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Amateur Radio
These plates were first introduced in 1956. Plates display the FCC Call Sign, beginning with A, K, N, or W. In the early years W and K calls signs were common, in later years the use of N and A came into use. Most PA Amateur Radio plates use the number 3 to designate the region which also includes DE, MD and DC; however ham radio vanity plates may display a different number from 0 to 9, also out of region licenses can be used, as well as foreign call signs when someone moves to PA. Some plates with a 0 (zero) in the call sign may display a Ø (slash zero) so as not to be confused with the letter O. If an owner desires a second plate, it will be issued with the call sign plus a hyphen and the number two (-2). Thanks to ALPCA members and Ham Radio operators Bruce Bufalini and Dave Heller for providing much of the information above.
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 sign 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.
Click here to read more about the history and zoning of Amateur Radio plates.
Text in red indicates changes from previous base/format.
1956 (First year)
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
| - Expiration date 3-31-57 embossed in upper border |  From Ross Day |
All plates are personalized to the owner's call sign |  |
1957
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
| - Expiration date 3-31-58 embossed in upper border |  From John McDevitt |
All plates are personalized to the owner's call sign | |
1958 - 1964
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
| Format 1 (Tab slot) |  From John Willard |
All plates are personalized to the owner's call sign | |
|
Format 2 (No tab slot) |  From Platedog |
All plates are personalized to the owner's call sign | |
|
Format 3 (Suburban) - Issued to station wagons - Started in 1960, validated through 1964 like the two above formats - All plates without tab slot |
 From John McDevitt |
All plates are personalized to the owner's call sign | |
1965 - 1970
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
 From Klassy Karz |
All plates are personalized to the owner's call sign | |
1971 - 1976
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
| - Sticker wells top-left and top-right |  From Mike Sells |
All plates are personalized to the owner's call sign | |
1977 - 1984
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
| - Sticker wells top-left and top-right |  From George Kunsman |
All plates are personalized to the owner's call sign | |
1984 - 1999
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
|
Format 1 - Sticker well bottom-left |
 From Clayton Moore |
All plates are personalized to the owner's call sign | |
|
Format 2 ("KEYSTONE STATE" legend) - Sticker well bottom-left - Circa 1987 |
 From eBay (thisnthatnc14) |
All plates are personalized to the owner's call sign | |
|
Format 3 ("AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR" legend) - Sticker well bottom-left - Circa 1988 |
 From Clayton Moore |
All plates are personalized to the owner's call sign | |
|
Format 4 ("AMATEUR RADIO" legend) - Sticker well bottom-left - Circa 1990 |
 From Bruce Bufalini |
All plates are personalized to the owner's call sign |  From Dave Heller |
1999 - 2004
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
| - Sticker well top-left |  From Bruce Bufalini |
All plates are personalized to the owner's call sign | |
2004 - present
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
| Format 1 (Sticker well at top-left) |  From Bruce Bufalini |
All plates are personalized to the owner's call sign | |
| Format 2 (Map outline in place of sticker well) |  From Craig Wanner |
All plates are personalized to the owner's call sign | |