Rick Kretschmer's License Plate Archives 

Amateur radio plates are reported to have been first issued with 1957 expiration dates.  In a sense, these were the first vanity plates, in that the specific plate number was requested by the motorist.  The plate serial number matched the radio operator's FCC call sign, probably up to a maximum of six characters.  I believe the original intention of these plates was to be able to readily identify vehicles equipped with two-way radios, for civil defense and public safety purposes. 

Early examples have a space after the numeric digit indicating the FCC zone; later examples do not.  These plates did not contain any identifying legend.  1957-1970 plates with March 31 expiration dates were issued for cars; any with April 30 expiration dates were issued for trucks.  There isn't a way to distinguish amateur radio car vs. truck plates on the 1971 base. 

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 for cars and MPVs on the optional U.S. Bicentennial base (1976-1980), and likely also on the 350th Anniversary base (1984-1987). 

Antique license 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 always had March 31 expiration dates. 

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 were more examples of the antique variety of plate made.  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. 

By the time the 1976 red number 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 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 number 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. 

Historic vehicle plates

Non-motorcycle historic vehicle plates on the screened "Maryland" base again have the legend Historic at the bottom of the plate.  Standard-issue historic plates were initially assigned serial format 000*00L, with the "L" indicating the vehicle class.  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 also issued, with format 00000L/D.  These have been observed with legends Historic and Historic M/C. 

Vanity registration numbers are permitted on both regular and motorcycle historic plates.  These are addressed in greater detail in the vanity plate section, below. 

Historic vehicle plate with permanent registration (plate in actual use)

Historic permanent registration sticker

As of January 1, 2007, a historic vehicle 60 years or older may choose to obtain a one-time, permanent, non-transferable registration.  This option is available only to vehicles actually registered as historic vehicles, not street rods.  These permanent registrations are indicated with a white on black sticker with the words "Maryland Historic Permanent" in place of an expiration year, as shown.  At the moment, such permanent regisrations are charged a one-time fee of $50, rather than the biennial $51 registration fee that non-permanent historic vehicles and street rods are charged. 

Street rod plates

A short time after the introduction of the screened "Maryland" base, street rods were split out from historic vehicles into their own class.  A street rod is a heavily modified or customized vehicle over 25 years old.  Non-motorcycle 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 also issued, with serial format 00000N/D.  The one I've seen also had the Street Rod legend. 

Regular street rod plates can also be issued with vanity registration numbers; I imagine that street rod motorcycle plates can too, but I'm not certain since I've never seen one.  These are covered more fully in the vanity plate section of this page. 

Handicapped plates were first issued on the white-on-blue 1971 base, and though I'm not exactly sure in which year, it was likely late in the life of this base.  The plate consisted of an embossed wheelchair graphic followed by a numeric serial; serial format was 00000, with 10001 apparently the first plate number issued.  There was nothing on the plate to indicate the vehicle type. 

Handicapped plates continued on the 1976 red-on-white base, and the 1981-black-on-white base, with an embossed wheelchair graphic.  A variety of serial formats were used on these two bases; I'm not sure that I know what they all were, and in any event, it's not clear what the sequence was.  Passenger car handicapped plates had no legend at the bottom. 

Handicapped persons registering trucks or multi-purpose vehicles were issued plates similar to handicapped passenger car plates, but with the legend Truck or MPV embossed at the bottom of the plate, respectively.  These handicapped plate types had their own serial formats, but again, I haven't figured them out.  I'm not aware of handicapped plates being issued for any vehicle type other than cars, trucks, and MPVs. 

I have no information regarding whether handicapped plates could be ordered with a vanity registration number prior to the current base, or were available on the optional Bicentennial or 350th Anniversary base plates. 

Standard base handicapped plates

Regular handicapped plates on the standard reflective base are issued with the wheelchair graphic at the far left, followed by the serial number in format 00000H/x.  The serial suffix letters used so far have been H/C, H/D, H/V, and now H/T, issued in that order.  I would imagine that the letter "H" must stand for handicapped, but the various second letters have no apparent meaning, since they've been issued in succession.  There is no longer a distinction between handicapped car vs. truck vs. multi-purpose vehicle plates on this base. 

H/C series and early H/D series plates 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 regular handicapped plates in 2005 at approximatly serial number 69000H/V. 

Motorcyclists are able to get handicapped plates as well.  The plates they are issued display the wheelchair graphic to the far left, followed by serial format 0000D/M.  Perhaps "DM" stands for disabled motorcyclist?  On the two examples I've seen, both the wheelchair symbol and the stacked alpha characters are screened. 

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.  They 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 are available with vanity registration numbers on the standard base, with up to six characters.  I don't know whether vanity hanidcapped motorcycle plates are offered. 

Special interest handicapped plates

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.  These plates are available for passenger cars, multi-purpose vehicles, and light trucks. 

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.  Beats me what AE is supposed to stand for or signify, if anything. 

The handicapped format for the current blue on black Chesapeake plate is 0000D/x, 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 letters.  The wheelchair symbol and the suffix letters have always been embossed.  The second letter is considered to be variable on this base, although to my knowledge it hasn't yet gone from an "A" to a "B".  If I were to guess, I'd say that the "D" stands for disabled, but who knows?  I presume the wheelchair logo was placed to the right on this base so that it would not appear that the bird was pecking the person in the wheelchair. 

Special interest handicapped plates are also available with vanity registration numbers, again with up to six characters.  On the second generation Chesapeake plate, the bird on the left side of the graphic would be omitted if necessary to make room for characters.  In such cases, I suppose that it's possible that the embossed wheelchair symbol might then go on the left side of the serial, rather than on the right. 

Standard base MPV plates

Maryland introduced the multi-purpose vehicle plate type on the red and white base in early 1979.  I remember encountering my first MPV plate on a snowy day at my university campus.  Prior to this time, passenger vans, SUVs, motor homes, and private buses such as church buses were issued regular passenger car plates, and at least some three-wheeled vehicles were issued motorcycle plates.  The only serial format on this base 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. 

I've confirmed that a small number of early MPV plates were issued with 1979 stickers, which expired at the end of March 1979.  These would have been issued in January or February 1979.  Plate number Z 00064, shown at left, has a blue 1979 sticker under the red 1980 sticker (on which the red is unfortunately flaking off).  The vast majority of red on white MPV plates, however, had natural 1980 stickers which expired at the end of March 1980. 

In March 1980, the black and white all-embossed base replaced the red and white base, but had the same serial format and legend.  Serial format was again Z 00000, 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 00000 format 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 discontinued in early 1986. 

On both of these 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, vanity plates, and possibly other types as well.  These special MPV plate types are addressed more fully in their respective special plate articles. 

Special interest MPV plates

The multi-purpose vehicle class was introduced too late to get a version of the optional U.S. Bicentennial plate.  However, the optional 350th anniversary base, introduced in mid-year 1983, 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 did not have a shield separator; apparently the manufacturing process was set up only to apply the shield graphic to the center of the plate.  That may help to explain why the MPV version of the extra-cost 350th anniversary base was a slow seller.  There was no legend identifying the vehicle type, since the bottom of the plate was used for the 350th Anniversary legend. 

(By the way, the sticker on the 1985 plate shown at left was applied in the wrong location; it actually belongs in the lower right corner of the plate.) 

Standard base MPV plates

Multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) plates have been issued in a variety of serial formats on the standard script Maryland base.  In all cases, however, the serials consist of seven characters – the letter "M" in various positions, which identifies the vehicle class, and six numeric digits.  With seven serial characters, there's no room for a shield separator. 

MPV plates were initially assigned serial format 000000M on this base, with 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 remain in use.  Early in 2005, the legend www.maryland.gov was added to the bottom of standard base MPV plates beginning at about serial 480M000.

MPV plates made with strange-looking, squared-off plate numbers were issued for a few months beginning in October 2006.  Maryland arranged for New Jersey to stamp out over 30,000 pairs of plates for them, including 15,000 pairs of MPV plates, due to the Maryland plate manufacturing facility at the state prison in Jessup being shut down for three weeks due to inmate unrest.  New Jersey used their own serial dies, which are much more square-shaped than than the rounded Maryland die characters.  The serial number range for New Jersey-made MPV plates is 895M000 to 909M999.  The Maryland dies reappeared in November 2006 at serial 910M000, but New Jersey die MPV plates continued to be issued at least into December 2006, and possibly into early 2007. 

Summary of standard MPV plate versions 1986-present "M" in serial position 7 "M" in serial position 1 "M" in serial position 3, no legend "M" in serial position 3, web site legend, Maryland dies "M" in serial position 3, web site legend, New Jersey dies (plate in actual use) "M" in serial position 6

Special interest MPV plates

Multi-purpose vehicles were able to obtain the optional green on white Treasure the Chesapeake environmental plates issued from 1990 through 2003.  Serial format xxx*00x was used uniquely for multi-purpose vehicle plates; 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, there was no legend to identify the vehicle type.  Although no longer issued, these plates remain in use. 

Multi-purpose vehicles may also obtain plates made on the optional Our Farms, Our Future agricultural base and the revised 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, multi-purpose vehicles, light trucks, and taxis all share the same formats and serial ranges.  These plates are addressed in greater detail on the approrpriate Maryland passenger car plate history page. 

Low speed vehicle plates were introduced in January 2006.  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. 

Two full-sized plates are issued, with a bizarre 000R00 serial format, with no shield separator and no spaces between any of the characters.  This serial format is otherwise only used for motorcycle plates, using different letters.  Apportioned truck and bus 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 these were intended to be issued on motorcycle-sized plates, but someone somewhere got their wires crossed.  The plates bear the legend Low Speed Vehicle along the bottom.  Plate numbers began at 000R01. 

Low speed vehicles can be either personal-use or commercial-use vehicles.  Fellow plate spotter Jeff Ellis has seen several low speed vehicles bearing these plates in use at Baltimore's Inner Harbor, including at least one being used as a taxi. 

Vanity plates were first made available on the dated 1971 base for both cars and trucks, with a maximum of six characters.  I recall that vanity plates were not available when this base was introduced in 1970, but rather 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. 

Standard base vanity plates

Vanity plates were again available for both cars and trucks on the standard-issue 1976 and 1981 bases; however, truck vanities have the legend Truck embossed at the bottom center of the plate.  Vanity plates were first available for historic vehicles on the 1976 red number base, with the legend Historic at the bottom.  Vanities plates were offered for multi-purpose vehicles with MPV at the bottom of the plate, at least on the black on white 1981 base and probably also on the earlier red on white base.  I believe that the maximum number of characters remained at six on these bases. 

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.  Historic motorcycle plates, whether sequentially numbered or vanities, were rather strange looking, with Md. Historic across the top of the plate. 

Special interest vanity plates

Vanity plates were made 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 350th anniversary plates issued to MPVs did not have any legend to distinguish them from their passenger car counterparts.  The maximum number of characters on these bases was most likely also six. 

Standard base vanity plates

Vanity plates are available for cars, multi-purpose vehicles, light-duty trucks, and light-duty trailers on the current, standard-issue base.  The maximum number of characters and spaces is seven.  Vanity registrations are also available on full-sized handicapped plates and on regular motorcycle plates, but with a maximum of six characters in both cases.  For all of these vanity plate types, there is nothing on the plate to indicate the vehicle type.  Older plates have no legend at all, and newer ones issued within the past few years have the state web site address at the bottom. 

I don't know whether handicapped motorcyclist plates can be ordered with vanity registration numbers, or what the maximum number of characters might be. 

Vanity plates are also available on historic and street rod plates, both the full-sized and motorcycle versions; these do have the appropriate legend identifying the vehicle type at the bottom of the plate.  On the full-sized plates, the maximum number of characters and spaces is seven, and on the motorcycle plates, the limit is six. 

The shield logo is omitted on all vanities on all standard bases, regardless of the number or spacing of characters on the plate. 

Special interest vanity plates

Vanity registrations may also be had on the various optional bases.  Vanity plates are available for cars, multi-purpose vehicles, light-duty trucks, and light-duty trailers on both the Treasure the Chesapeake and Our Farms, Our Future special interest bases.  For these types of vehicles, there is nothing on the plates to indicate the vehicle type.  The maximum number of characters is seven. 

The blue heron graphic was omitted on all first generation, green-lettered 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, Chesapeake vanity plates with six or fewer characters and spaces retain the bird graphic, but those with seven characters and spaces have the bird omitted from the plate. 

Special interest handicapped plates are also available with vanity registration numbers up to six characters.  On the second generation Chesapeake plate, the bird on the left side of the graphic would be omitted if necessary to make room for characters.  In such cases, I suppose that it's possible that the embossed wheelchair symbol might then go on the left side of the serial, rather than on the right.