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Passenger
It should be noted that the state first issued plates in 1906, and plates from 1906 thru 1909 were assigned to the driver rather than the vehicle. The first year that registrations were issued was 1903, done by counties and a few individual cities. To see these earlier plates, see "Pre-State".
A big thank you to Eric Tanner's "All About License Plates website for a lot of the information presented on these Passenger pages.
1920 - 1929
1920
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
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Observed serial range: 1 - 528754 Plates measure: - 1 - 999: 6" x 10" - 1000 - 9999: 6" x 12" - 10000 - 99999: 6" x 13 1/2" - 100000 - 999999: 6" x 16" Bolt/strap slots at top for 6" x 10" format; bolt/strap slots at top plus bolt holes at top and bottom for other formats Manufactured in Pennsylvania prisons Issued in pairs Colors: white on dark blue Number 1 is reserved for the Governor According to 1920 Motor Vehicle Registration Records, the number block from 1-000 to 1-199, was registered to, or reserved for the PA State Highway Department. It is unknown if all state-owned vehicles were registered to the PA State Highway Department. It is also unknown if there were additional blocks of numbers reserved for automobiles or trucks. |
6" x 10" From Tim Gierschick  From Jeff Hinkle 6" x 12"  From Tim Gierschick 6" x 13 1/2"  From State Museum 6" x 16"  From Worthpoint |
Not offered on this format | Not offered on this format |
1921
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
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Observed serial range: 1 - 633508 Plates measure: - 1 - 999: 6" x 10" - 1000 - 9999: 6" x 12" - 10000 - 99999: 6" x 13 1/2" - 100000 - 999999: 6" x 16" Bolt/strap slots at top for 6" x 10" format; bolt/strap slots at top plus bolt holes at top and bottom for other formats Manufactured in Pennsylvania prisons Issued in pairs Colors: black on gold Number 1 is reserved for the Governor |
6" x 10" From Tim Gierschick  From Worthpoint 6" x 12"  From pl8source.com 6" x 13 1/2" 1921_40_763_securityautoparts.jpg) From eBay (securityautoparts) 6" x 16"  From John Willard |
Not offered on this format | Not offered on this format |
1922
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
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Observed serial range: 1 - 764609 Plates measure: - 1 - 999: 6" x 10" - 1000 - 9999: 6" x 12" - 10000 - 99999: 6" x 13 1/2" - 100000 - 999999: 6" x 16" Bolt/strap slots at top for 6" x 10" format; bolt/strap slots at top plus bolt holes at top and bottom for other formats Manufactured in Pennsylvania prisons Issued in pairs Colors: brown on cream Number 1 is reserved for the Governor |
6" x 10" From Tim Gierschick  From Rob Baran 6" x 12"  From Rob Baran 6" x 13 1/2"  From Runkle's Notary 6" x 16"  From Mike Alfonse |
Not offered on this format | Not offered on this format |
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Some plates have the spacing of the strap slots and bolt holes closer to the corners of the plate than others. It is unknown if this changed occurred part way through production or if slot and hole placement is random. |
  From Rob Baran |
1923
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
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Observed serial range: 1 - 989997 Plates measure: - 1 - 999: 6" x 10" - 1000 - 9999: 6" x 12" - 10000 - 99999: 6" x 13 1/2" - 100000 - 852394: 6" x 16" - 883073 - 989997: 6" x 15" Bolt/strap slots at top for 6" x 10" format; bolt/strap slots at top plus bolt holes at top and bottom for other formats Two variations on separator location: high-centered separator more common to earlier issues, though later six-digit serials use later separator. Issues with later dies also use both separators indiscriminately. Manufactured in Pennsylvania prisons Issued in pairs Colors: gold on dark blue Number 1 is reserved for the Governor |
6" x 10" From Tim Gierschick  From unknown 6" x 12"  From Eric Tanner 6" x 13 1/2"  From Chuck Sakryd 6" x 16"  From Runkle's Notary 6" x 15"  From Chuck Sakryd |
Not offered on this format | Not offered on this format |
Starting in 1924, plate size, starting with all-numeric plates, was normally determined by the length of the serial number going from small (short) to large (long) as the number of characters increased. Next, when the all-numeric numbers were exhausted, an alpha-numeric serial numbers was used, again starting with small and enlarging as the number of characters increased.
1924
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
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Serial formats: 1 - 999999 A-1 - A-99999 Observed high: A-48195 Plates measure: - 1 - 9999: 6" x 10" - 10000 - 99999 / A-1 - A-999: 6" x 12" - 100000 - 999999 / A-1000 - A-99999: 6" x 15" All plates for this year have bolt holes at top and bottom, and certain blocks of numbers also have bolt/strap slots: - 3 - 9917: No slots - 11957 - 32350: Slots - 34396 - 99433: No slots - 103066 - 566779: Slots - 587032 - A-48195: No slots Manufactured in Pennsylvania prisons Issued in pairs Colors: dark blue on gold Number 1 is reserved for the Governor It is believed that this year is the first year for sample plates |
6" x 10" From Tim Gierschick  From eBay (v16)  From eBay (stonewall-gold-mining-company) 6" x 12"  (With tab/strap slots) From Tim Gierschick  (Without tab/strap slots) From Tim Gierschick  (Without tab/strap slots) From Clayton Moore 6" x 15"  (With tab/strap slots) From Mike Alfonse  (Without tab/strap slots) From Pl8source.com  (Without tab/strap slots) From Vern Kreckel  (Without tab/strap slots) From Rob Baran |
Not offered on this format |  (6" x 10") From Jerry McCoy |
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Number 1-000-000 known for this year, likely produced to commemorate the 1 millionth registration in the state. Plate measures 6" x 17 1/4". |
 From Swigart Museum |
1925
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
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Serial formats: 1 - 999999 A-1 - B99-999 Observed high: B64-987 Plates measure: - 1, 2, or 3 characters: 6" x 10" - 4 characters: 6" x 12" - 5 characters: 6" x 13" - 6 characters: 6" x 15" "B" series plates have thinner dies Manufactured in Pennsylvania prisons Issued in pairs Colors: gold on dark blue Number 1 is reserved for the Governor |
6" x 10" From John Willard  From Tim Gierschick 6" x 12"  From Drew Steitz  From Worthpoint 6" x 13"  From Jeff Hinkle  From Worthpoint 6" x 15"  From unknown  From eBay (roaddogs04)  (Narrower dies) From Tim Gierschick |
Not offered on this format |  (6" x 10") From Jeff Lesher |
1926
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
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Serial formats: 1 - 999999 A-1 - Z99-999 Observed high: C79-216 Plates measure: - 1, 2, or 3 characters: 6" x 10" - 4 characters: 6" x 12" (see * below) - 5 characters: 6" x 13" - 6 characters: 6" x 15" *Regarding plate numbers that consist of 1 letter and 3 numbers, plates with no hyphen measure 6" x 10" and plates with a hyphen measure 6" x 12" 1926 is the first year where letters are smaller than numbers on plates, a practice that still happens today! Manufactured in Pennsylvania prisons Issued in pairs Colors: dark blue on gold Number 1 is reserved for the Governor |
6" x 10" From Tim Gierschick  From Pl8source.com  From John Anshant & John Willard  From Vern Kreckel 6" x 12"  From Chuck Sakryd  From Jeff Hinkle 6" x 13"  From Tim Gierschick  From Worthpoint  From eBay (aged2perfectionstore1) 6" x 15"  From unknown  From Rob Baran |
Not offered on this format |  (6" x 10") From Jerry McCoy |
1927
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
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Serial formats: 1 - 999999 A-1 - Z99-999 Observed high: D62-268 Plates measure: - 1 - 4 characters: 6" x 10" - 5 characters: 6" x 13" - 6 characters: 6" x 15" Manufactured in Pennsylvania prisons Issued in pairs Colors: gold on dark blue Number 1 is reserved for the Governor |
6" x 10" From Tim Gierschick  From Tim Gierschick  From Chuck Sakryd  From Clayton Moore  From Bill Krellner 6" x 13"  From Tim Gierschick  From State Museum 6" x 15"  From Jim Moini  From Rob Baran |
Not offered on this format |  (6" x 15") From Jeff Lesher |
1928
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
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Serial formats: 1 - 999999 A-1 - Z99-999 Observed high: E28-326 Plates measure: - 1 - 4 characters: 6" x 10" - 5 characters: 6" x 13" - 6 characters: 6" x 15" Manufactured in Pennsylvania prisons Issued in pairs Colors: dark blue on gold Number 1 is reserved for the Governor |
6" x 10" From Tim Gierschick  From eBay (kope2112)  From Tim Gierschick  From Bill Krellner  From eBay (steinwayb7) 6" x 13"  From Tim Gierschick  From eBay (jeopardyboy1) 6" x 15"  From Jim Moini  From Rob Baran |
Not offered on this format |  (6" x 10") From Jeff Francis  (6" x 15") From eBay (licenseplatekingcompany)  (Test plate) (6" x 15") From John Willard |
1929
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
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Serial formats: 1 - 999999 A-1 - Z99-999 Observed high: F23-960 Plates measure: - 1 - 4 characters: 6" x 10" - 5 characters: 6" x 13" - 6 characters: 6" x 15" Manufactured in Pennsylvania prisons Issued in pairs Colors: gold on dark blue Number 1 is reserved for the Governor |
6" x 10" From David Abla  From Clayton Moore  From Worthpoint  From eBay (bongocruiser2)  From Jeff Hinkle  From Ned Flynn  From Worthpoint 6" x 13"  From Worthpoint  From Clayton Moore 6" x 15"  From Joe Bosch  From Jim Moini |
Not offered on this format |  (6" x 10") From Jeff Lesher  (6" x 15") From Jeff Lesher |