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PLATE TYPE (first year of issue)
PLATE FORMATTING
REFERENCE INFORMATION |
PLATE PHOTOS & NEEDED IMAGES |
UPDATES |
SAMPLES AND PROTOTYPES |
IS PLATE VANITY ELIGIBLE?
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Amateur Radio
(1956 to present) |
History
Link |
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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 WD5INA 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). |
|
Link to Ham Radio
info |
Test
plate
from Matt Ciecka |
Not applicable
|
|
FORMAT 2: On visitPA base. All other
characteristics the same as FORMAT 1.
Jay Hughs offers the following comment: Radio call signs are available as
reissue through [the FCC's] vanity call sign program. Once a call is
inactive for 2 years, anyone can apply for that combination. His theory is,
the original owner of the call sign (let's use Jay's call, K3JLT, as an
example) had a PA license plate with that call sign. That person gives up
the plate, gives up the call sign, and that call sign is reissued some time
later through the vanity call program. Now the second person, being reissued
K3JLT, wants a PA plate with his call sign, so since it's a different
registrant, they can't issue the same K3JLT tag, so they issue K3JLT-1. They
wouldn't issue -2 or -3 to someone unless the amateur radio license and the
registration names match.
|
from Jordan Irazabal
from Bruce Bufalini
from Nick Tsilakis
from Pete, NL7XM
from Pete, NL7XM
from Bruce Bufalini
Error plate uses 0 (zero) in place of letter O.
from Bruce Bufalini |
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FORMAT 3: On visitPA base with small map outline and without sticker
well. All other
characteristics the same as FORMAT 1. Variation added 2/11/18. |
from Craig
Wanner
from Preston Turner
from Colin Schaefer |
Image added 4/16 |
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Apportioned Truck
(1982 to present) |
History
Link |
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FORMAT 1: AE-00000 to AF-49999. Issued
beginning in 2000.
On www base, with dash separator. |
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FORMAT 2:
AF-50000 to
AG-66499, high unconfirmed.
Issued beginning mid-2007.
On visitPA base, with keystone
separator. The AG series first seen late May/early June
2012. |
from Jordan Irazabal |
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FORMAT 3:
AG-67500 to
≥AG-73001. Observed early
2018, without sticker well and without map outline. |
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Yes, with weight restrictions |
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FORMAT 4:
≥AG-73002 to
current high.
Observed 6/2018, without sticker well and with map outline. |
from Jeff Lawson
AH-00000 series
First spotted 12/2020
 |
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Motor Home
(1977 to present) |
History Link |
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FORMAT 1: HG-00000 to HG-05999
On www base with dash separator, uses a wider legend font than later plates, note the 'M'. |
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No |
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FORMAT 2: HG-06000
to HG-99999
On www base with dash separator, uses a narrower legend font than earlier plates, note the 'M' |
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FORMAT 3: HH-00000 to HH-68620 or above. On visitPA base with
keystone separator. Spotted
5/4/06. Has sticker well. |
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Yes
as configured in Format 4 and later below
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FORMAT 4: Vehicles of 14,000 lb or less can be issued a
personalized registration plate of up 7 characters. |
from Bill Ceravola |
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FORMAT 5: From HH-68750
to HH-72868 or 72999.
No sticker well or map outline. Spotted
8/6/18. |
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FORMAT 6: Likely from HH-73819
to HH-99999,
then HJ-00000.
(No HI serial numbers issued.)
With map outline. Spotted
7/2019.
To
current high. |
from Donald Harman
HJ-00000 series
from Richard Than |
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Motorcycle (1914 to present) |
History Link |
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FORMAT 1A, 2001: www base, AAA00 to GZZ99,
characters are oriented to the right leaving space toward the left margin,
on base with blue, white, yellow fade bands, PENNSYLVANIA screened as top
legend, MC embossed as bottom legend,
all plates
undated, renewed
with validation stickers, size 4" x 7". |
 |
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Yes,
see Motorcycle Vanity section below
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Format 1B:
www base, HAA00 to NZZ99, characters are center oriented, on base with blue,
white, yellow fade bands, PENNSYLVANIA screened as top legend, MC embossed
as bottom legend,
all plates
undated, renewed
with validation stickers, size 4" x 7". |
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Format 2,
2005: visitPA base
-
from
PAA00 to ZZZ99,
-
then
0000A to 7599L,
Blue, white,
yellow solid bands, PENNSYLVANIA screened as top legend, MC embossed as
bottom legend, size 4" x 7". PAA000 format added 5/7/2005, then 0000A format
added 5/28/2009. |
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from Ryan Battin |
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FORMAT 3, 2010: 7600L to
7599T, LiveFreeRideAlive base, added 4/3/10. Supposedly released
in 3/10. These were 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." This theme was to encourage motorcycle
safety. |
from Devan Ciemiewicz
from Devan Ciemiewicz |
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FORMAT 4, 2011: Following completion of the
60,000 LiveFree plate run, plates returned to the same design as Format 2
above except for a new font or dies for the serial numbers, and possibly for
the MC.
From
7600T to 9999Z, |
from Jordan Irazabal |
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Format 4A, mid-2012:
A0000 to
Z9999
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from Ryan Battin
from Ryan Battin |
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Format 4B, mid-2015:
0AA00 to
9ZZ99 |
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Format 4C, 2023:
00AA0 to
current high. |
from John McDevitt |
Image & format added 5/14 |
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Motorcycle (vertical)
(2014 to present) |
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FORMAT
1: Motorcycle (vertical)
Vertical orientation visitPA,
formatting will be M0A0C, the M and the C will be non-advancing characters,
at least from the start. Plates measure 4 inches by 7 inches.
Format added 3/2/2014. |
from
Ryan Battin
from
Ryan Battin |
|
 |
Yes
as configured in Format 2 below. |
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FORMAT 2: Personalized with up to 5 characters. |
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FORMAT
3:
Second formatting progression now MA0AC, the
first M and the final C are non-advancing characters. To
current high.
Format added 2015. |
from Tim Martin
from Jeff Hinkle |
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Passenger
(1906 to present) |
History Link |
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FORMAT 1: 1999, DAA-0000 to
FYC-9999
www base,
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.
|
from
Nick
Tsilakis
 |
|
 |
Yes |
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FORMAT 2: 2004,
GBA-0000
Passenger (visitPA base)
These plates 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.
|
from Steve Ondik
Inversion error
from Bruce Bufalini |
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FORMAT 3:
2017,
KLF-0000
Plates with the small map outline replacing the sticker
well expected to be released by mid-2017.
Proposed variation added 12/18/16. Plates first seen as vanities in January of 2017,
and standard plates in June of 2017.
To
current high. |
Oddball, without sticker well and without map
from Ryan Battin
from Richard Than |
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Passenger - previous bases
still in use |
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1971
Bicentennial State Base
Photographed
in use 2/16/2003 |
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Not applicable |
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1977
Passenger Base
These plates should
have been replaced by 8/02. |
from Ed Coghill
Aaron of Levittown
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1983 Passenger Friend Base
The owner, had the registration, KFG-670,
as a remake on the current visitPA base until it was damaged by vandals. He
inquired of PennDOT as to what he should do. The response he received was,
"You would be able to keep and use the undamaged plate. Please destroy the
other plate so that no one else may use it."
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1986
Passenger Keystone State Base
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 Nick Tsilakis
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Passenger - re-make of old
bases |
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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. |
from
Salvatore J.
Dodd, Sr.
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Note use of keystone separator. |
From The Triborough Organization |
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Re-Make of 1983 You've Got a Friend Base. Originally issued
starting in 1983 with the series HAA-000 to RZZ-999 |
from Nick Tsilakis |
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Re-Make of 1987 Keystone State Base
Originally issued
starting in 1987 with the series SAA-000 to ZZZ-999 |
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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 Nick Tsilakis
from Steve Ondik |
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This is
likely a re-make of a Bicentennial issue. The letter U is no longer
used in serial progressions. |
from Tom Perri |
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Person with Disability
(1965 to present) |
History Link |
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FORMAT 1: |
P D |
0000A
to |
P D |
5999A |
On www base, font used for PD is taller than
later plates, and wheelchair symbol is larger. |
 |
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Yes
as configured in Format 5 below |
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FORMAT 2: |
P D |
6000A
to |
P D |
9999Y |
Same as Format 1 except font used for PD is lower,
and wheelchair symbol is smaller. |
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Type added 8/9/07. See note under Type 4A
below. Now on visitPA base. |
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Type added 5/24/07. No other examples of
this type variation were reported until 7/2008. For reasons unknown,
the Type 4A plates were seen prior to the Type 3 plates, then after a few
months the Type 3 came out and the Type 4A 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 24059 plate, while the wheelchair symbol is located in
the same place on both. The change happened at 23000 PD. Later
the serial number again shifted right. |
from
Nick
Tsilakis
from Ryan Battin |
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This provision dates from 12/2014. Vehicle owners who have a device on the rear of
the vehicle for carrying a wheelchair or personal assistive device are
authorized to be issued two plates since the assistive device and carrier may
block visibility of the vehicle mounted plate. |
from Nick Tsilakis |
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FORMAT 4C:
On VisitPA base with sticker well.
Personalized, up to 5
characters with PD suffix |
from Tom Perri |
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FORMAT 4D:
On VisitPA base with sticker well.
Personalized, up to 5
characters with PD suffix. Vehicle owners who have a device on the rear of
the vehicle for carrying a wheelchair or personal assistive device are
authorized to be issued two plates since the assistive device and carrier may
block visibility of the vehicle mounted plate. |
from Bruce Bufalini |
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On VisitPA
base but without sticker well, and with small map outline.
First spotted December 2017. |
from Bruce Bufalini |
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FORMAT 5A:
On VisitPA base but without sticker well, and with small map outline, personalized, up to 5
characters with PD suffix.
First spotted June 2017. |
from George Kunsman
from John Anshant |
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FORMAT 5B:
This provision allowing two plates dates from 12/2014. Vehicle owners who have a device on the rear of
the vehicle for carrying a wheelchair or personal assistive device are
authorized to be issued two plates since the assistive device and carrier may
block visibility of the vehicle mounted plate.
Such plates
can also be personalized. |
from John Clark |
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New serial
format 2/2022 |
both from Matt Ciecka |
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Person with Disability,
Motorcycle
(2007 to present with screened PD & wheelchair symbol, also with sticker
dating to mid-90s. ) |
History Link |
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| FORMAT
1:
The standard motorcycle
plate with a handicap sticker, making it a Person with Disability Motorcycle
plate. It is unknown when the Person with Disability stickers were
first issued, but likely in the late 1990s. These plates were to be replaced by the plate below. |
Plates are in order of Handicapped sticker serial
number.
from Clayton Moore
from Clayton Moore |
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No |
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FORMAT 2:
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. |
 |
|
 |
Yes
as configured in Format 3 below |
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FORMAT 3:
Personalized,
up to 3 characters with PD & symbol which are not part of the registration number.
The first character in the serial number, P, does not advance. |
from Bruce Bufalini |
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Press Photographer
(1948 unofficially, 1956 officially, to present) |
History Link |
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FORMAT 1: |
P P |
0, |
P P |
00, |
P P |
000 |
to
PP
799 or
PP
800.
Issued in pairs.
Only the rear plate gets a validation sticker.
|
from Sol Bress
from Jordan Irazabal
from Eric Butler
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Yes
as configured in Format 3 & 4 below |
|
This plate is considered a fake, although the
serial number PP800 may be real. |
from Bill Houser
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on visitPA base
There may also be a remake of an earlier plate. |
from Chris Post
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FORMAT 3:
Personalized, up to 3
characters with PP prefix. |
from Joe Pavlo
from Drew Steitz |
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FORMAT
4:
Plates with small map outline in place
of sticker well.
Personalized, up to 3 characters with PP prefix.
These
plates may be personalized or a re-make of an earlier issue. |
from
Jim McDevitt |
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Special Mobile Equipment
(1984 to present) |
History Link |
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FORMAT 1: SME-000D to SME-999Z
On www base, sticker well upper left, dash separator, PENNSYLVANIA on top,
SPECIAL MOBILE on bottom with wide font. |
from Clayton Moore
 |
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No |
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FORMAT 2: A000-SME
to B999-SME visitPA base, sticker well upper left,
keystone separator, PENNSYLVANIA on top,
SPECIAL MOBILE on bottom with wide font. Format added 8/2013 |
from Brendan Sherry
from Jordan Irazabal
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FORMAT 3: C000-SME to
D444-SME or above,
same as above except SPECIAL MOBILE is entirely between the bolt holes.
Spotted 10/2017. |
 |
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FORMAT 4: D445-SME to
D945-SME or above,
same as above but now with map outline.
Spotted 10/2017. |
from John Fedorchak |
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Yes |
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FORMAT 5: E706SME to
current high, Plate without keystone
separator is possibly an error plate but was also with other such plates also
without the keystone. |
from Ryan Battin |
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VANITY FORMAT: Vehicles of 14,000 lb or less can be issued a
personalized registration plate of up 7 characters. |
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Steel Worker
(1997 to present)
This is not a special organization plate
but a special class of plates.
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FORMAT 1:
|
S
W |
00001 |
to |
S
W |
00624 |
Original
yellow on blue series, embossed graphic, organization name and state.
Replaced by www base on 7/18/2001. |
from John Fedorchak
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from Jordan Irazabal |
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FORMAT 2:
|
S
W |
00001 |
to |
S
W |
00624 |
Note the
colorized seal on the low numbered plate, not seen in higher number plates.
On www base with embossed logo and tag line.
This series consisted of
previous base numbers reissued on the www base. |
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|
 |
Yes
as configured in Format 4 below
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FORMAT 2A:
|
S
W |
05000 |
to |
S
W |
05499 |
This series consists of plates issued since the
re-plating, and shows a jump in plate numbers leaving a block of numbers
skipped. |
from Ryan Battin |
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On visitPA base with flat screened color graphic and tag
line. |
from Bruce Sakson |
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MYSTERY PLATE — This plate at first glance looks
like the same plate as the S/W00009 above. Upon closer examination the
fading bands of the www base are now solid like the visitPA base,
PENNSYLVANIA at the top of this plate, however, has retained the font used
by the www base. It may have been repainted, but then the shape of the zeros
is a little different. |
from John Clark |
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FORMAT 4:
Personalized, up to 5
characters with SW prefix and colored logo |
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Temporary Intransit (1946) Plates in
this section only date back to the time of the 1999-2000 plate changeover.
Click the history link to see the early evolution of these plates. |
History Link |
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FORMAT 1: This format has predated
yearly boxes from 1999 to 2002, does not seem to match any previous or later style
of temp tag. |
from Clayton Moore |
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Not applicable |
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FORMAT 2: PENNSYLVANIA over 30 DAY
TEMPORARY INTRANSIT. This format may date back into the
1970s, 0000-000 to
~ 0499-999. Uses Commonwealth seal as watermark. |
from Bruce BufalinI
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FORMAT 3: PENNSYLVANIA over 30 DAY
TEMPORARY INTRANSIT. ~0500-000 to
~ 0999-999. Uses Commonwealth coat of arms as watermark. |
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FORMAT 4: PENNSYLVANIA over 30 DAY
TEMPORARY INTRANSIT. ~1000-000 to 1499-999 or
1749-999.
Uses a repetition of square PennDOT logos as a watermark |
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FORMAT 5:
PENNSYLVANIA over 30 DAY TEMPORARY INTRANSIT. ~1500-000 to
~3100-000. Pennsylvania over Department of Transportation followed by a PennDOT
keystone logo as a watermark. Format added 1/15/10. |
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FORMAT 6:
PENNSYLVANIA over 60 DAY TEMPORARY INTRANSIT.
~3100-000
to
current high. |
from Jordan Irazabal |
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FAKE FORMAT: A contributor, Christopher Hainesport,
noticed the recent postings of unusual looking Temporary Intransit cardboard
plate images on this page. The font on one plate was different and the other
was 4 million above 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 logo are the biggest giveaways. Chris works for the
Philadelphia Parking Authority and confiscates a bunch of these fakes each
month. |
from Jordan Irazabal
from Jordan Irazabal
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Trailer
(1914 to present) |
History
Link |
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Previous base still in use |
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FORMAT 1, 2000: XK-00000
to XZ-99999. On www base with dash separator |
from
Clayton Moore
from Tom Firth |
|
|
Yes
as configured in Format 3A below
|
|
FORMAT 2, 2004: 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. |
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FORMAT 3, 2005: XCA-0000 to XJF-9999. On visitPA base with keystone separator, first
reported in early July 2005. |
 |
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FORMAT 3A, Legend font change believed to have taken
place at XJG-0000. Series ran to XKX-9999 This change likely occurred during 2014. |
Font comparison
font change
from Ryan Battin |
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FORMAT 3B: Personalized Trailer plate, vehicles of 14,000 lb or less can be issued a
personalized registration plate of up 7 to characters. Plates use the
Passenger base. |
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|
FORMAT 4: Personalized Trailer plate, vehicles of 14,000 lb or less can be issued a
personalized registration plate of up 7 to characters. Without the sticker
well and with a small map outline upper left.
|
from Codey Bowman |
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FORMAT 4A, 2018: XKY-0000 to
current high.
Without the sticker well and with a small map outline
upper left. First seen late January 2018. |
from Vern Kreckel
from Vern Kreckel |
|
|
Yes
as configured in Format 4 above
|
|
Truck (1914 to present) |
History
Link |
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BICENTENNIAL COMMERCIAL BASE Still in use. |
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No |
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YELLOW ON
BLUE BASE |
 |
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|
No |
|
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. |
 |
|
|
No |
|
FORMAT 2:
YSA-0000
to
ZKH-9999
On visitPA base with keystone
separator. First seen 5/17/05. Z series first seen 2/13/11.
In 2017 plates issued without stickers. See below.
In December of 2016 PennDOT announced that by the middle
of 2017, once the supply of the current plate stock runs out, they would
begin issuing slightly redesigned plates, similar in design to the visitPA
plate but the sticker well where validation stickers were placed has been
removed and the outline of a small Pennsylvania map has been put it its
place. 2017 is a mixture of both variants. There is no prototype image of
the Truck plate. Format 1 - up to ZKH-9999, same as older Truck plates on
visitPA base, with sticker well, no sticker, no map. The ZKI prefix was not
used. Note: Plates without the sticker well and without the map outline are
not known to exist. Format 2 - ZKJ-0000 , similar to Format 1
Truck plates on visitPA base but now without sticker well, and with a small
map outline in its place. Plates first seen in mid-May of 2017. |
from Ryan Battin |
|
|
Yes as configured in Format 3 below |
|
FORMAT 3: Vehicles of 14,000 lb or less can be issued a
personalized registration plate of up 7 characters; however, most truck
vanities are on the standard passenger base. |
Vanity
from Jordan
Irazabal |
|
|
Yes |
|
FORMAT 4: ZKJ-0000
to
current high. Without the sticker well and with a small map
outline upper left. First seen late April 2017. Variation
announced by PennDOT
12/18/16.
Trk_1/16/22 |
from Jeff Lawson
from Ryan Battin
Error plate, visitPA
in place of TRUCK
from Danny Schell |
|
|
Yes
|
