History Pages →
Press Photographer
From the PA state archives — On February 10, 1956, Governor George M. Leader signed the Press Photograph License Plate Bill along with Secretary Gleason, Pat Cahill, Paul Vathis and Tom Leask. This enabled the issuing of Press Photograph License Plates beginning 1956.
Chuck Harrington also indicated that during Governor Leader's tenure (1/55 - 1/59) legislation was passed to make the Press Photographer plates part of the vehicle code. A Press Photographer prototype with a silk screened PP inside the keystone was made as a test on the '58 base. Plate type always issued in pairs.
There are also reports of early unofficial plates using the PP-prefix dating back to 1948.
Text in red indicates changes from previous base/format.
1956 (First year)
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
|
- Observed serial range: PP60 - PP321 (It's uncertain if numbering began at PP1 or PP10) |
  (Matching registration card) From John Anshant |
Not offered on this format |  |
1957
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
|
- Observed serial range: PP1 - PP321 |
 From eBay  (Disabled Veteran keychain tag) From Jerry McCoy |
Not offered on this format | |
1958 - 1963
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
|
Format 1 (With tab slots) - Observed serial range: PP1 - PP444 (PP508 reported but no photos exist) |
  (Matching registration card) From John Anshant |
Not offered on this format | |
|
Format 2 (Without tab slots) - Observed serial range: PP464 (only one observed) |
|
Not offered on this format | |
1960 - 1963 (Suburban / Station Wagon)
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
|
- Observed serial range: PP19 - PP111 |
 From John Willard |
Not offered on this format | |
1963 - 1964
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
|
- Observed serial range: PP 87 - PP 202 |
 From John Anshant |
Not offered on this format | |
1965 - 1970
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
|
- Observed serial range: PP 12 - PP 301 (PP 12 is the only know plate with the keystone separator) |
 From unknown collection via Jordan Irazabal  From John Anshant  (Close-up view of the stickers on the above plate) |
Not offered on this format | |
1971 - 1976
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
|
- Observed serial range: PP 36 - PP 352 - Sticker wells at top-left and top-right |
 From Mike Sells |
Not offered on this format | |
1977 - 1983
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
|
- Observed serial range: PP 79 - PP 347 - Sticker wells at top-left and top-right |
 From Chuck Harrington |
Not offered on this format | |
1984 - 2000
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
|
Format 0 (Error plate) - For those who had the 1977 base and wished to update to the 1985 yellow on blue base, plates were issued with PP + the large keystone + the number, however, the formatting of these plates was in error. Most of these plates were recalled. Information from Chuck Harrington. |
 From Chuck Harrington |
Not offered on this format | |
|
Format 1 (PENNSYLVANIA on top) - Observed serial range: PP 99 - PP 444 |
 From Chuck Harrington |
Not offered on this format | |
|
Format 2 (PENNSYLVANIA on bottom) - Observed serial range: PP 4 - PP 594 |
 From Sol Bress |
Not offered on this format | |
2000 - 2014
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
|
- Observed serial range: PP 4 - PP 799 - Sticker well at top-left |
 From Sol Bress |
Not offered on this format | |
2014 - present
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
|
Format 1 - Observed serial range: PP 800 - PP 833 - Sticker well at top-left |
 From Ryan Battin |
 From Joe Pavlo |
|
|
Format 2 (Map outline in place of sticker well) - Observed serial range: None observed other than reprint shown to the right |
 (This could be a personalized plate but no way to be sure) From Jim McDevitt |
Not offered on this format | |