Rick Kretschmer's License Plate Archives 

This section will be added at a future date. 

In the meantime, here are photos of the first Pennsylvania amateur radio operator plate I've acquired for my collection, a 1957, as well as a more recent one.  1957 was the second year this plate type was issued.  The 2010 expiration sticker on the recent plate was placed in the wrong corner. 

Antique historic cars

Non-motorcycle antique vehicle plates colored  white on purple , with distinctive football jersey-style serial dies and bearing the plate type legend Antique Historic Car, were issued from apparently some time in the 1950s until 2005, and are still valid for use.  However, even the oldest of these plates have the 6 inch by 12 inch dimensions and 7 inch horiztonal bolt hole spacing consistent with 1956 and newer Pennsylvania plates.  Antique historic car plates exposed to the elements for extended periods have tended to fade from purple to light blue. 

Despite the word "car" stamped on the plate, these plates are used on all types of antique motor vehicles other than motorcycles.  Serial numbers 1 through 9999 were issued first, and then progressed through alphanumeric formats x000, 000x, xx00, and 00xx.  The biggest design change during the life of this base was the addition of a white border starting at plate number CA00.  I believe the white elements on the plate became reflective at the same time the border was added. 

This plate design ceased being issued in early 2005, in favor of the graphic Antique Vehicle plate, described immediately below, but the purple plates continue to be valid. 

Antique vehicles

Starting in early 2005, newly registered non-motorcycle antique vehicles were issued this graphic plate made on the standard tri-color solid band base.  The car shown on the plate is reportedly an early 1920s Oldsmobile.  The words Antique Vehicle are screened along the bottom of the plate.  Serial format was initially x00x; when this format was exhausted in mid-year 2012, a second format 0xx0 was introduced.  Antique vehicle registrations are permanent, and so, desipite the sticker well in the upper left corner, expiration stickers are not used on these plates. 

In mid-year 2013, newly-issued antique vehicle plates were revised to replace the graphic image of the Oldsmobile with the words PA Antique Historic Vehicle stacked one above another on the left side of the plate, similar to the words used on the previous white-on-purple plates.  This change happened somewhere in the 0Fx0 number series.  I guess maybe enough people complained about having a picture of someone else's antique car on their plate.  The state name remains at the top of the plate, and the words Antique Vehicle remain at the bottom, making the new text mostly redundant. 

Beginning in July 2014, just about all plate types made on the standard tri-color stripe base, including antique vehicle plates, could be ordered with vanity plate numbers.  I believe antique vanity plates are limited to four characters, but I don't think there's any good reason for this, as there's certainly room for five or possibly six characters. 

In 2016, the 0xx0 standard numbering format was exhausted and a new format 0x00 was introduced.  In this format, letters I and O were used, which is quite unusual.  In 2017, the sticker well was removed at about plate number 0R00.  Most plates issued since then in this format have the state map outlined in white located in the upper left corner, but some do not.  Then in 2018, numbering format 0x00 was exhausted and format 00x0 was introduced.  All plates in this format seem to have the state map outline.  In 2020, this format was also exhausted, and antique vehicle plates are now being issued in format x0xx. 

Antique motorcycles

Antique motorcycle plates were introduced in the late 1960s or very early 1970s.  Like full-sized antique vehicle plates, they had very few changes made over the years, until recently.  Antique motorcycle plates issued through mid-year 2013 were always 4 1/2 inches by 8 inches, had the state map outline, colored  white on purple , had the legend Antique running vertically down the left side of the plate, and had the very small legends Penna and Motorcycle at either the top or bottom edges of the plate.  Serials numbers were never more than three characters.  Serial formats, according to fellow plate historian John McDevitt, were issued in this sequence:  x00, 00x, 0x0, xx0, and x0x.  The bolt holes were moved further apart somewhere in the middle of the x00 series.  Bolt holes on regular motorcycle plates were moved further apart some time in the mid-1980s, so likely this happened on antique motorcycle plates then as well. 

Like the full-sized antique plates in 2005, antique motorcycle plates began to be issued on the tri-color solid band base beginning in about May 2013.  These new antique motorcycle plates use a five-digit numeric serial format, reportedly starting at 01000, and have the words Antique MC screened along the bottom of the plate.  On this base, vanity plate numbers of up to five characters were allowed beginning in July 2014. 

Classic cars

Classic car plate colors are  purple on white , opposite from the traditional colors of antique historic car plates.  Classic car plates were also made using the same football jersey-style serial dies as did the traditional antique plates.  That is, they usually were made that way.  A small quantity of classic car plates numbered in the low 20000 series were stamped using normal Pennsylvania serial dies. 

I'm not sure when this plate type made its debut, but it was sometime between 1971 and 1983; by one account it was in 1977.  Changes to this plate type have been few over the years.  Originally, the state name was at the top of the plate and the plate type Classic Car was at the bottom, but these were switched to their present positions somwhere in the 30000 series, then briefly back to their original locations only in the low 50000 series, then back to stay in their present positions.  After plate number 99999 was issued in approximately 2004, numbering started over again, but this time with a "C" prefix letter.  By the way, these plates were not limited only to cars, despite the word "car" on the plate.  Although these are no longer issued, they remain valid for use. 

Classic vehicles

In the fall of 2013, classic vehicle plates made their debut.  These are now issued instead of the previous purple-on-white classic car plates.  Classic vehicle plates are similar in appearance to the latest version antique vehicle plates, shown in the preceding subsection.  The new classic vehicle plates are made on the tri-color stripe base plate, and have the words Classic Vehicle across the bottom of the plate, as well as the words Pa Classic Vehicle on the left side of the plate.  Plate numbering continues from the previous classic car plates in format C00000, starting at about C28000, but now using regular Pennsylvania serial dies.  The state map outline in the upper left corner was added at about plate number C40900. 

Starting in July 2014, classic vehicle vanity plates became available.  Up to five variable characters are allowed, in addition to the required "C" prefix letter.  However, at least a small number of classic vehicle vanity plates have been issued without this "C" prefix. 

Classic motorcycles

Classic motorcycle plates have only been issued within the past few decades.  They were apparently not yet being issued in 1986.  These plates have been essentially unchanged since their introduction.  They've always been 4 1/2 inches by 8 inches, had the state map outline, colored  purple on white , had the legend Classic running vertically down the right side of the plate, and had the very small legends Motorcycle and Penna at the top and bottom edges of the plate, respectively.  The only serial format used to date is C/L0000. 

Sometime between 2013 and 2015, classic motorcycle plates also began to be issued on the tri-color solid band base.  These new classic motorcycle plates are 4 inches by 7 inches in size, and have the words Classic MC screened along the bottom of the plate.  The numbering format continued and numbering was uninterrupted from the previous base, starting at about plate number C/L0900.  On this base, vanity plate numbers are allowed, but, so I've been told, the C/L prefix letters must remain. 

Special license plates for use by handicapped persons were introduced in Pennsylvania in either 1965 or early 1966.  The familiar wheelchair logo (officially named the "International Symbol of Access") used on current handicapped license plates and parking spaces would not be invented until 1968, and so the state made do with the letters "HP" inside of an outline graphic shaped like a fat plus sign on its handicapped plates.  I presume that "HP" stood for "handicapped person". 

The plates themselves were of the same state map outline design also used for regular passenger car plates.  Plate numbers were four digits and began at 1000.  A small embossed keystone separated the plus sign graphic and the four-digit serial number. 

Like passenger car plates, the previous design handicapped plates with the state map outline were replaced in March 1971 with new yellow-on-blue plates bearing the text Bicentennial State '76 along the bottom of the plate.  The fat plus sign graphic containing the prefix letters "HP" continued, but the small keystone separator disappeared and plate numbers went to five digits, starting at 10000.  Apparently this plate design was only produced until some time in 1975 or so, when new yellow handicapped plates with a wheelchair graphic began to be issued to new registrants. 

I haven't completely figured it all out, but it appears that at least some of these blue Bicentennial State handicapped plates were replaced as their 1975 stickers expired with new yellow Keystone State handicapped plates (see below) bearing the same plate number.  This was a year earlier than the general replacement of passenger car plates.  But some blue handicapped plates were apparently revalidated for 1976, including the plate shown at left. 

In the mid-1970s, Pennsylvania adopted the use of the now-ubiquitous wheelchair graphic on its handicapped plates.  These new plates were colored blue-on-yellow and had the slogan Keystone State at the bottom of the plate.  This design is consistent with passenger car plates introduced in March 1977, but these yellow handicapped plates were clearly issued a couple of years prior, apparently sometime in 1975.  They can often be found with 1975, 1976, and even 1977 year stickers affixed.  The prefix letters "H" and "P" were located to either side of the head of the person seated in the wheelchair.  Newly-issued plates had serial numbers beyond the highest-numbered plate on the previous base. 

It appears that the blue Bicentennial State handicapped plates were replaced in at least some cases, as their 1975 stickers expired in March 1976, with yellow Keystone State handicapped plates bearing the same number.  These lower-numbered plates had natural 1976 registration stickers, while the higher-numbered plates could have natural 1975 registration stickers. 

Handicapped person / Person with disability

I'm not exactly sure when blue-background handicapped plates came out, but it was sometime between 1984 and 1986.  As on most other plate types, the state name was moved to the bottom, and a single sticker well in the lower left corner replaced the two sticker wells in the upper corners.  What's interesting and unusual about these plates is that there was never a version with the "You've Got a Friend in" slogan that was used on passenger car plates made over a four-year period in the mid-1980s.  Apparently, the Keystone State slogan was used from the very start of the blue-background handicapped plates. 

Initially, the numbering format continued unchanged from the previous yellow base as HP 00000, and the numbering continued uninterrupted as well, at about 90600.  After 99999 was reached, subsequent numbering formats HP 0000, 0000 HP, 00000 HP, and HP x0000 were pressed into service.  Then, the small letters above the wheelchair graphic were changed from "H P" to "P D", and subsequent plates were issued in format PD 00000 on this base.  "P D" apparently stands for "person with disabilty", and I presume the state considers this term to be more politically correct than "handicapped person". 

Hearing impaired

Hearing impaired plates were introduced on the blue-background base, according to one report in the late 1980s.  Rather few of these were issued, because there was no requirement that hearing impaired drivers use these plates, and no benefit to them if they did.  The purpose of these plates seems to be merely informational, so that a driver behind such a vehicle might know that its driver may not be able to hear horns, sirens, or other auditory signals.  The serial format for these plates was HE-00000, with the caption Hearing Impaired embossed at the top. 

Person with disability

On the fade band base, person with disabilty plates were issued only in format PD 0000x, where the P and D prefix letters are constant and the variable part of the plate number ranged from 0000A to 9999Y, with the suffix letter changing last.  In other words, plate number 0000A was followed by 0001A, 0002A, to 9999A; then came 0000B, 0001B, 0002B, etc.  Solid band plates originally used this same format, and began with plate number 0000Z.  Once plate number 9999Z was reached, the format changed to 00000 PD and started at that actual number.  Both versions of person with disability plates have the same web site addresses at the bottom of the plate as do regular passenger car plates. 

Person with disability plates switched from having a recessed sticker well to having a state map outline in the upper left corner at about plate number 72000 PD.  However, plates in the 98000 number series with a sticker well are known to be in use.  Apparently, the 98000 series (and likely eventually also the 99000 series) are issued in pairs.  I assume these are available on request.  Having two plates allows a motorist to attach a plate to both the vehicle itself and to a rack used to carry a wheelchair or motorized scooter, which may block the plate on the vehicle.  That way, the rack can be removed without having to put a single plate back on the vehicle.  These high-numbered plates have not yet been seen with the state map outline as of April 2018. 

Handicapped vanity plates became available in July 2014.  One to five characters are allowed.  The embossed PD is located to the far right of the plate regardless of the number or spacing of the variable characters.  Vanity handicapped plates have been seen in both versions, either with a recessed sticker well or with a state map outline in the upper left corner. 

Person with disability motorcycle

This plate type was introduced in late 2007 on the tri-color solid band base.  The plate has the wheelchair symbol screened on the left side of the plate, with the very small letters "P" and "D" above and on either side of the wheelchair symbol.  The serial format is P00x.  What's odd about this plate type is that it has the word Motorcycle screened at the bottom of the plate, rather than the embossed letters "MC" found on regular motorcycle plates. 

Prior to the introduction of this plate type, a handicapped motorcyclist would have used a regular motorcycle plate with a state-issued wheelchair symbol sticker affixed to the lower right corner of the plate.  I don't know when these stickers first came out. 

I'm sure these are also now available with vanity plate numbers, but I've yet to see either an acutal plate or a photo of one, so I don't know for sure how many variable characters are allowed or whether the "P" serial prefix is required. 

Hearing impaired

The numbering format of hearing impaired plates continued unchanged from the previous blue-background base.  One report states that numbering on the fade band base began at HE-03000, which was presumably higher than the highest-issued blue-background plate.  To date, hearing impaired plates have not yet been seen on the newer solid band base.  Nor have any been seen with vanity registration numbers. 

Disabled veteran without handicapped parking privileges

The oldest version of this plate type has two sticker wells in the upper corners and the state name across the top, consistent with the yellow plates issued 1977-1984.  These are known with both serial formats DV-0000 and DV-00000.  Numbering on the five-digit plates with two sticker wells at the top began at 10000 and went up to the upper 10000s or lower 20000s, but for reasons unknown, there are also plates in this early version numbered in the lower 40000s. 

Subsequently, the top sticker wells disappeared and a single sticker well sprouted in the bottom left corner, but the state name briefly remained at the top of the plate.  Shortly afterwards, the state name followed the sticker well to the bottom of the plate, consistent with the blue plates issued 1984-2001.  All of these versions had the words Disabled Veteran between the bolt holes either at the top or bottom of the plate, opposite the state name.  More recently, wider dies were used for the words Disabled Veteran so that they span across the entire top of the plate.  A small batch of the plates with the wide Disabled Veteran dies were made with the prefix letters small and stacked one above the other. 

Approximately in 2016, a partially screened version was introduced for sequentially-numbered plates, with the state name screened at the top and the words Disabled Veteran screened at the bottom between the bolt holes.  I believe these initially had a single sticker well at the upper left corner, but if it hasn't yet been omitted on new issues, it will be soon.  What's really odd is that the full-sized prefix letters "DV" and the dash separator are also screened, while the five-digit serial number remains embossed.  Even more odd is that these screened letters are the same size as the embossed numbers, instead of being slightly smaller than the numbers like Pennsylvania embossed letters are.  Numbering began in the upper 36000 series. 

Vanity plates are also issued on this partially-screened version.  I suspect, but am not certain, that vanity plates have been issued on this base since their intoduction in July 2014.  The "DV" prefix and dash, being screened onto the plate, are always present. 

Disabled veteran with handicapped parking privileges

Disabled veteran plates with the wheelchair graphic are always numbered in the 80000 and 90000 series.  I believe the this plate type with the wheelchair came out several years after the non-wheelchair type, in the mid-1980s, as there does not seem to be a version of the wheelchair type with two sticker wells at the top.  The earliest version has the state name embossed at the top and Disabled Veteran embossed at the bottom, with a sticker well in the lower left corner.  The second version has the state name and plate type name moved to the opposite edges of the plate, consistent with the blue plates issued 1984-2001.  Both of these versions use an embossed wheelchair graphic and embossed "D/V" prefix letters.  I'm not aware of a version of the wheelchair plate with the words Disabled Veteran spanning the entire width of the plate. 

The third version of the wheelchair plate has the state name screened at the top and a single sticker well at the upper left corner, consistent with tri-color plates issued starting in 1999.  However, this version didn't hit the streets until about 2013.  On these plates, the words Disabled Veteran are screened at the bottom between the bolt holes.  The wheelchair graphic and the prefix letters "D/V" are also screened.  Subsequently, sometime between 2017 and 2019, the sticker well was omitted on new issues. 

Disabled veteran vanity plates became available in July 2014.  One to five characters are allowed.  Since the wheelchair graphic and "D/V" prefix letters are screened onto the plate, those are always present. 

House cars

Pennsylvania introduced the house car plate type in 1977 on the reflective yellow-background base plate introduced that year for some plate types.  Prior to that, motor homes had been issued passenger car plates.  House car plates used serial format HC-00000, with a dash separator and the plate type caption House Car along the bottom of the plate.  These were issued until the mid-1980s, but could continue to be renewed until all yellow-background plates were replaced in 1999-2000. 

House cars

Blue-background house car plates had the plate type caption House Car at the top of the plate, and used serial format HD-00000.  These were issued up to somewhere in the lower HD-40000 series in the late 1980s. 

Motor homes

In the late 1980s, the state decided that the "house car" designation had to go, and began issuing plates that actually said Motor Home across the top.  This change occured somewhere in the early HD-40000 series.  Otherwise, motor home plates were identical to house car plates.  Serial format HD-00000 was completed, and then motor home plates continued with serial format HF-00000.  The HE series wasn't used for motor homes, because that letter combination was already in use on hearing impaired plates. 

Motor home plates on the tri-color fade band base were introduced in 1999 with 2000 expiration dates, and continued to be issued until the mid-2000s.  In late 2004, the state tweaked the plate design to have solid blue and yellow bands of color, rather than color bands that faded to white.  Various plate types began to be issued with the new design over the next few years as inventory of the old design was used up, so I'm not exactly sure when solid band motor home plates hit the street.  Both designs continue to be valid, however. 

On both the fade band and solid band plates, the state name and sticker well were moved back to the top of the plate, and the caption Motor Home was moved back to the bottom.  On the fade band plate, the serial format is HG-00000 with a dash separator; on the solid band plate, the serial format is Hx-00000 with a keystone separator, and began in the HH series. 

Like almost all other plate types, vanity registration numbers have been available on motor home plates since July 2014.  However, the only vanity plate I've seen on a motor home was a passenger base with the screened web address at the bottom, rather than an actual motor home plate with the embossed plate type.  This is apparently the standard practice going forward, so there will be no actual vanity motor home plates. 

There are three versions of motor home plates on the solid band base.  Version 1 has a debossed sticker well and usually has one or more registration stickers placed within it.  Version 2 has neither a sticker well nor a map outline graphic in the upper left corner.  Version 3 has the map outline graphic.  All three versions were issued in the HH series, and version 3 has now progressed into the HJ series. 

This section will be added at a future date. 

In the meantime, here's a photo of one of the more unusual press photographer plate types.  Suburban plates were used on station wagons between 1960 and 1964. 

Reserved number and personalized license plates

Effective in 1936, all-numeric plate numbers with fewer than five digits were no longer available.  Likewise with alpha-numeric plate numbers with fewer than four characters.  Four-digit, all-numeric plate numbers were apparently resumed in 1944. 

In 1954 and 1955, at least, three-digit plate numbers were issued once again.  I'm speculating that these very low plate numbers became "special number" plates, which were available only to people with political connections.  They seem to be more rare than they should be had they been issued as standard-issue, sequentially-numbered plates.  I wouldn't be surprised to learn that three-digit plates were also issued in other years as well. 

The general public was issued plates with four or five serial characters (or six numeric digits in 1957).  It was apparently possible to reserve four- and five-character plate numbers, but usually there's no way to tell a given number was reserved unless you see a run of plates from multiple years all with the same number.  Motorists with unreserved plate numbers did not get the same plate number year after year. 

Commercially-made novelty plates, circa 1952-1955 – NOT real license plates

Pennsylvania stopped making most types of plates in pairs after 1951.  In subsequent years, it seems that people must have missed having front plates, and there was demand for novelty plates that could be mounted where front plates once were.  All of this would be largely irrelevant to the discussion of actual license plates.  However, some of these novelty plates closely resemble and are frequently mistaken for real license plates, specifically real vanity plates. 

All of these apparent state-made novelty plates I've seen strongly resemble real Pennsylvania license plates made between late 1952 and 1955.  Both yellow-on-blue and blue-on-yellow versions exist, corresponding to real plate colors in even-numbered and odd-numbered years, respectively.  The plate "numbers" can be first names, such as "FRANK" or "DON" or "BETTY", two- and three-letter combinations that appear to be initials, words, other odd combinations of letters that appear to be acronyms, and even single letters.  I've seen some of these plates that employed spaces or dash seperators between letters, but I don't recall seeing any with numeric digits.  Due to the size of the plates themselves and the dies used the stamp the letters, these plates could not accommodate more than five characters, including spaces and other separators.  Besides the impossible plate "numbers", the most obvious difference between these and real plates is the lack of a year or expiration date. 

However, now that I've added one to my collection, I've noticed a few other minor variations between these novelty plates and real 1952-1955 Pennsylvania plates.  One is the height of the letters in the plate "number". They're the same size as numbers but much taller than letters on real plates.  The other is that the plates are slightly shorter, width-wise, than real plates from this period.  My novelty plate is ten inches across, while my real plates from this period are 10-1/4 or 10-1/2 inches.  However, Pennsylvaia did issue ten-inch-wide plates through 1944.  All of the other charicteristics of my novelty plate precisely match those of real plates. 

So what's the story on these?  It turns out that they were commercially mass-produced with popular first names and sold in auto parts stores.  They could also be special-ordered with uncommon names, initials, or other text.  Whether they were made using Pennysylvania blanks, dies, and other materials, I can't say one way or the other, but it's certainly possible. 

Beginning in 1958, if not sooner, I believe that three-character special number plates were done away with, and also believe that four- and five-character passenger car plates might not have been sequentially-issued plates issued to the public at large.  Instead, the general public was now issued plates with six serial characters, which had been introduced in 1957.  I believe that the four- and five-character plates became special number plates, that is, available by request only.  However, they were apparently readily available and did not require political connections or extra fees to obtain.  A good number of people probably kept their previous four- and five-character plate numbers by requesting them as special number plates.  That would especially be likely if the previous plates had reserved numbers. 

These 1958-base four- and five-character plates were not available in all serial formats issued previously.  They could be all-numeric, or could have one letter or two adjacent letters only at the beginning or end of the plate number.  Unlike 1930-1957 plates, letters were not allowed in the middle of the plate number.  It should be mentioned that while six-character passenger car plates had an embossed keystone separator between the third and fourth serial characters, plates with five or fewer characters had no separator. 

Though I don't recall ever seeing a three-character plate on the 1958 base, I would not be surprised to learn that all-numeric plate numbers with three digits or fewer were assigned to various government officials and other VIPs. 

I believe plates with prefix or suffix letters "HR" were issued to elected members of the state House of Representatives, and plates with prefix or suffix letters "PA" were issued to state senators.  Otherwise regular-looking plates with prefix letters "PP" were issued to press photographers through 1963.  However, starting in 1964, press photographer plates were redesigned with a distinct appearance that would not be confused with regular plates.  It's possible that other letter codes also had special uses and were not available on special numbered plates requested by the public. 

1965-1970

Special number plates on the 1965 base were of a similar, but slightly different design than were sequentially-numbered passenger car plates.  On special number plates, the state map shape was slightly smaller and more realistically shaped, making for a thicker blue border around the edges of the plate.  A keystone separator was used on 1965 base plates between any letters and numbers.  No separator was used on all-numeric plate numbers, at least with those up to four digits.  I'm not sure if five-digit, all-numeric plate numbers used a separator or not. 

I've seen some versions of legislative plates on the 1965 base with small letters inside of an embossed keystone, making them distintive political plates, and others with full-sized letters, making them look like ordinary special number plates.  I'm not sure why both were issued, but my guess is that they were initally issued as regular-looking plates and later became distinctive. 

1971-1976

The large liberty bell separator was used between letters and numbers on the 1971 base.  No separator was used on all-numeric plate numbers, at least with those up to four digits.  I'm not sure if five-digit, all-numeric plate numbers used a separator or not.  As you can see from the plates shown, the positions of the characters and separator on the plates were not consistent. 

Standard base passenger vanity plates

Vanity plates were issued on the same standard-issue bases as were regular passenger car plates.  Plates manufactured between 1977 and mid-year 1983 had yellow backgrounds with the caption Keystone State across the bottom; those made between mid-year 1983 and mid-year 1987 had blue backgrounds with the caption You've Got A Friend In across the top; those made between mid-year 1987 and early 2000 had blue backgrounds with the caption Keystone State across the top. 

Initially, the maximum number of characters was six, with either one dash or space separator also allowed in addition.  Sometime in the late 1980s or 1990s, the maximum number of characters was increased to seven.  I wouldn't be surprised if that change occurred in 1991, when seven-character passenger car plates were introduced.  The keystone separator used on passenger cars was not available on vanity plates. 

Firefighter vanity plates

The first organizational member plates issued by Pennsylvania, and the only ones made on the yellow-background 1977 base plate, were firefighter plates.  These had the letters "FF" inside of a maltese cross emblem, and the words Fire Fighter [sic] at the bottom of the plate.  These yellow firefighter plates were also the only organizational plates to be offered with vanity registarations.  Firefighter vanity plates were only issued for a brief period in the mid-1980s, but were allowed to be renewed up through the 1999-2000 general replacement of all yellow-background plates. 

Motorcycle vanity plates

Motorcycle vanity plates were not offered on the yellow-background 1977 base plate.  They were only introduced after the blue-background base plates began to be issued in the mid-1980s.  Motorcycle vanity plates may have up to five numbers and letters, and also either a space or a dash separator if desired. 

State-made and privately-made Flagship Niagara novelty plates – NOT real license plates

The Flagship Niagara plate was an actual special interest license plate briefly issued between late 1995 and early 1997.  It was issued only as a sequentially-numbered plate, and always had the stacked prefix letters "F/N" preceding the sequential plate number.  This plate had some significant legiblity issues due to the white serial characters on a light-colored background, and was discontinued, though plates already issued were and still are allowed to remain in use.  To reiterate, there were no Flagship Niagara plates ever made or issued as real vanity license plates. 

In any case, the state had a lot of leftover reflective sheeting with the Flagship Niagara plate design that it could not use.  They decided to use it up by making and selling novelty plates.  These novelty plates were not made to order, but rather were made with maybe a dozen or two various stock words and acronyms, most of them nautical in nature.  Also, Flagship Niagara novelty plates were made with the plate number 1813.  Novelty plates, of course, are not valid license plates.  However, since they closely resembled real license plates, all of these state-made novelty plates had the expiration date Exp 6-96 embossed in the lower left corner of the plate. 

Apparently, the state couldn't sell enough of these novelty plates to use up all the reflective sheeting, either, and ended up selling in bulk quantities either blank plates with the Flagship Niagara sheeting applied, or just the sheeting itself.  One or more enterprising people then made and sold their own novelty plates by stamping their own words, acroynms, and numbers (including the number 1813) onto Flagship Niagara plates.  These privately-made novelty plates were stamped with non-Pennsylvania dies, and so the plate numbers and/or letters are shaped differently than those on state-made plates.  The privately-made plates also do not have any expiration date stamped on them. 

Standard base passenger vanity plates

Vanity plates are available for cars, light-duty trucks, and light motor homes on the same standard-issue bases with the web site at the bottom.  There's nothing on the plate that indicates the vehicle type.  The maximum number of characters is seven, and either one dash or space separator is also allowed.  Plates manufactured between 1999 and mid-year 2004 are of the older, fade band design, while plates made since mid-year 2004 have solid bands of blue and yellow. 

People who wanted to keep their old sequential plate numbers from the 1977, 1983, or 1987 bases were allowed to order those numbers as vanity plates on the 1999 fade band base.  Usually, vanity plates with previous-base sequential numbers have a dash separator, while current-base sequential numbers have a keystone separator, but the occasional vanity remake can be seen with a keystone separator. 

It's become unclear whether any low-numbered plates are still reserved for VIPs, or whether all numbers are up for grabs.  A good number of plates with even just a single numeric digit or a single letter have been spotted in use.  Unless I receive information to the contrary, I'm going to work on the assumption that these are all vanity plates available to the general public. 

Firefighter vanity plates (tri-color fade base)

Those motorists who had been issued yellow firefighter vanity plates in the 1980s were allowed to keep their vanity plate numbers when the yellow plates were replaced with tri-color fade band plates during the 1999-2000 replate.  No new firefighter vanity plates were issued on this base. 

Motorcycle vanity plates

Motorcycle vanity plates manufactured between 1999 and sometime in 2004 or 2005 are of the fade band design, while plates made since then have solid bands of blue and yellow.  Motorcycle vanity plates may have up to five numbers and letters, and also either a space or a dash separator if desired.  Five-character plates without a space or dash separator are sometimes offset to the right (apparently to provide room for the expiration sticker), and sometimes are centered, necessitating the sticker to be affixed in one of the bottom corners of the plate. 

Other vanity plate types (tri-color stripe base)

Beginning in July 2014, it seems that just about all plate types made on the standard tri-color strip base are now available with vanity plate numbers.  This includes, but is not limited to, handicapped plates, special fund and organizational member plates, and various non-passenger plate types used on commercial vehicles.  In some cases, vanity plates are required to also have prefix or suffix letters that correspond to the plate type. 

Regular suburban plates

Suburban license plate serial number formats always included the letter "Q" as the first or only letter, although its position varied.  Initially, suburban plates had the letter Q with between three and five numeric digits, with the Q initally in position 1, then positions 2 through 6 in order.  When these formats were exhausted, the letter Q was returned to position 1, followed by a second adjacent letter.  This additional format was also exhausted, and then a split format was begun, with the Q in position 1 and another letter in position 3. 

No stickers were used in 1960, since the year was already embossed on the plate.  The embossed year "60" was stamped on all suburban plates issued 1960 through 1964.  Stickers for 1961 throuh 1964 were of unique colors not used for other plate types; the stickers were placed in the upper left corner, the only flat place on the plate with enough room on six-character plates. 

As far as I know, there was nothing special about the suburban plates with only four or five serial characters, I think they were just issued sequentially along with six-character plates.  Only six-character plates have a keystone separator between the third and fourth characters. 

For some unknown reason, a good number of suburban plates have 1964 stickers with serial number PA0000 placed over top of 1963 stickers.  Stickers with this serial number ordinarily indicate a new registration, so you should not see them placed over top of other stickers.  I'm guessing someone at the DMV got carried away and applied 1963 stickers to too many plates, and those that weren't issued in 1963 then had a 1964 sticker applied over the 1963 sticker before they were issued.  I've never seen an older-issue (pre-1963) suburban plate with a 1964 sticker with serial PA0000. 

Summary of suburban plate serial formats Q in position 1, followed only by numeric digits; 4, 5, or 6 characters Q in position 2; 4, 5, or 6 characters Q in position 3; 4, 5, or 6 characters (Lybarger photo / plate) Q in position 4; 4, 5, or 6 characters (not shown) Q in position 5; 5 or 6 characters Q in position 6 Q in position 1, with a variable letter in position 2 Q in position 1, with a variable letter in position 3

Combination suburban plate types

Besides seqentially-numbered suburban plates, the state also made amateur radio suburban plates and press photographer suburban plates.  Both had the text Pa Suburban 60 at the top of the plate.  Amateur radio suburban plate numbers were the radio operator's call letters assigned by the Federal Communications Commission, just like regular amateur radio plates.  Press photographer suburban plate numbers used prefix letters "PP" followed by numeric digits, just like regular press photographer plates.