NC does. We use ABC-1234 format. They start out at AAA and go to ZZZ. By the time they run out of numbers and letters, they go back to AAA, assuming the particular tag number is not in use.
Do license plate numbers get reused?
- Thread starter exranger06
- Start date
- Status
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 don't think they re-use numbers.
Connecticut used to be the reveres (3 numbers followed by 3 letters), so did Massachusetts. RI was 2 letters followed by 3 numbers. NH is seven numbers. MA and RI both changed due to running out of unused combinations.
Vanity plated are reissued...I had (and lost) BADCAD on my deVille. It is now on a CTS-V.
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.
Connecticut used to be the reveres (3 numbers followed by 3 letters), so did Massachusetts. RI was 2 letters followed by 3 numbers. NH is seven numbers. MA and RI both changed due to running out of unused combinations.
Vanity plated are reissued...I had (and lost) BADCAD on my deVille. It is now on a CTS-V.
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
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...
They still do it in Delaware. Plate number 1 and 2 are reserved for the Governor and Lt. Governor. The remaining single digit plates are in the wind and when they do come up for sale, it is big bucks. I have seen only plate "7' of the single digits and it was on a Maserati.
The other low digit plates command big bucks also and is more of snobbish thing to show you either have money and/or are from old money in Delaware. Some vanity plates go some high dollars also with the vanity plate "JEEP" being offered for $4k the last time I seen it for sale.
For passenger sedan vehicles, the plates number issued go from a potential 3 to 999999 with trucks and SUV's getting a prefix plate of "PC" or "CL". Plate numbers are recycled by the DMV if not transferred by the owners over. Some win the lotto and get low plates issued that now become a trading commodity.
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...
They still do it in Delaware. Plate number 1 and 2 are reserved for the Governor and Lt. Governor. The remaining single digit plates are in the wind and when they do come up for sale, it is big bucks. I have seen only plate "7' of the single digits and it was on a Maserati.
The other low digit plates command big bucks also and is more of snobbish thing to show you either have money and/or are from old money in Delaware. Some vanity plates go some high dollars also with the vanity plate "JEEP" being offered for $4k the last time I seen it for sale.
For passenger sedan vehicles, the plates number issued go from a potential 3 to 999999 with trucks and SUV's getting a prefix plate of "PC" or "CL". Plate numbers are recycled by the DMV if not transferred by the owners over. Some win the lotto and get low plates issued that now become a trading commodity.
And the guy in VA with JEEP on his plate paid a extra $10 to have it... If you turn in a vanity plate(or just let it expire)DMV doesn't reissue for a supposedly 90 days... The wife picked hers up again after two years as apparently the DMV thought it was still issued so no one else had gotten it...
The governor gets #1 and other low numbers are issued to General Assembly members etc...
Getting lucky with your initials(JJ, TB, etc) is the only way a private citizen is going to a two digit plate.. I got lots of comments on my NO plate(even two parking tickets from city of Fairfax that I haven't been in for probably 30 years), wife got tired of it so I let it expire...
The governor gets #1 and other low numbers are issued to General Assembly members etc...
Getting lucky with your initials(JJ, TB, etc) is the only way a private citizen is going to a two digit plate.. I got lots of comments on my NO plate(even two parking tickets from city of Fairfax that I haven't been in for probably 30 years), wife got tired of it so I let it expire...
Seems like states switch number formats here when they run out.
when we lived in WA we had #AAA-###. think they're at 2AAA-### now.
new south wales has AA-##-AA (yellow) or AAA-##A (white). we have one of each.
Australia has really boring plates. Love US style plates.
when we lived in WA we had #AAA-###. think they're at 2AAA-### now.
new south wales has AA-##-AA (yellow) or AAA-##A (white). we have one of each.
Australia has really boring plates. Love US style plates.
In Ontario, Canada the present numbering scheme is 4 letters+3 digits (ABCD 123). You can figure out how long before they run out.
Originally Posted By: Carbon
I would think it would be less than that. I suspect they don't use both 0 and o. Nor 1 and I.
Interesting. I can't help but wonder why I have a license place on one vehicle with a one on it, and one plate that has an I. And in the past I've had zeros and Os. Since we have 3 letters followed by 3 numbers, we somehow manage to use numbers zero and one, as well as the alpha characters O and I.
I would think it would be less than that. I suspect they don't use both 0 and o. Nor 1 and I.
Interesting. I can't help but wonder why I have a license place on one vehicle with a one on it, and one plate that has an I. And in the past I've had zeros and Os. Since we have 3 letters followed by 3 numbers, we somehow manage to use numbers zero and one, as well as the alpha characters O and I.
Originally Posted By: supton
Computers be smart--I bet if a cop enters in O or 0, 1 or I, it probably will search for the other letter/number too.
Or, it will reject it as invalid formatting.
Computers be smart--I bet if a cop enters in O or 0, 1 or I, it probably will search for the other letter/number too.
Or, it will reject it as invalid formatting.
New Hampshire considers the letter O and zero the same character. NH also allows the symbols &, +, and - on plates.
On topic...my vanity plate application was approved. I hit the DMV yesterday and will get my new plates in the mail in the next week or two.
On topic...my vanity plate application was approved. I hit the DMV yesterday and will get my new plates in the mail in the next week or two.
- Status
