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A Pictorial History of Maryland License Plates
Miscellaneous Personal Vehicle Plates Dated 1957 to Present

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My "Pictorial History" pages are intended to be a supplement to the information found in the ALPCA Archives. I am providing additional details and additional photos not found in the archives, and clarifying information when appropriate. When the ALPCA archives cover a subject in great detail, I do not repeat that detail here. I sincerely hope that you find this information useful.

If you find an error or have additional information, or can provide a plate or a photo of a plate that I'm missing, please send me an e-mail. There's a link to my e-mail address at the bottom of every page. Please note that all plates shown that are credited to another person are plates that I am still seeking for my own collection.

Latest noteworthy updates:


On this page - Maryland miscellanous personal vehicle plates dated 1957 to present
Introdution
Amateur radio operators
Antique, historic, and street rod vehicles
Handicapped persons
Low speed vehicles
Multi-purpose vehicles - passenger vans, SUVs, motor homes, private buses, and three-wheeled vehicles
Vanity plates
Related links

Diplomats and counsular officials - Now moved to the Hisory of Maryland Government Plates page
Government officials - Now moved to the Hisory of Maryland Government Plates page
Government-owned vehicles - Now moved to the Hisory of Maryland Government Plates page
Passenger vehicles for hire: taxis, limousines, ambulances, and hearses - Now moved to the History of Maryland Bus and Taxi Plates page
Rental cars - Now moved to both the History of Bus and Taxi Plates and History of Maryland Dealer Plates pages
Dealers and other automotive businesses - Now moved to the History of Maryland Dealer Plates page

Introduction

Maryland non-passenger plates and renewal stickers, with few exceptions, have closely resembled or been indistinguishable from their passenger car equivalents from the same time period. For this reason, I shall not re-hash information available on the Maryland Passenger Car Plates pages, or on the Maryland Plate General Information page, that is applicable to all plate types - things like plate dimensions, plate colors, location of "Maryland" and the expiration date on the plate, etc. Deviations from passenger car plates or stickers, whether small or large, are noted where applicable.

Note that this page does not cover all types of 1957-present Maryland personal vehicle plates. Passenger car plates are addressed on a separate page. Organizational member plates, both passenger and non-passenger, are on their own page. Motorcycle plates and truck plates of all types are covered on separate pages as well. Plates issued to government officials for their personal vehicles are on yet another page. Go to the Maryland Index page for links to these other pages.

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Amateur radio operators

1959 amateur radio car
1959 amateur radio car

1980 amateur radio car
1980 amateur radio car
(Sells photo / plate)


1980 Bicentennial amateur radio
1980 Bicentennial
amateur radio car
(Sells photo / plate)
1957-1975 amateur radio operators

Amateur radio plates were issued with a serial number that matched the radio operator's call sign, probably up to a maximum of six characters. In a sense, these were the first vanity plates. These were reported first issued with 1957 expiration dates. Early examples have a space between the second and third characters; later examples do not. These plates did not contain any identifying legend. 1957-1970 plates with March 31 expiration dates were issued to cars; those with an April 30 expiration date were issued to trucks. There isn't a way to distinguish amateur radio car vs. truck plates on the 1971 base.

1976-1987 amateur radio operators

These plates still did not carry any identifying legend. However, amatuer radio plates issued to trucks did carry a "Truck" legend at the bottom center. I haven't seen an amateur radio multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) plate, but it's likely they exist as well. Amateur radio plates were also available on the optional issue U.S. Bicentennial (1976-1980) and 350th Anniversary (1984-1987) plates.

1987-present amateur radio operators

Amateur radio plates are issued with the serial number that matches the radio operator's call sign, up to seven characters. They differ from ordinary vanity plates in that they carry the screened legend "Amateur Radio Operator" at the bottom center. Amateur radio plates are available for passenger cars, multi-purpose vehicles, and trucks up to 1 ton capacity. The same plates are issued to all of these vehicle types.
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Antique, historic, and street rod vehicles

1960 antique
(Sallmen photo / plate)

1970 antique

1960-1970 antique vehicles

Antique licenese plates were first issued with 1960 expirations. They displayed the legend "Antique Motor Vehicle" horizontally on the left portion of the plate, with each word stacked above the other. Verified serial formats include 000 and 0000. Antique vehicles received March 31 expiration dates.
1973 antique

1971-1975 antique and historic vehicles

There are examples of dated 1971 base plates with the legends "Antique Motor Vehicle" as well as "Historic Motor Vehicle". In both cases the legend is stacked horizontally on the left portion of the plate. Whether there was a difference in what could be considered antique versus historic, or whether the antique plates were issued first and the historic plates issued later, is not clear. There are more examples of the antique variety of plate floating around. The serial numbers of each type do not provide any obvious clues. I've observed antique serial numbers both lower and higher than historic serial numbers. Format 0000 was used for both types of plates.
1980 historic

1981 historic
1981 historic

1976-1987 historic vehicles

By the time the red and white base was issued, the term "antique" had been retired, and all such plates carried the simple legend "Historic" at the bottom of the plate. A variety of serial formats were used, and it's not completely clear what the sequence was. An educated guess would be, on the 1976 red letter base, first 0000, then x000, then x0000 and x 0000, then finally 0000 x. In the case of formats x0000 and x 0000, a space separator was added at some point, but one format's serial numbers picked up where the other left off. The 1980 plate pictured is a natural. On the 1981 black letter base, the sequence started over, but the spacing between the between the letter and numbers was slightly different; I believe the order was 0000, x000 and x 000, x 0000, and lastly 0000 x. Again, x 000 picked up where x000 left off.

Vanity registration numbers were permitted on both the 1976 and the 1981 historic bases. Historic motorcycle plates and historic vanity motorcycle plates both began on the 1981 base.

1987-present historic vehicles and street rods
1993 historic

2008 historic
(plate in actual use)

Historic vehicles: Historic vehicles were initially assigned plates on the screened "Maryland" base with serial format 000*00L, with the "L" indicating the vehicle class, and with the screened legend "Historic" at the bottom of the plate. This format was eventually used up, and a second format L00*000 was introduced. This second format was exhausted in late 2005; now a third format 000*0L0 is being issued. Historic motorcycle plates are issued with format 00000L/D. Vanity registration numbers are permitted on both regular and motorcycle historic plates.
current street rod
(unstickered front plate)

Street rods: A short time after the introduction of the screened "Maryland" base, street rods were split out from historic vehicles into their own class. The distiction is that historic vehicles are over 25 years old in basically stock condition, while street rods are heavily modified or customized vehicles over 25 years old. Street rod plates are in format 000*00N, with the "N" indicating the vehicle class, and with the screened legend "Street Rod" displayed along the bottom of the plate. Street rod motorcycle plates are issued with format 00000N/D. Regular street rod plates can also be issued with vanity registration numbers; I imagine street rod motocycle plates can too, but I'm not certain since I've never seen one.
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Handicapped persons

1975 handicapped
1971-1975 handicapped

Handicapped plates were first issued on the white on blue 1971 base. The format consisted of an embossed wheelchair graphic followed by a numeric serial; format was 00000, with 10001 the first plate number issued.
1980 handicapped
(O'Connor photo / plate)

1987 handicapped mpv
(O'Connor photo / plate)

1976-1987 handicapped

Handicapped plates continued on the red and white and black and white bases with an embossed wheelchair graphic. A variety of serial formats were used on these two bases; it's not clear what the sequence was. Handicapped persons registering trucks or multi-purpose vehicles were issued plates similar to handicapped passenger car plates, but with the word "Truck" or "MPV" embossed at the bottom of the plate, respectively.
1988 handicapped

2008 handicapped
(plate in actual use)

2007 disabled veteran
(plate in actual use)

Our Farms handicapped
Our Farms handicapped
(unstickered front plate
in actual use)


2006 Chesapeake gen 2 handicapped
2006 second generation
Treasure the Chesapeake
handicapped
(plate in actual use)


1987-present handicapped

Standard handicapped plates on the standard script "Maryland" base are issued with the wheelchair graphic at the far left, followed by the serial number 00000x/x, where the letters may be H/C, H/D, or H/V. Presumably the letter H stands for handicapped; apparently the variable second letter has no hidden meaning. There is no longer a distinction between handicapped car vs. truck or multi-purpose vehicle plates. H/C series and early H/D series have a screened wheelchair graphic and alpha suffix; beginning at about 36000H/D, and continuing into the H/V series, these elements are embossed. The state's web site address began appearing on standard handicapped plates in 2005 at approximatly serial number 69000H/V.

Disabled veterans (veterans who are truly handicapped, and are not necessarily members of the Disabled American Veterans organization) are issued plates with the wheelchair graphic at far left, followed by a serial number in format DV0000. These plates carry the screened legend "Disabled Veteran" at the bottom. These plates are free of charge to the registrant. I don't know if the wheelchair symbol has always been embossed or not.

Non-veteran handicapped plates have also been available on both versions of the optional "Treasure the Chesapeake" base, and are available on the optional "Our Farms, Our Future" base. On the previous green on white Chesapeake base, the plate featured the wheelchair grapic on the left, followed by a serial in format 00000H/P; the screened bird graphic was omitted. Early versions had screened wheelchair graphics and alpha suffix characters; beginning at roughly plate number 13500H/P, the wheelchair graphic was embossed but the alpha suffix remained screened; starting at approximatly 14000H/P, both the wheelchair symbol and the alpha suffix were embossed.

On the Our Farms base, again the wheelchair graphic is at the left, followed by serial format 00000A/E. The wheelchair graphic has always been embossed on this base; the A/E suffix was screened up to about serial 02300A/E or 02400A/E, and since then has been embossed. The handicapped format for the current blue on black Chesapeake plate is 0000D/A, with the screened bird graphic in its normal position on the left edge of the plate, and the wheelchair graphic to the right of the stacked "D/A". The wheelchair symbol and the suffix letters have always been embossed on this base. By the way, I have no idea what the letters AE or DA signify, if anything.

Disabled motorcyclists are able to get handicapped plates as well. The motorcycle plates they are issued display the familiar wheelchair graphic to the far left, followed by serial format 0000D/M. On the one example I've seen, both the wheelchair symbol and the stacked alpha characters are screened.

Non-veteran handicapped plates are available with vanity registration numbers on the standard, Chesapeake, and Our Farms plates, with up to six characters. I don't know whether you can get vanity hanidcapped motorcycle plates.
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Low speed vehicles

2008 low speed vehicle
(Jeff Ellis photo of
plate in actual use)


Low speed vehicle plates were introduced in January 2006. Low speed vehicles are not necessarily personal vehicles, but I didn't know anywhere more appropriate to put this article.

A low speed vehicle is defined as a four-wheeled electric vehicle designed to carry no more than four people, with a maximum speed between 20 and 25 miles per hour, that meets certain federal safety standards. In some other states these are referred to as "neighborhood electric vehicles". The plates make these vehicles street-legal. However, golf carts are explicitly not eligible for low speed vehilce plates, probably because they don't meet the safety standards.

Fellow collector Jeff Ellis has spotted these in use at Baltimore's Inner Harbor, at least one set seen on an electric-powered taxi. According to Jeff, two full-sized plates are issued. As you can see, however, the serial format is 000R00, with no sheild separator and no spaces between any of the characters. The plates bear the legend "Low Speed Vehicle" along the bottom. This serial format is otherwise only used for motorcycle plates, although with different letters. Apportioned truck plates also use the same pattern of numbers and letters, with still different letters, but they have a shield separator dividing the serial number in half. It seems to me that perhaps low speed vehicle plates were intended to be made the same size as motorcycle plates, but someone somewhere got their wires crossed.

These plates have been issued in very small quantities. As of May 2007, only plate numbers 001R01 through 001R05 have been spotted. 001R01 is presumed to be the first plate number.
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Multi-purpose vehicles - passenger vans, SUVs, motor homes, private buses, and three-wheeled vehicles

1980 multi-purpose vehicle

1986 multi-purpose vehicle

1987 350th Anniversary multi-purpose vehicle
1987 350th Anniversary
multi-purpose (type 1)


1985 350th Anniversary multi-purpose vehicle
1985 350th Anniversary
multi-purpose (type 2)


1980-1987 multi-purpose vehicles

Maryland introduced the multi-purpose vehicle class in early 1979 and the first plates issued were on the red and white base. Prior to this time, passenger vans, SUVs, motor homes, and private buses such as church buses were issued regular passenger car plates, and three-wheeled vehicles were issued motorcycle plates. I believe all MPV plates on this base had natural (March) 1980 expirations. Serial format was Z 00000, and the embossed legend "MPV" adorned the bottom center of the plates. On the red and white base, serials never got beyond the lower numbers of the Z series.

In March 1980, the black and white embossed "Maryland" base replaced the red and white base, but had the same serial format and legend. Serial format was x 00000, which was shared with a number of non-passenger plate types. Again, initially the serials had a "Z" prefix, but as mini-vans and small SUVs were introduced in the early and mid 1980s, this class became increasingly popular and the Z series was exhausted. A new "Y" series was introduced fairly late in the life of the black and white base, but it had already reached the upper serial numbers when this base was retired.

The multi-purpose vehicle class was introduced too late to have a version of the optional U.S. Bicentennial plate. However, the optional 350th Anniversary base was made available for multi-purpose vehicles. The serial format was initially 00000 X, but for no apparent reason was later changed to 00000X without a space separator. In both cases the actual letter "X" was constant. This 350th Anniversary plate type was unusual in that it did not have a shield separator; apparently the manufacturing process was set up only to apply the sheild graphic to the center of the plate. There was no legend identifying the vehicle type since the bottom of the plate was used for the legend "350th Anniversary." By the way, the sticker on the 1985 350th Anniversary MPV plate was applied on the wrong location; it belongs in the lower right corner on this plate.

On the 1976 and 1981 standard bases, various special plate types that were assigned to a multi-purpose vehicle carried the "MPV" legend at the bottom. These special plate types include plates issued to handicapped persons, and possibly other types as well. These special MPV plate types are addressed more fully in their respective special plate articles.
1993 multi-purpose vehicle
1993 multi-purpose (type 1)

2001 multi-purpose vehicle
2001 multi-purpose (type 2)

2007 multi-purpose vehicle
2007 multi-purpose (type 4)

2008 multi-purpose with New Jersey dies
2008 multi-purpose (New
Jersey dies; plate in use)


Chesapeake gen 1 multi-purpose vehicle
First generation
Treasure the Chesapeake
multi-purpose vehicle
(unstickered front plate)


1987-present multi-purpose vehicles

Multi-purpose vehicles were initially assigned serial format 000000M on the standard base, with the letter M identifying the vehicle class. With seven characters there was no room for a shield separator; there was also no legend at the bottom. This format was exhausted in the late 1990s and format M000000 was introduced. This second format was also exhausted in 2002, and a third format 000M000, was issued through April 2007 until it too was used up. New plates are now being issued in format 00000M0. All of these formats are still in use. Early in 2005, the legend www.maryland.gov was added to the bottom of standard-issue MPV plates beginning at about serial 480M000; other types of standard plates that didn't already have legends, including passenger plates, then followed throughout 2005.

MPV plates were also the first plate type to be seen with New Jersey-style serial dies in October 2006. New Jersey die characters are much more squared-off than the rounded Maryland die characters. The word is that Maryland had New Jersey stamp out over 30,000 pairs of plates for them, due to the Maryland plate manufacturing facility at the state prison in Jessup being shut down for three weeks due to inmate unrest. Apparently 15,000 pairs made in New Jersey were for MPVs, with serial numbers in the range approximately between 895M000 and 909M999. The Maryland dies reappeared in November 2006 at about serial 910M000, but New Jersey die plates continued to be issued into December.

Multi-purpose vehicles were able to obtain the optional green on white "Treasure the Chesapeake" environmental plates. Serial format xxx*00x was used uniquely for multi-purpose vehicles; with only six characters there was room for the blue heron bird graphic in the center of the plate. All serial characters were variable, but this plate never got out of the early A series; specifically, up to AEY*99W according to one report. Again, these was no legend to identify the vehicle type.

Multi-purpose vehicles may also obtain the optional "Our Farms, Our Future" agricultural base and the new black on blue "Treasure the Chesapeake" environmental base. However, there is not a distinct serial format or range for multi-purpose vehicles on either of these two bases, but rather, cars, taxis, trucks, and multi-purpose vehicles all share the same format and serial range.
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Vanity plates

1975 vanity

1971-1975 vanity plates

Vanity plates were first made available on the dated 1971 base for both cars and trucks; they were limited to a maximum of six characters. I don't think they were available from the very start of this base in 1970, but were introduced a short time later, approximately in 1971. There was no way to distinguish a vanity plate issued to a car versus a truck on this base.
1977 vanity
(O'Connor photo / plate)

1980 Bicentennial vanity
(Sells photo / plate)

1976-1987 vanity plates

I'm not sure whether the maximum number of characters was six or seven on the 1976 and 1981 bases. Probably six. Vanity plates were again available for both cars and trucks on the standard-issue bases; however, truck vanities have the legend "Truck" embossed at the bottom center of the plate. Vanity plates were also available for historic vehicles on both bases, which have the legend "Historic" at the bottom. I'm sure vanities were available for multi-purpose vehicle plates as well, but I cannot remember seeing any with an "MPV" legend at the bottom. However, MPV plates weren't nearly as common back then as they are now.

Vanity plates were also available for passenger vehicles on the optional U.S. Bicentennial base. They were also offered for both passenger cars and multi-purpose vehicles on the optional 350th Anniversary base; however, the shield logo was omitted on all 350th Anniversary vanity plates regardless of the number or spacing of characters on the plate.

Vanity plates were issued to both regular motorcycles and historic motorcycles starting with the black on white 1981 base, with a maximum of six and four characters, respectively.

6 character vanity with center space
(unstickered front plate)

7 character vanity
(plate in actual use)

Chesapeake gen 1 vanity
(plate in actual use)

Our Farms vanity
(plate in actual use)

Chesapeake gen 2 vanity
(plate in actual use)

1987-present vanity plates

The maximum number of characters is seven. Vanity plates are available for cars, multi-purpose vehicles, light-duty trucks, and light-duty trailers on the standard-issue base, and also the "Treasure the Chesapeake", and "Our Farms, Our Future" special interest bases. For these types of vehicles, there is nothing on any of these plates to indicate the vehicle type. Vanity plates are also available on historic and street rod plates, with the appropriate legend identifying the vehicle type at the bottom of the plate). They are also available on full-sized handicapped plates and regular motorcycle plates, but with a maximum of six characters in both cases. Historic motorcycle plates and probably street rod motorcycle plates are available as vanities as well, with six characters maximum and a legend at the bottom identifying the vehicle type. I don't know whether handicapped motorcyclist plates can be ordered with vanity registration numbers, or what the maximum number of characters might be.

The shield logo is omitted on all vanities on standard bases, and the blue heron graphic was omitted on all first generation green on white Chesapeake vanity plates, regardless of the number or spacing of characters on the plate. On the current, second generation black on blue Chesapeake plate, the bird graphic is normally to the far left, rather than centered. Therefore, the MVA says that Chesapeake vanity plates with six or fewer characters and spaces retain the bird graphic; those with seven characters and spaces have the bird omitted from the plate.

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Related links

Other Maryland personal vehicle license plates on the web
Antique Auto License Plates - Maryland page by Steve Grove
WX7B Amateur Radio License Plates - Maryland page
Andrew Pang's License Plates - Maryland License Plates section
The License Plate Gallery - Maryland Non-Passenger Plates page by Tim O'Connor
The License Plate Gallery - Maryland Organizational, Government & Optional Issue Plates page
The Plate Shack - Maryland section by Marc Welby
The Plate Shack '76 License Plates - Maryland page (Maryland plates only from 1976-1980) by Mike Sells

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Thanks to those who have directly contributed to the information on this page: Jeff Ellis, Christopher Jackson, Mike Sells, Tim O'Connor, Dave Hennessey, and "Tiger" Joe Sallmen.

O'Connor photographs © copyright by Tim O'Connor. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Sells, Sallmen, and Ellis photographs are presumed copyrighted by Mike Sells, Joe Sallmen, and Jeff Ellis, respectively, and are used with permission.

All text and photographs © copyright 2004-2007 by Rick Kretschmer, except where noted. All rights reserved.
This page last modified: October 14, 2007