Do license plate numbers get reused?

[exranger06]

Just wondering: If you sold your car and returned your plates to the DMV (I realize not all states require you to, but many do), does that plate number ever get reused on someone else's car?

I'm not talking about trading in your car at the dealer and transferring your plates from your old car to your new car. I'm talking about if, for example, you had three cars and wanted to downsize to 2 cars. So you sell the third car and you have no use for the plates any more. So you send them back to the DMV. Would that plate (not necessarily the actual physical plate, just the number) ever get reused on someone else's car, or will it never exist again?

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Every state is probably different.

 

[KD0AXS]

At some point they would have to be reused or they would run out of plate numbers. Here most plates are 3 letters and 3 numbers. They do letters first (ABC-123) then when all combinations are used they switch to numbers first (123-ABC). Once those are used up they switch back.

 

[Ethan1]

Let's say that your state has very old-school license plates: three letters followed by three numbers. (Do any states still have such a simple system?)

There are 26 * 26 * 26 * 10 * 10 * 10 = 17.6 MILLION possible plates before the states switches systems.

I don't think they re-use numbers.

 

[Nick1994]

Probably not.

Here in AZ license plates are 3 letters and 4 numbers, so without repeating numbers and letters there's over 78 million possibilities (if i'm doing my math correctly).

 

[Rand]

ohio currently has 3+4
that is around 175million

 

[exranger06]

CT used to be 3 numbers and 3 letters (for regular passenger car plates anyway, trucks, commercial plates, and other plates are different.) Ex: 123-ABC
Then a couple years ago they started mixing the numbers and letters Ex: 1AB-BC5
Recently (only about a few months ago) they switched to a 7 character plate usually 2 letters followed by 5 numbers Ex: AB-12345
I don't like the new 7 character plates; they look too crowded. Like they barely jammed that extra character in there.

 

[PandaBear]

In California, I think I've seen some of the commercial plate numbers wrapped around already.

 

[HerrStig]

In some states you can get your initials and a number. People fight over them.

 

[eljefino]

Maine just keeps going. I have a stack of old plates and I can request a reuse "just because I like the number." I'm sure few do this. It might be a tighter control for the DMV to issue a stack of 100 sequential ones to their subordinates so they can keep track of inventory; imagine having oddballs floating around.

I like using a lower sequence/ number as it makes me look like an older guy who's lived here since forever.

Maine went from "Lobster" plates to "Chickadee" in 1999 and anyone who liked their old 12345 X style could pay a one time fee to keep their number on the new plate. One still spots these guys driving around. The new style reads 1234 YZ.

Massachusetts has gone from 123-456 (old!) through 123-ABC. When they dumped the green plates for red ones they started at 999-ZZZ and rolled back till they met "in the middle" at 123-WWW or so, went 12-AB-34 and now I'm seeing 1-ABC-23. Their commercial series go A12345 and I'm sure they try to avoid duplication so a person/ cop doesn't have to read the tiny type at the bottom.

The last digit in Mass plates is the expiration month. Vanities expire in November, Commecial, December.

Sorry I'm geeking out.

 

[Carbon]

Originally Posted By: Ethan1
Let's say that your state has very old-school license plates: three letters followed by three numbers. (Do any states still have such a simple system?)

There are 26 * 26 * 26 * 10 * 10 * 10 = 17.6 MILLION possible plates before the states switches systems.

I would think it would be less than that. I suspect they don't use both 0 and o. Nor 1 and I. Then they probably throw out some of the 3-letter combos.... http://gamedev.stackexchange.com/questio...ublic-kids-game

 

[Garak]

Some jurisdictions do. My license plates on my G37 have both a 1 and an I. But yes, I'm quite sure certain three letter combinations don't get used.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Maine just keeps going. I have a stack of old plates and I can request a reuse "just because I like the number." I'm sure few do this. It might be a tighter control for the DMV to issue a stack of 100 sequential ones to their subordinates so they can keep track of inventory; imagine having oddballs floating around.

I like using a lower sequence/ number as it makes me look like an older guy who's lived here since forever.

Maine went from "Lobster" plates to "Chickadee" in 1999 and anyone who liked their old 12345 X style could pay a one time fee to keep their number on the new plate. One still spots these guys driving around. The new style reads 1234 YZ.

Massachusetts has gone from 123-456 (old!) through 123-ABC. When they dumped the green plates for red ones they started at 999-ZZZ and rolled back till they met "in the middle" at 123-WWW or so, went 12-AB-34 and now I'm seeing 1-ABC-23. Their commercial series go A12345 and I'm sure they try to avoid duplication so a person/ cop doesn't have to read the tiny type at the bottom.

The last digit in Mass plates is the expiration month. Vanities expire in November, Commecial, December.

Sorry I'm geeking out.

They did this in Delaware at one point. Any of the original numbers made on small black porcelain plates (it was like 85000 and below or something) could be re-issued and even reproduced on new black porcelain.

I had one of those for a while.

The ones with just four digits were actually valuable, three, two and one single digit were worth a lot. Double and single digits were pretty much only had by the DuPonts and other such people...

 

[69GTX]

My 1915 Connecticut plate is 2497. There wasn't even a DMV until June 1917. In 1930 they introduced letters.

 

[TFB1]

Back in the olden days when we got new plates every year, obviously they were reused... When we went to permanent plate in late 1972 with the ABC-123 format, VA issued plates up to Hxx or maybe Gxx then reissued all the plates in a reflective type... There are still a few six digit plates in use... After VA went through all combos(001 to 099 not used) to ZZZ-999 they switched to a seven digit format(ZZZ-9999) approx Dec '93 and started counting backward, been working towards AAA-1001 for over twenty years...

Our plates aren't really permanent, if are lost, damaged, stolen etc DMV issues a new number... Also DMV expects you to have them replace plates approx every 8-10 years due to wear, damage etc(no extra cost)... Not mandatory, I have a set that are 22 years old this month(have quad 7 in number)... It one of the first seven digit plates issued, got it Feb '94, currently renewed till Feb '17..

Short answer, unless a plate is retired that number is not available to anyone else... At that point it's available by special request but like any other personalized/vanity plate cost is a extra $10 per year...

Originally Posted By: HerrStig
In some states you can get your initials and a number. People fight over them.


In VA you can get anything you want(not taken and with exceptions of course) up to seven characters, cost is only extra $10 per year... A few years back I had NO... I let it go, likely someone else has it now...

 

[69GTX]

If someday I run across a plate with "BITOG 1" I'm going to faint.

 

[javacontour]

IL doesn't let you combine letters and numbers.

So you could get ABC123

But you cannot get A1B2C3 here.

I believe numbers are harvested and recycled here based on what I've seen at the SoS website.

 

[TFB1]

Originally Posted By: 69GTX
If someday I run across a plate with "BITOG 1" I'm going to faint.

Available here in VA with or without a number... Cost for std issue plate is $10 additional to regular yearly fee... If you want say a Heritage plate, Senic etc that's one time $10 for plate and $10 each year additional on renewal... Some plates for organizations are additional $25 yearly but a portion of the fee goes to the org...

 

[MNgopher]

Minnesota definitely reuses plate numbers.

We get new plates every 7-8 years with new numbers, and the plates run with the vehicle. If a standard plate, they flip between AAA-111 and 111-AAA, and are issued sequentially. Currently in the numbers, then letters phase. They also don't use all the letters - for example W is only used as the first letter on "whiskey" plates - the plates you earn for certain DUI infractions (no, you don't want these).

Specialty plates use a different sequence of numbers and letters (believe one of my specialty plates is 1A111 or similar...

 

[mrsilv04]

Originally Posted By: javacontour

I believe numbers are harvested and recycled here based on what I've seen at the SoS website.


Nope. Once it is issued, and allowed to expire, and is not renewed for 2 years... it is dead, never to return again.

I've tried.