Vehicle license plates of the United States

File:IA Sample.jpg

Sample Iowa License Plate

In the United States and Canada, license plates are issued by an agency of the state or provincial government (or its equivalent, for example, the District of Columbia). In the U.S., some Native American tribes also have their own plates. The U.S. federal government issues plates only for its own vehicle fleet and for vehicles owned by foreign diplomats. In Canada, diplomats and consular staff are issued plates by the province their consulate or embassy is in, as was the case in the United States until the 1980s.

Generally, the appearance of plates is frequently chosen to contain symbols, colours, or slogans associated with the issuing jurisdiction.

Vehicle plates in Canada are technically called registration plates (drivers are licensed, vehicles are registered), but the term "licence plate" is common in informal usage. In the United States, the term "license plate" is frequently used in statutes, although in some areas "tags" is informally used. (The term "tag" stems from small stick-on update tags issued periodically to indicate that the vehicle registration is current, rather than replacing the entire license plate each year.)

Numbering and lettering

Generally, the appearance of plates are frequently chosen to contain symbols, colors, or slogans associated with the issuing jurisdiction. Formats for license plate numbers, which are usually alphanumeric, are designed to provide enough unique numbers for all motor vehicles a jurisdiction expects to register. For example, the small states Delaware and Rhode Island are able to use formats of 123456 and 123-456, respectively, while California uses the seven-character format 1ABC234, and several other populous states and provinces use a seven-character ABC-1234 or ABCD-123 formats.

In some states, information such as county of registration or month of expiration is incorporated into the number. The last number on a Massachusetts license plates indicates the month the bearer's registration expires (1234 AB would expire in April, the fourth month; zero is used for October expirations; and X and Y are used for November and December expirations, respectively, on commercial plates and pre-1978 passenger plates), as does the first number or letter on West Virginia plates (1-9 and O, N, and D for January through September and October, November, and December, respectively). In Alabama, Indiana, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming, a one- or two-digit number representing the county of issue begins a license plate number. Standard issue Idaho license plate numbers begin with a single-letter or a number-letter code representing the county of issue.

Several states -- Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Iowa, Mississippi, and Tennessee -- place the full name of the county of registration explicitly on their standard-issue plates but not as part of the plate serial. Kansas plates carry a sticker bearing a two-letter county code, and Ohio plates a sticker with a two-number county code, but neither is a part of the plate serial. Texas places the county name on the windshield registration sticker but it likewise is not part of the plate serial.

In most states, plates for vehicles other than passenger cars, such as trucks and trailers, may use different numbering formats, either with or without the type name appearing explicitly on the plate.

License-plate numbers are usually assigned in ascending order, beginning with a starting point such as AAA-001. Thus, someone familiar with the sequence can determine roughly when the license plate was issued. In a few cases, numbers are assigned in descending order. For example, when Virginia switched to seven characters for its standard issue in 1993, numbers beginning with AAA-1000 were already in use for extra-cost, optional-issue plates; therefore, the new standard license plates were issued in descending order from ZZZ-9999. The "400th Anniversary" license plates, issued since 2003, are numbered in ascending order from JAA-1000. South Dakota has used the sequence of county population size for the first numbers, and has also experimented with using county abbreviations as the prefix. After Ontario's transition to ABCD-123 in 1997, plates were issued in ascending order starting with AAAA-001. It took close to ten years to exhaust the supply of plate numbers with A as the first digit. In late 2006, plates with B as the first digit were assigned, and have continued from there sequentially.

File:Alberta License Plate.jpg

The province of Alberta had no problems issuing plates with the letters CUM on them in 2004, resulting in about a thousand unlucky motorists. Today, the plates are sought after by collectors.

The gradual increase in the use of letters in the serials of license plates has given rise to an increased possibility of unintentional profane or inappropriate words or messages arising from the use of sequential alphanumeric combinations. Thus, numbering sequences generally exclude certain combinations of letters or numbers that would be potentially offensive. Jurisdictions' attention to excluding offensive combinations varies widely, however. In 1986, Waldale, a Canadian licence plate manufacturer, due to a production error, produced an entire batch of New Brunswick plates that began with the letters ASS. The plates were never issued, and were officially scrapped, but many found their way into the collectors' market. A similar situation occured in 2004 with plates made for Alberta that began with the letters CUM. Unlike the New Brunswick ASS plates, they were never recalled and are a prized collector's item.

File:RI Disabled.jpg

A sample Rhode Island disabled license plate.

In the United States and some parts of Canada, special plates are issued to persons with disabilities having the International Symbol of Accessibility on them, which entitle them to special parking privileges. Alternately, a placard, which in some jurisdictions can be hung from the rear view mirror, is issued and has the advantage of being transferred easily from vehicle to vehicle.

Current and future standard-issue passenger plate serial formats

Plates with the following designs and serial formats are currently being issued in U.S. and Canadian jurisdictions or have been announced for future issuance. Other designs and serial formats previously issued may still be valid in certain jurisdictions.

State/Province/Territory	Type	Serial format	Image
Alabama	"Stars Fell On Alabama" (coded by county of issuance) "God Bless America" "Sweet. Home. Alabama." (future)	0A1234B 00A123B 00A1B2C (following exhaustion of above format) AB12345 12345AB (unknown)	File:AL 2002.jpg File:AL GBA plate.jpg
Alaska	"Celebrating Statehood 1959-2009"	ABC123	File:AK 2008.jpg
Alberta	"Wild Rose Country"	ABC 123	File:Alberta License Plate.jpg
American Samoa	"Centennial 2000"	1234
Arizona	"Grand Canyon State"	ABC1234
Arkansas	"The Natural State"	123 ABC	File:AR2006.jpg
British Columbia	"Beautiful British Columbia"	123 ABC
California	state name in script font	1ABC234	File:Ca04.jpg
Colorado	mountain scene	123-ABC
Connecticut	"Constitution State"	123-ABC
Delaware	"The First State"	123456
District of Columbia	"Taxation without Representation" "www.washingtondc.gov"	AB-1234 AB-1234	File:Dc2003.jpg
Florida	"myFLORIDA.com" with county name "myFLORIDA.com" with "Sunshine State"	A12 3BC 123 ABC	File:Florida 2004.jpg
Georgia	"GEORGIA.gov"	ABC 1234	File:GA 2007.jpg
Hawaii	"Aloha State" (coded by county of issuance)	ABC 123, where first letter is A-G, J, L, N, P, or R-Z (City and County of Honolulu) HBC 123 (Hawai‘i County) KBC 123 (Kaua‘i County) MBC 123 (Maui County)	File:HI1991.jpg
Idaho	"Famous Potatoes" (coded by county of issuance)	A 123456 (variable number of digits following space) 0A 12345 (variable number of digits following space) 0A B1234 (following exhaustion of above format) 0A BC123 (following exhaustion of above format)	File:Id2008.jpg
Illinois	"Land of Lincoln"	A12 3456
Indiana	state coat of arms "In God We Trust"	123 ABC (variable number of letters) A/B 1234	File:Indiana plate.jpg File:Indiana IGWT plate.jpg
Iowa	farm scene	123 ABC	File:IA Sample.jpg
Kansas	state seal	123 ABC
Kentucky	"Unbridled Spirit"	123 ABC	File:KY 2005.jpg
Louisiana	"Sportsman's Paradise"	ABC 123	File:Louisiana Sample 2007.jpg
Maine	"Vacationland"	1234 AB (variable number of digits preceding space)
Manitoba	"Friendly"	ABC 123
Maryland	"www.maryland.gov"	1AB C23	File:MD 2006.jpg
Massachusetts	"The Spirit of America" (coded by month of expiration)	12A B30 (1 through 7 for January through July, respectively) 123 AB0 (8 for August and 9 for September) 1AB 230 (0 for October)	File:MASSHOL.jpg
Michigan	"www.Michigan.gov"	ABC 1234
Minnesota	"10,000 Lakes"	ABC 123
Mississippi	lighthouse	ABC 123
Missouri	"Show-Me State" bluebird (future)	1AB 23C (unknown)
Montana	"Big Sky Country" (coded by county of issuance)	0C-12345 (variable number of digits following divider) 0C-1234A (following exhaustion of above format; variable number of digits following divider) 00-12345 (variable number of digits following divider)	File:Mt2007.jpg
Nebraska	Douglas, Lancaster, and Sarpy Counties all other counties (coded by county of issuance)	ABC 123 0-A1234 (variable number of digits following letter) 0-AB123 (following exhaustion of above format; variable number of digits following letter) 00-A123 (variable number of digits following divider) 00-AB12 (following exhaustion of above format; variable number of digits following divider)	File:Ne2005.jpg
Nevada	"The Silver State"	123-ABC	File:Nv2007.jpg
New Brunswick	Viking ship	ABC-123
New Hampshire	"Live Free or Die"	123 4567	File:New Hampshire Sample 2001.jpg
New Jersey	"Garden State"	ABC-12D A12-BCD (upcoming)	File:NJ2007.jpg
New Mexico	yucca hot air balloon	123-ABC ABC123
New York	"The Empire State"	ABC-1234	File:NY2001.jpg
Newfoundland and Labrador	pitcher plant	ABC 123	File:NL 2007.jpg
North Carolina	"First in Flight"	ABC-1234	File:NC sample plate.png
North Dakota	"Discover the Spirit"	ABC 123	File:ND 1993.jpg
Northwest Territories	"Explore Canada's Arctic"	123456
Nova Scotia	"Canada's Ocean Playground"	ABC 123	File:Nova Scotia Sample.jpg
Nunavut	"Explore Canada's Arctic"	12345N
Ohio	"Birthplace of Aviation"	ABC 1234	File:Oh license plate.jpg
Oklahoma	"Native America" with shield "Native America" with photograph (future)	ABC 123 123 ABC (unknown)	File:OK 2007.jpg
Ontario	"Yours to Discover"	ABCD-123	File:Ontario 1997 Sample.jpg
Oregon	pine tree	123 ABC
Pennsylvania	"visitPA.com"	ABC-1234	File:Pa2008.jpg
Prince Edward Island	"Canada's Green Province" "La province verte du Canada"	AB 123 AB 123
Puerto Rico	"Isla del Encanto" "Cincuentenario"	ABC 123 ABC 123
Quebec	"Je me souviens"	160px]] 123 ABC ABC 12D (future)
Rhode Island	"Ocean State"	123-456	File:RI1996.jpg
Saskatchewan	"Land of Living Skies"	123 ABC
South Carolina	"Smiling Faces. Beautiful Places." "In God We Trust" "travel2sc.com" (future)	123 ABC 123 4AB ABC 123	File:SC 1998.jpg File:SC OPT.jpg
South Dakota	"Great Faces. Great Places." (coded by county of issuance)	0AB 123 00A 123 00A B23 (following exhaustion of above format) 00A BC3 (following exhaustion of above format)	File:SD 2007.jpg
Tennessee	"The Volunteer State"	123-ABC
Texas	"The Lone Star State" clouds and hills	ABC-123 (unknown, seven characters)	File:Tx2008.jpg
Utah	"Life Elevated" with skier "Life Elevated" with rock formation	A12 3BC A12 3BC (first letter progresses backwards from Z)	File:Utah Plate.jpg
Vermont	"Green Mountain State"	ABC 123
Virginia	blue state name	ABC-1234 (progressing backwards from ZZZ-9999)	File:VA2008.jpg
Washington	"Evergreen State"	123-ABC
West Virginia	"Wild, Wonderful" (coded by month of expiration)	0AB 123 (1 through 9 for January through September, respectively) ABC 123 (O, N, and D for October, November, and December, respectively)
Wisconsin	"America's Dairyland"	123-ABC
Wyoming	Devil's Tower (coded by county of issuance)	0-1234 (variable number of digits following divider) 0-123A (following exhaustion of above format; variable number of digits following divider) 0-12AB (following exhaustion of above format; variable number of digits following divider) 0-1ABC (following exhaustion of above format) 00-1234 (variable number of digits following divider) 00-123A (following exhaustion of above format; variable number of digits following divider) 00-12AB (following exhaustion of above format; variable number of digits following divider)	File:Wy license plate sample.jpg
Yukon	"The Klondike"	ABC 12

Plate types of no longer issued but still valid

Plates with the following designs and serial formats are no longer currently being issued in U.S. and Canadian jurisdictions but may still be valid for use in certain instances. This table does not include year of manufacture registrations.

State/Province/Territory	Type	Serial format
Alabama	none
Alaska	"The Last Frontier" "Gold Rush Centennial"	ABC 123 ABC 123
Alberta	none
American Samoa	none
Arizona	white on maroon desert scene	ABC-123 123-ABC
Arkansas	blue state name and "The Natural State" slogan (currently being replaced through rolling replate program)	123 ABC
British Columbia	none
California	yellow on black yellow on blue "The Golden State" red embossed state name "Sesquicentennial - 150 Years"	ABC 123 123 ABC, 1ABC234 1ABC234 1ABC234 1ABC234
Colorado	embossed mountain scene	AB-1234, ABC-123, ABC1234
Connecticut	"Constitution State"	123-456, AB-1234
Delaware	white on black silver on black yellow on blue without slogan	up to 12-345 up to 123456 up to 123456
District of Columbia	"A Capital City" "Celebrate & Discover"	123-456 123-456, AB-1234
Florida	single orange (currently being replaced through rolling replate program)	A12 BCD
Georgia	"...on my mind" "www.GEORGIA.gov"	123 ABC, 12345 QA, 1234 AB, 1234 ABC ABC 1234
Hawaii	none
Idaho	none
Illinois	Land of Lincoln	12 345, 123 456, AB 1234, ABC 123, A12 345, 123 4567
Indiana	www.IN.gov (currently being replaced)	1A1234, 12A3456, 1AB234, 12AB345
Iowa	none
Kansas	state capitol (currently being replaced)	ABC 123
Kentucky	none
Louisiana	"Sportsman's Paradise" without pelican	ABC 123
Maine	none
Manitoba	none
Maryland	no slogan	ABC 123, 1AB C23
Massachusetts	"The Spirit of America" (coded by month of expiration)	1234 AB
Michigan	"Great Lakes" (currently being replaced)	123 ABC, ABC 123, ABC 1234
Minnesota	none
Mississippi	magnolia (currently being replaced)	123 ABC
Missouri	"Show-Me State"	123 ABC
Montana	none
Nebraska	none
Nevada	white on blue	AB1234, ABC123, 123ABC
New Brunswick	none
New Hampshire	"Live Free or Die"	ABC123, 123 456
New Jersey	black on tan buff on blue black on gradient yellow	ABC-123, 123-ABC 123-ABC, ABC-123, ABC-12C ABC1234, AB-123C
New Mexico	none
New York	"The Empire State"	ABC-123, 1AB-234, A1B-234, A12-3BC, AB1-23C
Newfoundland and Labrador	"Celebrate 500 Years" "A World of Difference" flag	ABC 123 ABC 123 ABC 123
North Carolina	"First in Flight"	ABC-123
North Dakota	none
Northwest Territories	none
Nova Scotia	blue on white "Canada's Ocean Playground"	ABC-123
Nunavut	none

Appearance

A Northwest Territories licence plate in the shape of a polar bear. North American license plates in all jurisdictions other than the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are rectangular.

In the United States and Canada, many states and provinces distinguish their license plates through distinctive color schemes and logos, which historically have been changed annually. For example, the cowboy logo often associated with the state of Wyoming has appeared on that state's license plates continuously since 1936, while the reigning monarch's crown has appeared on every Ontario license plate — including customized plates with no "dash", in the form of a second validation sticker — since 1937. License plates of the Yukon have long featured a prospector panning for gold. Some early Tennessee plates were produced in a parallelogram shape approximating that of the state, and in Canada's Northwest Territories and Nunavut, all license plates are cut in the shape of a polar bear.

Vermont license plates have frequently featured a green and white color scheme, while Alaska has preferred yellow and blue. Other states and provinces, such as California and Ontario, offer simpler schemes, often with a white background and little decoration.

In recent years, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia have placed the address of the state's official or tourism web site on their general issue plates, with South Carolina to follow suit in July 2008. Most plates in Washington, D.C., contain the phrase "Taxation without representation" to highlight the District's lack of a voting representative in Congress.

Typically, the registration number is embossed — or, more rarely, impressed — onto the license plate. Other identifying information, such as the name of the issuing jurisdiction and the vehicle class, can be either surface-printed or embossed; Virginia, for example, does the former for passenger cars and the latter for most non-passenger vehicles. However, it is increasingly common in the U.S. for the registration number to be surface-printed as well, using digital printing technology. Alabama, Colorado, Mississippi, Missouri, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and Washington do so only for certain types of license plates, such as vanity plates and special issues; Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia have switched to the so-called "flat plate" technology for all their license plates. Delaware license plates have not been embossed for several decades. License plates originally were not embossed, but were merely flat plates in various forms, typically rectangular. It was found by the 1930s that they could be easily forged, and subsequently plates were embossed as the equipment to do this was not easily available to criminals wishing to create their own plates.

In 1956, the U.S. states and Canadian provinces came to an agreement with the Automobile Manufacturers Association that fixed the size for all their passenger vehicle plates at six inches in height by twelve inches in width, although these figures may vary slightly by jurisdiction. In North America, only Saint Pierre and Miquelon has not adopted these standards. (Although the Northwest Territories and Nunavut plates are cut in the shape of a polar bear, their mounting holes are compatible with those of the rest of Canada and the U.S.) Smaller-sized plates are used for motorcycles and, in some jurisdictions, mopeds and certain types of trailers and construction equipment.

Showing current registration on plates

Historically, many U.S. and Canadian plates were replaced every year, although the most common practice in modern times is to send new validation stickers to vehicle owners every year or two, to indicate that the vehicle registration is still valid.

Tags that are not up to date quickly attract the attention of law enforcement, because registration "renewal" is a transaction that can usually be undertaken only by the car's registered owner, once certain requirements have been met, and because registration fees are a source of government revenue. A delinquent registration tag is often an indicator that the vehicle may be stolen, that the vehicle's owner has failed to comply with the applicable law regarding emission inspection or insurance, or that the vehicle's owner has unpaid traffic or parking tickets. Even with the tags, most states previously required that all license plates be replaced every few years; that practice is being abandoned by many states because of the expense of continually producing large numbers of plates. Maryland, for example, formerly mandated that all license plates be replaced every five years (except for apportioned trailers, which were registered on an eight-year schedule), but has not done so since 1986.

The sticker is usually placed on one corner of the plate, while the month of the year in which the plate would expire is printed in an opposing corner. Some jurisdictions combine the year and month on one sticker. In others, the plate's validation is a decal displayed from the inside of the windshield. The color of plate stickers and windshield decals often change annually, to allow for easier detection by police.

Most validation stickers are either serialized (with the serial number recorded on the registration), or are printed by a special printer at the time of registration or renewal with the vehicle's license plate number on them to discourage fraudulent sticker use, as the sticker will be valid only for the plate for which it was intended. In the District of Columbia, the license plate is validated with a windshield sticker that indicates the expiration date, the license plate number, the year and make of vehicle, and part of the vehicle identification number, thereby allowing easier detection of fraudulent use, as well as serving as a parking permit for neighborhood residents.

Currently New York, Texas, and Washington, D.C. use windshield stickers exclusively, rather than plate stickers, for most vehicle classes. Connecticut switched to this method in September 2006. New Jersey required the use of plate decals for a few years, beginning with November 2000 expirations, but has not required them on passenger cars since October 1, 2004. New Jersey passenger vehicles currently do not display any registration information other than the license plate itself.

Pennsylvania issued validation stickers for Philadelphia residents that were displayed in the lower left corner of cars' rear windows for a few years, ending in late 2003 with the last stickers issued bearing January 2005 expirations, due to problems with theft of stickers attached to the license plate - thieves sometimes even cut off the corner of the license plate that had the current sticker - or the thieves cut off the entire first or last digit of the license plate!

In Hawaii, the case of vehicle registration dues are a heated debate between the counties. Vehicles are purchased at a discount on Oʻahu compared to the neighboring islands where there is usually only one dealer per vehicle make. Because the outlying counties issue plates starting with M (Maui County), K (Kauaʻi), or H (Big Island of Hawaiʻi), the source of the vehicle can be identified.

Life cycle

In U.S. law, when a person moves to a new state, he or she is required to establish residency in the new state, which includes registering the vehicle with that new state's government — it will then issue a new plate or plates that must be attached to the vehicle. One prominent exception is active duty military service members; under Federal law, they do not change their legal residence when they move to a new posting and are not obliged to re-register their vehicle with the state in which they are newly assigned. Undergraduate students attending college or university in a state other than their own are also typically exempt from transferring their registration, while graduate students are typically not exempt. A few states consider all students to be residents for purposes of vehicle registration. Accordingly they must register and insure their vehicle in that state as well as obtain that state's driver's license. A few other states, such as New York, allow, although do not require, out of state students to register their vehicles in state.

In Canada, plates typically stay with the owner rather than the vehicle, and motorists usually transfer plates from their previous vehicle to the new one as a cost saving measure. For this reason, in Ontario it is possible to see a brand new vehicle with valid 1973-issue license plates, while a 15-year-old vehicle may have brand new plates if there were no previous plates to transfer. In Ontario, motorists may also chose to transfer or "sell" any license plate to a new owner for registration on another vehicle, although this rarely occurs.

When a vehicle is sold, the disposition of the license plates depends on state law and varies by state. In some states, license plates are transferred with the vehicle to its new owner. In other states, the license plates remain with the seller, who may, for a fee, transfer the license plates and any unused portion of the current registration to a new vehicle. Some states issue a new plate whenever the car is sold.

The various states and provinces have different schemes for reissuing license plates, a process known as "replating." In some jurisdictions, plates are issued on a permanent basis and are not replaced unless the owner requests a new plate or that his or her existing plate be remade. These jurisdictions include California, Delaware, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Ontario, and Oregon. Other jurisdictions replate on a rolling basis, replacing a particular motorist's plate when it reaches a certain age. Jurisdictions employing a rolling replate program include Arkansas (plates reissued every eight years), Florida (five years), Idaho (seven years), Texas (seven years). Yet other jurisdictions may recall a particular series of plates for reissuance at regular or irregular intervals. This is particularly common in jurisdictions in which only one license plate series or design is valid at any given time. Optional-issue plates may or may not follow the same rules for replacement as standard-issue plates, depending on the jurisdiction.

Mounting

Many American states are now strictly enforcing laws that require vehicles to display two license plates (on the rear and front of the vehicle). One possible benefit of front license plates is to increase the effectiveness of red-light cameras, which work only if a vehicle can be linked back to its registered owner. Opponents of two license plates usually do not like front plates on certain sports cars and historic cars because of their visual obtrusiveness from the vehicle. (For example, a Car and Driver reader wrote in to the magazine to point out that the Mazda RX8 looks like Bugs Bunny when so equipped.) They argue that they add cost to production, use resources (metal), create double the amount of waste and do not give police any extra tool in recovering stolen vehicles.

California is one of an increasing number of states whose law requiring a front license plate on all vehicles is being petitioned. The petitions are traditionally the result of effort put forth by motorists and car auto enthusiasts who prefer the clean, unobstructed viewing of the front fascia and grille of their vehicle and see little or no practicality in having a front plate on display. Some argue that the presence of a front license plate means unnecessary damage when mounting hardware comes into contact with the bumper of another vehicle. Variations on placement include displaying the front plate inside the vehicle between the dash board and front windshield, having both a state-issued and vanity plate insert on display, and having only a vanity plate insert on display. Police officers frequently cite motorists whose vehicles do not comply with California Vehicle Code section 5200, giving the offender the opportunity to correct the offense.

The petition, originally drafted by William Shaw, argues that not having a front plate on display does not interfere with law enforcement and states, "in the 20 or more states that have abolished the front license plate requirement, there is no evidence of a decline in public safety as a result of the plate removal."

In the Canadian provinces and territories of Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon, and in the U.S. states of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts (most plates issued prior to 1988 - see note below), Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia, however, license plates are currently only required on the rear of the vehicle. Some vanity and specialty plates in Arizona and Kansas are issued in pairs, but only the rear plate is required to be displayed; the optional front plate is something of a bonus for paying an extra fee for the plate.

Massachusetts is a unique case for license plate mounting. Before the introduction of the current "Spirit of America" base starting in 1986 for commercial vehicles and vanity plates and 1988 for all other vehicles, the state issued only a single green-on-white plate to be mounted on the rear bumper. With the current-issue base, two plates are issued, to be mounted on both the front and rear bumpers. Since all license plates issued since 1978 are currently valid, most passenger vehicles registered in Massachusetts display two plates, and those with the older green-on-white plates only display one.

Temporary/transit registrations

When a person buys a vehicle from a dealer, the dealer is typically authorized to issue a temporary registration to allow the buyer to drive the vehicle until the government agency in charge of vehicle registration processes the registration forms.

Similarly, when a person buys a vehicle outside his state or province of residence, he can usually obtain a "transit registration" from the authorities of the state or province where the purchase took place. This transit registration will allow the new owner to drive the vehicle and to properly register and obtain license plates for the vehicle from his state or province of residence.

The physical indicia of such temporary or transit registrations can take a variety of forms, such as:

• a cardboard or lightweight plastic license plate, to be removed at the end of the temporary registration period;
• a standard metal license plate with temporary validation, in which case the government agency needs to issue only a validation sticker rather than a license plate; or
• a form or decal to be applied to a window of the vehicle.

Plates for various types of vehicles and groups

In Canada and the United States, there are several types of license plates that are issued to special passenger, non-passenger and non-private vehicles. Depending on the jurisdiction, such types may include:

Antique vehicle Apportioned (commercial vehicle paying license fees to multiple states) Auto dealer (for use on test drives) Bus (Omnibus in New Jersey) Classic vehicle Colleges or Universities Combination (vehicle used for both commercial and personal use ) Commercial vehicle Commuter van Construction equipment Dealer Diplomat (Diplomatic plates are issued by the U.S. State Department and not by individual states) but in Canada by the individual provinces. Disabled (Handicapped) Exempt (Government) Emergency vehicle Ambulance Emergency Medical Technician Paramedic Fire Trucks Heavy rescue vehicle Rescue squad Farm equipment Fertilizer truck Fleet vehicle Foreign organisation Government vehicle Hearse

Historic vehicle Implement of husbandry Loaner vehicle Livery Logging truck Military Mobile home Motorcycle Olympic Games-related vehicle Omnibus Passenger car Police car Press Press Photographer Recreational vehicle Repossession School bus Senator Taxicab Television station Tow truck Tractor Trailer Truck Vehicle manufacturer Veteran Volunteer Ambulance Service (VAS) <- As seen in New York State Volunteer firefighter Wildlife Wrecker (Tow truck)

Vanity and specialty plates

In each of the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and each Canadian province but Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec, motorists are given the option of extra-cost vanity plates (also known as "personalized" or "prestige" plates), which are license plates with a custom serial (sequence of letters and/or numbers). Generally vanity plates are not permitted to have profane or obscene messages on them, although standards vary widely among issuing jurisdictions as to what constitutes an unacceptable message. In California, motorists may order symbols—a heart, hand, plus sign, or star—on one type of specialty plate. Other states, such as New Hampshire and North Carolina, offer the use of certain punctuation symbols as well.

• Florida's Challenger plate. This is the second revision of this plate, which also honors Space Shuttle Columbia.
  Florida's Challenger plate. This is the second revision of this plate, which also honors Space Shuttle Columbia.
• 2001New Jersey "Mutts" Animal Friendly license plate
  2001New Jersey "Mutts" Animal Friendly license plate
• An example of a personalized license plate from Illinois.
  An example of a personalized license plate from Illinois.
• A 1996 Ontario "Star Trek" specialty license plate.
  A 1996 Ontario "Star Trek" specialty license plate.
• Indiana DARE specialty license plate.
  Indiana DARE specialty license plate.

File:Kramer's ASSMAN plates.jpg

New York vanity license plate featuring ASSMAN, from the 1990s sitcom Seinfeld. Normally such a phrase would not be considered appropriate for a vanity plate.

In some jurisdictions, vehicle owners may also pay extra for specialty plates. With these, the plate serial is chosen by the licensing agency—as with regular plates—but the owners select a plate design that is different from the normal licence plate. For example, an alumnus or student of an area university might purchase a plate with the school's logo, or an outdoorsman might decide to pay extra for a plate depicting a nature scene. A portion of the extra cost of these license plates often ends up as a donation for a related school or non-profit organization.

One example of a specialty license plate was a plate issued in 1987 by the state of Florida to commemorate the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Proceeds benefit the Astronauts Memorial Foundation, and funded the construction and maintenance of the Space Mirror Memorial at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Merritt Island, Florida. The current version of the plate, and the second revision since its inception, introduced in 2004, commemorates both Challenger and Columbia. It remained the most popular of all of Florida's specialty plates until it was overtaken by a plate to support the critically endangered Florida Panther. In 2006, it was outsold by a plate for the University of Florida. Florida has the most specialty plates, currently offering 107 plates.

New Jersey offers an optional Animal Friendly license plate. The second generation of this plate was first issued in 2001 and features characters from the popular comic strip "Mutts" by Patrick McDonnell. A portion of the revenue from the plates goes to the New Jersey State Department of Health's Animal Population Control Program. Some states where stock car racing is popular issue special NASCAR-themed plates; a NASCAR fan can purchase a plate with the name and car number of his or her favorite driver, along with the state-issued alphanumeric sequence. Here, a portion of the extra cost goes to NASCAR as compensation for licensing its trademarks. States currently offering NASCAR plates featuring designs for different drivers are Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and West Virginia; Florida issues one NASCAR-themed plate. In 1996 the province of Ontario issued an optional "Star Trek" license plate. It was discontinued in the early 2000s.

Some jurisdictions allow for some or all of their specialty plates to also be vanity plates, usually for an additional fee on top of the cost of the plate.

Normally such specialty plates can be purchased without proof of any particular status or affiliation, exceptions being plates which indicate membership or abilities of use in an emergency (firemen, police, EMT, amateur radio operator, etc.). Also, some states require that the university plates be ordered through alumni associations.

In Indiana, a pilot program allows large fleet vehicle operators to customize an Indiana license plate specific to their organization. The United Parcel Service is the first such fleet operator to take advantage of this offering. This kind of specialty plate can only be purchased by the owner of the fleet and is not considered a general issue plate.

Other specialty plates include those for motorists with specific accomplishments or backgrounds; for example, a veteran who was a prisoner of war or a Purple Heart recipient may obtain a POW or Purple Heart specialty plate, respectively, after presenting documentation of his or her status to the registrar. In many jurisdictions, there is no charge (or at least no extra charge) for such a plate, in recognition of the veteran's service.

Because specialty plates are government issued, they are required under First Amendment issues to be issued as a type to any group or organization that qualifies under the same terms as any other group to be issued a type of plate. The State of Maryland was going to revoke permission for use of the Confederate flag from a certain plate by the Sons of Confederate Veterans, but a court ruled that the only way the state could do that was to revoke permission on all specialty plates. As this would have cost the state several million dollars in revenue, the state decided it could live with the flag plate.

In addition states and provinces may provide commemorative plates as a standard issue. In 1967 a number of provinces issued commemorative plates recognizing the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, and a number of states issued plates recognizing the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976. Several states have issued plates commemorating milestones in their own state; in 1998 Alaska celebrated the Centennial of the Klondike Gold Rush with new license plates showing prospectors on the trail to the Yukon. States often issue plates with their motto or slogan, such as North Carolina's "First in Flight" and Ohio's "Birthplace of Aviation." These are arguably also general commemoratives. Saskatchewan's "Land of Living Skies" slogan may be interpreted as a wryly self-deprecating reference to the province's summertime mosquitoes and grasshoppers or a more straightforward nod to the northern lights, aurora borealis.

All U.S. states and Canadian provinces offer specialized license plates for licensed amateur radio operators, in many cases at no extra charge or at a discount compared to standard vanity plates. States offer these special plates in appreciation of the contributions to public service by radio amateurs. The owner's radio call sign is used instead of a standard-issue serial. At least one state —Texas— allows radio amateurs to have their call sign on the license plates of multiple vehicles that they own, in effect allowing more than one vehicle to share the same license plate number.

In New Jersey, people convicted of drunk driving are banned from using vanity plates. In Ohio, convicted drunk drivers may have the option to drive with special red-on-yellow license plates in exchange for a lesser sentence. In Georgia and Minnesota, drunk drivers may be ordered to display a plate with a special numbering system indicating restricted driving privileges. Ontario considered issuing purple-on-pink license plates for vehicles where an ignition interlock system has been installed, but never went through with the plan.

Low-digit plates

Delaware permits two things that have created an interesting secondary market in license plates. First, the state issues license plates with one-, two-, three-, and four-digit numbers. The governor of Delaware has license plate number 1, the lieutenant governor has number 2, and the secretary of state has number 3, but there are private owners who own some of the remaining single-digit tags. Second, owners are permitted to sell their licenses to other owners. The prestige of low-digit plates is such that three-digit plates can now bring $50,000 and two-digit plates can bring $200,000. One expert broker has estimated that a single-digit Delaware license plate can now bring $400,000 at auction. Recently the Delaware plate number 6 was sold for $675,000.

Other jurisdictions also issue low-number license plates. For example, the District of Columbia reserves numbers 1 through 1250 for issuance at the discretion of the Mayor or City Council members.

Examples of optional plates

Specialty plates in Ohio

• Amateur radio (showing ITU prefix)
• Animal Friendly
• Choose Life
• Colleges and Universities
• DARE
• Eagle Scout
• Educator/Support Education
• Environmental
• Freemasonry
• Historical Preservation
• Medal of Honor
• NASCAR
• Prisoner of war
• Professional sports teams
• Purple Heart
• Rotary Club
• Sons of Confederate Veterans available in limited States
• Star Trek
• Veteran (various wars may be indicated)
• Wildlife preservation

Professional and Governmental License Plates

In the United States

Many states, such as New York and New Jersey, issue license plates to members of certain professions who require some sort of special privileges, such as parking or going behind police lines. Examples include plates for members of the press, doctors, nurses, EMTs, paramedics, volunteer firemen, judges, medical examiners, and elected officials. [2] However, some medical people do not wish to be so identified, because it may encourage criminals to break into their cars to look for drugs.

File:MunicipalHawaiiPlates.jpg

Two examples of State and Local Government plates from Hawaii.

In the United States, all states issue some special sort of license plate for vehicles which are owned by state and local governments, and the Federal government issues plates for vehicles it owns, except for many belonging to the United States Postal Service, many of which use no plates. For the most part, the plates are similar to the regular passenger plates, except with a separate numbering sequence and/or with a message such as "government," "official," "state owned," "municipal," or "exempt" (from registration fees) replacing the slogan.

Some states use a distinctive color scheme to differentiate the plates from the regular issue. For example, in Virginia, state government license plates have a number suffixed with "S" and have a light blue background, while local government license plates have a number suffixed with "L" and have a tan background. The standard issue has a white background and a different numbering scheme. In Vermont, municipal government plates have a red background instead of the usual green background; State Police plates are green with yellow lettering instead of white, matching the color scheme of VSP patrol vehicles. In Florida, government vehicles have a black-on-yellow scheme. Governmental vehicles in North Carolina are issued permanent black-on-yellow (state-owned) or black-on-silver/aluminum (all other governmental) license plates. Government vehicles in Georgia are issued a plate in the standard design but a numbering series prefixed by "GV" and a decal on the left side of the plate indicating what type of government the plate is issued to (authority, (school) board, city, county, or state).

Georgia State Patrol vehicles have special-issue plates they are required to display on both the front and rear of the vehicle — most other vehicles in Georgia only have rear plates — that have an image of the GSP's patch and the trooper's badge number.

Most Washington (State) State Patrol vehicles use the same format as passenger cars, with the exception that the letters are all "WSP" (Washington State Patrol). For example: 123 WSP. The format "1234 SP" may also be seen on WSP vehicles but not as common. In this format only the numbers change, with the SP (State Patrol) designation remaining constant.

The District of Columbia issues special license plates to vehicles owned by the D.C. Government. Vehicles belonging to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority display standard license plates appropriate to the class of vehicle, with special validation stickers. Some marked police cars are issued standard plates, but most have a special white-on-blue "Police" plate. Fire department vehicles – except for fire engines – are issued special white-on-red plates. Fire engines in the District of Columbia do not have license plates.

In Honolulu, Hawaii, the license plates on TheBus matches the number of the bus they are assigned to with the "BUS-XXX" placed at the front and back of the vehicles (i.e., BUS-743, referring to bus number 743, which is a 40ft. Gillig bus). Similarly, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Boston, Massachusetts places license plates on their buses featuring the agency's logo (a "T" inside a circle) followed by the bus number.

Michigan uses a unique "123X45" format for municipal vehicles and "123Y45" for other public vehicles such as buses. State Police plates are navy blue with yellow numbers, displaying the legend "STATE POLICE" followed by a four-digit fleet number. The first two digits of this fleet number indicate the State Police post number where the vehicle is assigned. County sheriff plates follow the municipal format, but feature a black background and white letters, with a six-pointed star in the center instead of the X.

In New York State, local police vehicles are not issued license plates. In some cases, such as New York City the fleet number of the vehicle is put on a flat license plate using heat transferred letters. In Yonkers there is a special plate that looks similar to the specialized optional plates with the Yonkers Police logo and the fleet number. Other communities in the state have a license plate that looks like the regular issue vanity plate, but with the word "POLICE" on it. New York used to indicate rental cars with the sequence beginning with "0", but that apparently encouraged their targeting by car thieves, because it was believed the owning companies would not be as diligent in trying to find them as private owners.

Vehicles owned by a branch of the US military may have a license plate issued by that branch of the military, although some utility vehicles will have no license plate at all, only an identification number applied directly to the body. The United States Postal Service adopts the same practice, especially for its delivery trucks. Vehicles owned by the US General Services Administration will have plates issued by the GSA.

In Canada

In Canada, the vehicles owned by the Canadian Forces may circulate on the streets and have white license plates with a maple leaf and "Canada" written on them. A special license plate is available to veterans.

Ontario

Cars owned by the federal government in Ontario are in the format FDx-123, not in the usual four-letter format, with the first two letters always being "F" and "D" and the third digit being either a letter or a number. Cars owned by the provincial government in Ontario use standard series plates, but with specialized validation stickers exempt from annual registration. These exempt stickers are yellow with black stripes, informally dubbed bumblebee stickers. Ontario plates assigned to Members of Parliament are in the format of MHC-123 for Members of the House of Commons and SEN-123 for Senators. Members of the Canadian Cabinet receive CAN-123 plates, with the Prime Minister assigned CAN-001 and remaining members of cabinet assigned numbers sequentially based on order of precedence. Federal court judges receive FCJ-123.

The Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario receives a licence plates that bears an embossed crown rather than a number. Members of Provincial Parliament receive MPP-123 plates. Members of the Ontario Cabinet receive ONT-123 plates, with the premier assigned ONT-001 and remaining members of cabinet assigned numbers sequentially based on order of precedence. Provincial judges receive PJO-123.

General Registration License Plates

In the United States

Many states issue special plates to automobile dealers, auto repair shops, farms, and construction contractors, which are not tied to any particular vehicle. These users typically have many more vehicles on the premises than on the public streets, and it would not be practical to register and insure each individual vehicle. So, they hold a number of "floating" registrations for however many vehicles they plan to use on the public streets simultaneously. States typically have rules about who is eligible and how the plates may be used, and may impose recordkeeping and audit requirements.

In Canada

In the province of Ontario, motor vehicle dealers licensed under the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act use a single portable plate with the word "DEALER" on the left side and red alpha-numeric characters on a white background. It is for exclusive use by motor vehicle dealers only on motor vehicles owned as part of the dealer's inventory of vehicles for sale. It may also be used for private use vehicles that are owned as part of the dealer's inventory of vehicles for sale.

Quebec has a similar scheme. Plate numbers with the prefix "X" followed by five or six digits may be used on any vehicle that is part of a dealer's inventory.

Service providers, including anyone who repairs, customizes, modifies, manufactures or transports motor vehicles or trailers use yellow and black DLR series plates (Dealer and Service Plate).

A Service Plate may be used:

- on a trailer or motor vehicle other than a motorcycle or motor-assisted bicycle for purposes related to the repair, road testing, customization or modification of the vehicle, if the vehicle is in the possession of the person to whom the service plate is issued, or

- for the purpose of transporting the vehicle by a person engaged in the business of transporting vehicles, or

- for purposes related to the manufacturing or sale of a trailer, or

- for the purpose of towing the vehicle by a person engaged in the business of transporting vehicles, or

- to tow a vehicle to a location where its load will be removed or to an impound facility.

Private use of motor vehicles or trailers with a service plate is not permitted.

Diplomatic license plates

In the United States

File:NY75FC.jpg

A 1975 New York Foreign Consul license plate

US diplomatic license plate at Washington DC

Diplomatic License Plates are issued by the United States Department of State to accredited diplomats. This is an exception to the general rule in the US that license plates are issued by the state, and not the federal government. However, prior to the 1980s, plates were issued by states, with New York issuing the most, followed by the District of Columbia.

Plates issued to cars based in the District of Columbia follow the pattern of a letter identify the status of the owner, followed by the two-letter country code, followed by a four-digit number (S LL NNNN). For member countries of the Organization of American States (OAS), a subset of that numbering pattern is allotted to vehicles based at those countries' missions to the OAS. Plates issued to cars based at the United Nations in New York City are reversed, with the four-digit number first, followed by the two-letter country code, followed by the status code (NNNN LL S). This is because representatives of certain countries are limited to travel to certain radii from their base, and the system allows the city of assignment to be identified easily.

The status codes are "C" for Foreign Consul; "D" for Diplomat; "S" for Non-Diplomatic Staff; and "A" for a UN employee. The rights of the driver and car under diplomatic immunity are defined by this status code.

The country codes are unique to each particular country, but do not correlate to ISO Country Codes or other standards format. For example, France is "DJ" not "F" and Australia is "XZ" not "AUS". This is to prevent the general public from targeting diplomats from particular countries.

Certain US states will issue Honorary Consul plates to US citizens who have been appointed to that ceremonial office. These plates do not confer diplomatic immunity and are not a part of the US State Department system.

US Diplomatic Plate Country Codes:

• AA = Congo
• AC = Cote d'Ivoire
• AE = Uzbekistan
• AF = Japan
• AH = Madagascar
• AJ = Panama
• AK = Cape Verde
• AQ = Syria
• AU = Uganda
• AV = Israel
• AX = Marshall Islands
• BL = South Africa
• BV = Solomon Islands
• BW = World Bank
• CB = Cambodia
• CC = Ethiopia
• CG = Marshall Islands
• CK = Namibia
• CM = Micronesia
• CN = International Organization
• CS = Afghanistan
• CT = Bhutan
• CU = Botswana
• CV = Myanmar (Burma)
• CW = Cameroon
• CX = Burundi
• CY = People's Republic of China
• DA = Colombia
• DB = Costa Rica
• DC = Cuba (UN only)
• DD = Cyprus
• DF = Dominican Republic
• DG = Ecuador
• DH = Cote d'Ivoire
• DI = South Africa
• DJ = France
• DK = Greece
• DL = India
• DM = Iran (UN only)
• DN = Denmark
• DP = Bangladesh
• DR = Slovakia
• DZ = Palau
• FF = Antigua & Barbuda
• FG = Central African Republic
• FH = Ireland
• FJ = Lebanon
• FK = Kenya
• FL = Liberia
• FM = Libya
• FN = Malta
• FP = Morocco
• FR = Philippines
• FS = Netherlands

• FT = Qatar
• FV = Sri Lanka
• FW = Holy See
• FX = Sierra Leone
• FZ = Suriname
• GC = Sweden
• GD = Ukraine
• GG = Zambia
• GN = Turkey
• GP = Albania
• GQ = North Korea
• GX = Vanuatu
• GY = Chile
• HB = Tonga
• HD = Argentina
• HL = Saint Lucia
• HM = Andorra
• HN = Mongolia
• HV = Belgium
• HW = Guatemala
• HX = Benin
• HY = Guinea Bissau
• HZ = Haiti
• JB = Honduras
• JC = Kuwait
• JD = Mauritius
• JF = Nigeria
• JG = Portugal
• JH = Somalia
• JJ = Chad
• JK = Turkey
• JM = Yugoslavia
• JP = Tunisia
• JQ = Togo
• JS = Slovenia
• JT = Croatia
• JY = Cyprus
• KB = Monaco
• KD = Eritrea
• KG = Equatorial Guinea
• KH = Hungary
• KJ = Lithuania
• KK = Fiji
• KL = Jordan
• KM = Jamaica
• KN = Gabon
• KP = Luxembourg
• KR = Malaysia
• KS = Mexico
• KU = Sao Tome & Principe
• KV = Saudi Arabia
• KW = Seychelles
• KX = Sudan
• LC = Venezuela

• LD = Vietnam
• LG = Turkey
• LH = Israel
• LJ = Israel
• LK = European Economic Communities
• LM = Macedonia
• LR = Bosnia-Herzegovina
• LW = Germany
• MF = International Monetary Fund
• MG = UNKNOWN
• MK = Djibouti
• MN = Comoros
• MP = Bahamas
• MW = Maldives
• NA = Oman
• NB = Papua New Guinea
• NC = Paraguay
• ND = Romania
• NQ = Angola
• NX = Malaysia
• PA = Austria
• PB = Barbados
• PC = Belize
• PD = United Kingdom
• PF = Bolivia
• PG = Belarus
• PK = Norway
• PL = Chile
• PM = Brunei
• PR = Argentina
• PS = Zimbabwe
• PV = Zaire
• QD = Burkina Faso
• QL = St. Kitts & Nevis
• QM = Bulgaria
• QN = Laos
• QP = Latvia
• QQ = Lesotho
• QR = Malawi
• QS = Mozambique
• QT = New Zealand
• QU = Nicaragua
• QV = Niger
• QW = Poland
• QX = Pakistan
• QX = Iran (DC only)
• QY = Yemen
• QZ = Indonesia
• RB = Rwanda
• RC = Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• RD = Senegal
• RL = Uruguay
• RV = San Marino
• SF = Czech Republic

• SG = Israel
• ST = Dominica
• TF = Algeria
• TF = Iraq (DC only)
• TG = Canada
• TH = Egypt
• TK = Liechtenstein
• TL = El Salvador
• TM = Iceland
• TN = Nepal
• TP = Mauritania
• TQ = Mali
• TR = Italy
• TS = Iraq (UN only)
• TT = Guyana
• TU = Guinea
• TV = Ghana
• TW = Gambia
• TX = Finland
• TY = Grenada
• TZ = Peru
• UA = Bahrain
• UF = Estonia
• UH = Spain
• UX = Trinidad & Tobago
• VF = Thailand
• VG = Tanzania
• VH = Switzerland
• VJ = Brazil
• VK = Singapore
• VL = Swaziland
• VM = Nauru
• WB = United Arab Emirates
• WD = South Korea
• WM = Western Samoa
• WZ = United Kingdom
• XA = Bangladesh
• XC = Fiji
• XD = Myanmar
• XE = Ghana
• XF = Turkey
• XG = Norway
• XY = UNKNOWN
• XZ = Australia
• YA = Armenia
• YG = Georgia
• YJ = Tajikistan
• YK = Kazakhstan
• YM = Moldova
• YR = Russia
• YT = Turkmenistan
• YY = Kyrgyzstan
• YZ = Azerbaijan

In Canada

File:On76d.jpg

1976 Ontario diplomatic license plate.

The diplomatic plates are issued by the province in which the consulate or embassy is located. Thus, most plates are issued in Ontario, where the capital Ottawa is located. The Ontario plates are white on red. There is no country coding so that the general public can target particular diplomats. The plates have been permanent since 1987 and have a 3-number, 3-letter format, coded as follows:

• CDx = Diplomat
• CCx = Consular
• XTx = Non Diplomatic Embassy Staff
• XOR = Foreign missions without diplomatic status.

Ambassadors or Heads of Missions use plates in the 010 to 019 number series, i.e., starting at 010-CDA.

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office is the main user of XOR plates.

See also

• List of U.S. state license plates
• History of US and Canadian license plates
• Canadian veteran licence plates

External links

• Automobile License Plate Collectors' Association
• Current High-Issue License Plates (U.S. and Canada)
• PL8S.COM - The License Plate Collectors Hobby Website
• A Pictoral History of British Columbia License Plates
• License Plates of North America, 1969-Present
• The License Plate Shack
• Pl8ster.net
• The Back Bumper
• Zuls Plate Page
• R.T.'s Blank Plates-pictures of license plates
• Sebald American License Plates
• Quebec (SAAQ)