located in the same place on both. The change happened at 23000 PD.
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from Jordan Irazabal from Nick Tsilakis
from Nick Tsilakis from Nick Tsilakis |
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Person with Disability, Motorcycle The plate to the right is a standard motorcycle plate with a handicap sticker, making it a Person with Disability Motorcycle plate. These plates are to be replaced by the plate below.
FORMAT: P00A to current high, the PD and wheelchair symbol which are flat screened are not part of the registration number. The embossed P is part of the number but is a static, non-advancing character. Type added 11/15/07, plates available 12/21/07. |
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to current high. Issued in pairs. Only the rear plate gets a validation sticker.
FORMAT 2: It is reported that at least one remake has been issued on the visitPA base. |
from Sol Bress Graphic depiction above from Nick Santiago from Nick Santiago from Eric Butler
Image needed
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Plate issued 2/06.
Plate issued 7/06.
Plate issued 8/07 |
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Special Mobile (Equipment) (1982) FORMAT 1: SME-000D to current high
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Steel Worker (1997)
This is not a special organization plate but a special class of plate. Note the colorized seal on the low numbered plate, not seen in higher number plates.
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FORMAT 1: 0000-000 to ~ 0499-999 Uses Commonwealth seal as watermark.
FORMAT 2: ~ 0500-000 to ~ 0999-999 Uses Commonwealth coat of arms as watermark.
FORMAT 3: ~ 1000-000 to 1499-999 or 1749-999. Uses a repetition of square PennDOT logos as a watermark
FORMAT 4: ~ 1500-000 or 1750-000 to unknown. Uses Pennsylvania over Department of Transportation followed by a PennDOT keystone logo as a watermark. Format added 1/15/10.
FORMAT 5: Range unknown. Appears to be a run of cardboard plates using a different font. Other characteristics appear to be the same.
FORMAT 6: Range unknown. Appears to use the same background and font as Format 4.
FORMAT 7: Range unknown to current high. Appears to use the same background and font as Format 3. A contributor, Christopher Hainesport, noticed the recent postings of unusual looking Temporary Intransit cardboard plate images on this page. I had noted that the font on one plate was different and the other was 4 million past the current high. Chris explains that it's because they're counterfeit temp tags. It's a common practice of illegal immigrants and others who cannot obtain a drivers license, insurance, and/or registration by legal means. They print them up on a computer and paste it to cardboard. The incorrect font, incorrect number sequence, and use of the outdated PennDOT square box logo are the biggest giveaways. The tag 2031-244 (below) that is shown under Format 6 is the only one that appears genuine and it actually belongs in Format 4 since all the others in Formats 5, 6 and 7 are fake. Chris works for the Philadelphia Parking Authority and confiscates a bunch of these fakes each month. In the near future I will remove the formats that are fake. |
from Bruce Bufalini
from Jordan Irazabal from Jordan Irazabal from Jordan Irazabal from Jordan Irazabal from Jordan Irazabal |
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OLD BASE
FORMAT 1:XK-00000 to XZ-99999 On www base with dash separator
FORMAT 2: XBA-0000 to XBZ-9999 On www base with dash separator The XK-00000 to XZ-9999 series exhausted the usable combinations. Series began with XBA. XAA was skipped. First seen May 2004.
FORMAT 3: XCA-0000 to current high On visitPA base with keystone separator, first reported in early July 2005. |
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Truck (1914) BICENTENNIAL COMMERCIAL BASE Apparently still in use.
OLD BASE The owner of this plate states that he received it when he bought a new 2000 pickup. PennDOT has sent him validation stickers every year but no new plate. He has been stopped several time but the plate registration is valid. FORMAT 1: YAA-0000 to YRR-9810 or higher On WWW base with dash separator. www base high plate observed: YRR-9810 from Bruce Bufalini on 7/3/05.
FORMAT 2: YSA-0000 to current high On visitPA base with keystone separator.
First seen 5/17/05
First seen 2/13/11 |
from Rick
From Grant MacKenzie |
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We The People (Constitution) (1987)
Commemorates the 200th anniversary of US Constitution. Plate type is still in use; however, only issued during a 3 month period in 1987, less than 5000 were issued. This is the only remaining legal yellow on blue plate. |
from Bill Ceravola
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