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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


From Ross Clinchy
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