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Temporary
It is difficult to group temporary plates into bases (and formats inside bases) since there are so many minor changes throughout the years. This site takes the approach of grouping bases by general design and showing formats under each base to show the minor changes in each base.
Keep in mind that temp tags are distributed to dealerships in batches so numbers are not issued sequentially across the board. For example, you may see 3800-000 before you see 3750-000 because the later was part of a batch sent to the other side of the state.
Text in red indicates changes from previous base/format.
1946 - 1968
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
|
Format 1 Observed serial range: 100-437 - 994-535 (Likely serial range: 100-000 - 999-999) Observed issuance dates range from 6/1946 - 6/1950 All plates measure 6" x 11" |
 Issued 7/1949 From eBay (swigsdaballer) |
Not offered on this format |  From Jeff Lesher |
|
Format 2 ("PENNA" no longer flanked by hyphens) Observed serial range: A23-287 - P25-897 Observed issuance dates range from 5/1952 - 5/1956 All plates measure 6" x 11" |
 Issued 9/1954 From Devan Ciemiewicz |
Not offered on this format |  |
|
Format 3 ("PENNA" now "PA") Observed ranges: Y64-730 - Z99-999 0A0-000 - 9Z9-999 268-774 - 765-267 Observed issuance dates range from 7/1957 - 9/1965 All plates measure 6" x 11" |
 Issued 3/1958 From unknown  Issued 11/1959 From Worthpoint  Issued 11/1964 From eBay (spacebil) |
Not offered on this format | |
|
Format 4 (Thinner font) One observed plate number: A54-519 Observed issuance date: 4/1966 All plates measure 6" x 11" |
 Issued 4/1966 From Worthpoint |
Not offered on this format | |
|
Format 5 (Back to normal font) Observed serial range: A54-519 - G15-435 Observed issuance dates range from 8/1966 - 6/1967 All plates measure 6" x 11" |
 Issued 6/1967 From eBay (antique.cottage) |
Not offered on this format | |
|
Format 6 (Thicker font) Observed serial range: K72-044 - L85-986 Only observed issuance month/year: 4/1968 All plates measure 6" x 11" |
 Issued 4/1968 From Devan Ciemiewicz |
Not offered on this format | |
1968 - 1992
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
|
Format 1 Observed ranges: T483-241 - T814-549 T425-93F - T970-80S 130-269 - 219-154 1305-366 - 3433-269 Observed issuance dates range from 1/1969 - 3/1975 "Dealer ID" replaces "Expires" in fourth serial format All plates measure 6" x 12" |
 Issued 6/1969 From eBay (antique.cottage)  Issued 12/1970 From Andy Vereen  Issued 11/1973 From Jeff Lesher  Issued 2/1973 From Bob Connison |
Not offered on this format | |
|
Format 2 ("TRANSIT" added after "TEMPORARY") Observed serial range: 0045-811 - 2168-983 Observed issuance dates range from 4/1976 - 6/1986 All plates measure 6" x 12" |
 Issued 3/1977 From Steve Ondik |
Not offered on this format | |
|
Format 3 (Thicker font) Observed serial range: 2309-141 - 2648-302 Observed issuance dates range from 6/1987 - 11/1990 All plates measure 6" x 12" |
 Issued 6/1987 From Worthpoint |
Not offered on this format | |
|
Format 4 (Thinner font) Observed serial range: 2871-357 - 2995-050 Observed issuance dates range from 6/1991 - 10/1992 All plates measure 6" x 12" |
 Issued 10/1992 From eBay (llvintage) |
Not offered on this format | |
1993 - 2000
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
|
Observed serial range: 3140-128 - 4213-868 Observed issuance dates range from 1/1993 - 3/2000 Four groupings of expiration years: 1992-1995; 1995-1998; 1996-1999; and 1998-2001 (see pictures) All plates measure 6" x 12" |
 1992-1995 grouping Issued 5/1994 From Joe Sallmen  1995-1998 grouping Unknown issuance date From Dave Lincoln  1996-1999 grouping Issued 4/1997 From John Anshant  1998-2001 grouping Issued 2/2000 From John Anshant |
Not offered on this format | |
2001 - present
| Notes | Number Plate | Personalized Plate | Sample Plate |
|
Format 1 (Background: 21 small state seal graphics) Observed serial range: 0087-277 - 0174-546 Observed issuance dates range from 6/2001 - 7/2001 All plates measure 6" x 12" |
 Issued 7/2001 From Bruce Bufalini |
Not offered on this format | |
|
Format 2 (Background: large Pennsylvania coat of arms) Observed serial range: 0555-291 - 0567-247 Observed issuance dates range from 9/2003 - 12/2003 All plates measure 6" x 12" |
 Issued 12/2003 From Joe Sallmen |
Not offered on this format | |
|
Format 3 (Background: 3.5 PennDOT logos) One observed plate number: 1446-379 Observed issuance date: 12/2007 All plates measure 6" x 12" |
 Issued 12/2007 From John McDevitt |
Not offered on this format | |
|
Format 4 (Background: 2 PennDOT logos with "Pennsylvania Department of Transportation" spelled out) 60-day tags started mid-2018, around number 3100-000 Observed serial range: 1827-827 - current high Observed issuance dates range from 12/2010 - present All plates measure 6" x 12" |
 30-day tag Issued 12/2010 From John McDevitt  60-day tag Issued 9/2018 From Jordan Irazabal |
Not offered on this format | |