Return to map
Maryland License Plates
Printer version of this page
©2019 by Eric N. Tanner
Home  ›
Colors  
Sizes  
Pairs?  
Variations  
County Codes / Branch Offices  
Omitted Series  
How many registered?  
Where made?  
License Year  
Motorcycle  
Truck / Commercial  
Miscellaneous 1  
Miscellaneous 2  
Miscellaneous 3  
Prestate State  
Prestate City/County  
Prestate Motorcycle  
Login  
 
 
    MARYLAND

    Highest 1904-10 pre-state plate known:  #10366
     
    Numbers began at #30-000 1921-53.  Private Commercial began by 1934,
    possibly 1932, although a Merchandise Only series was issued 1910-16.
    Truck plates began (4-30) "48".

    1910        1 -   4941                           1926      274-217
    1911     1000 -   8002                           1927      287-833
    1912     1000 -  10754                           1928      304-851
    1913     2034 -  14833                           1929      324-774
    1914     2051 -  20218                           1930      341-782
    1915     4000 -  31788  (24362)                  1931      385-982*
    1916     8001 -  50296  (36748)                  1932      389-003*
    1917   20-054 -  81-600 (59-649)                 1933      385-083*
    1918   20-043 -  94-182 (69-851)                 1934      377-670
    1919   20-000 - 108-303 (84-650)                 1935      380-247
    1920   20-000 - 112-958, 200215  -               1936      395-957
    1921   30-000 - 137-211, 200-628 - 202-868       1937      408-533
    1922   30-000 - 150-156, 201-978 - 218-476       3-31-39   507-982*
    1923   30-000 - 184-377, 200-034 - 237-662*      3-31-40   521-352*
    1924   30-000 - 223-076                          3-31-41   543-741*
    1925   30-000 - 241-821
     
    WASHINGTON NUMBER BLOCKS KNOWN
    1910    1500 -  1999,           1917    60-000 -
            3000 -  3499,           1918    80-000 -
            4250 -  4499            1919    85-000 -  99-999
    1911    2501 -  3500            1920   100-000 -
    1912    3000 -  3999            1921  (100-000 President)
    1913    4500 -  5000            1922  (200-000 President)
    1914    5000 -                  1923   200-001 -(225-623 reg. card)
    1915   25000 -                  1924   (35,000 P allocated)
    1916   40000 -
     
    1916-53:  Plain low numbers <#2-700 are Bus plates, identical to
              passenger except "APRIL 52".
    1919:     Statewide number block 20-000 - 84-999 "nearly exhausted"
              as of 6/12/1919; letter "A" reportedly expected next.
              #100-000 was issued 6/11/1919; 74-123 issued on 7/1/1919.
    1920-23:  #200-000+ may be statewide overflow, used instead of "A".
              #100-000 on DC car #100 in 1922.
    1924:     Washington office closed since reciprocity agreement was
              reached just prior to issuance.
    1925:     First year Baltimore number block assigned to help deter
              automobile thefts.  30-000 - 100-000 = Baltimore.
    1927:     Baltimore 30-000 - 124-999,
              all other counties 125-000 - 299-999.
    1930:     343-999 highest listed as of 12/30/1930.
    1934:      30-000 - 149-999 Baltimore residents (#133-413 seen),
              150-000 - 199-999 Private Commercial  (#181-481 seen),
              200-000 - 399-999 county residents    (#377-670 seen).
             (These blocks assumed to continue through 1937)
    1935:     #136-000, 174-795 seen.
    1936:     #143-157, 190-173 seen.
    1937:     #139-490, 190-291 seen.
     
    3-31-39:   30-000 - 229-000 Baltimore residents (#151-268 seen),
              230-000 - 299-999 Private Commercial  (#255-496 seen),
              300-000 - 599-999 county residents    (#507-982 seen).
             (In 1937 and before, county series had begun at 200-000)
    1944:     Tab for front plate only.
    1948:     #796-812 - 797-849 have "P.T." (Permanent Tag), not "48".
              1948 chart lists number series as #790-000 - 799-999,
              but passenger plate #794-596 seen.
     
    BASEPLATES                                  TABS (EXP 3-31 or 4-30)
    3-31-42      30-000 - 653-519               1943    37029 - 388602
                                                1944   515235 - 945912*
    3-31-45      30-000 - 687-389               1946     8608 - 380747
                                                1947   503862 - 901634
    (3-31) 48    30-000 - 794-596, 21-335       1949    21268 - 624261*
    (4-30) 48   800-000 - 998-223 (Truck)       1950    44448 - 571606
                                                1951       69 - 685503
    MARCH 52     30-000 - 795-077               1953    60973 - 789282*
    APRIL 52    800-000 - 895-725 (Truck)                             


    (3-31) 1954 - 3-31-61 FORMAT                        No I, M-Z used.
    AA-10-01 - AA-10-99, AA-11-01 - AA-99-99,
    AB-10-01 - AJ-99-99, BA-10-01 - JJ-99-99  (1954 Capacity = 721,710)
     
    Frederick News-Post, 12/19/1952:  "Only the letters A to J with I
    excluded could be used because of the limitation of nine spaces on
    tabulating and filing machines in the motor vehicle department."
    Quadruple repeaters omitted 3/31/58 on, i.e. 11-11, 22-22, etc.

    Reserved Prefixes (3-31) 1954-75:  AG,AL,BB,BE,BF,BG,BJ,BN,BP,BT?,
    CC-CD,EE,EF,FB,FD,FM,FP,HG,KC?,LC,MP?,RI,SB.
    All are included in totals as appropriate letter series reached,
    even if some may have used less than their full 8,910 (later 8,901)
    capacity.
     
    K and L gradually added 1954-60.  Possible expected order:
    KA-KB, JK, HK, GK, FK, EK, DK, CK, BK, AK, KC-KG,
    AL, BL, CL, DL, EL, FL, GL, HL, JL, KH-KL, LA-LF
     
    PLATES SEEN                              (K/L PREFIXES EXPECTED)
    (3-31) 54   JF-64-35   (691,451 P)
    (3-31) 55   JJ-85-74, KA-95-43, KB-78-35, JK-91-18, HK-71-51 (3)
    (3-31) 56   GK-78-70, FK, EK, DK, AK-47-01  (Verify CK,BK)  (10)
     3-31-57    KC, KD, KE, KF, KG-14-47        (Verify CK)     (15)
     3-31-58    AL-64-43, BL, CL, DL, EL, FL, GL, HL, JL-91-17  (19)
     3-31-59                                                    (21)
     3-31-60    KH, KJ, KK, KL, LA, LB-51-09                    (27)
     3-31-61    LC, LD, LE, LF-97-66                            (32)

    3-31-62 - (3-31) 75 FORMAT                         No I,O,Q,U used.
    AA-10-01 - AA-10-99, AA-11-01 - AA-99-99, AB-10-01 - ZZ-99-99

    3-31-62     FY-46-13      (1,160,703*P)
    3-31-63     FN-97-62      (1,094,589*P)
    3-31-64     FX-91-68      (1,156,308*P)
    3-31-65     GF-1207       (1,219,641*P)
    3-31-66     GP-7734       (1,297,306*P)
    3-31-67     GZ-8932       (1,369,698*P)
    3-31-68     HG-7966       (1,431,050*P)
    3-31-69     HT-5833       (1,517,950*P)
    3-31-70     JB 9239       (1,583,626*P) 

    (3-31) 1971-75 BASE
    1970  "71"  Type 1:  Large dies   AA 1001 - RF 2693   (2,778,778 P)
    1974  "75"  Type 2:  Small dies   RF 3590 - SC 4294     (169,817 P)
                                                    (TOTAL 2,949,481 P)

    (3-31) 1976-80 BASE                                No I,O,Q,U used.
    1975  Undated  Type 1         AAA 001 - FRH 475       (2,732,740 P)
    1977   "78"    Type 2         FSD 889 - GRZ 085         (478,717 P)
    1979   "80"    Type 1a        GSL 381 - HCY 230         (207,642 P)
    1979   "80"    Type 3         HDF 873 - HNH 554         (199,482 P)
                                                    (TOTAL 3,656,894 P)

    Description of Types:
    Type 1 - Steel, white back, red decal box
    Type 2 - Aluminum, unpainted back, red decal box
    Type 3 - As Type 1, but unpainted decal box

    Original allotment:  AAA-EDZ  (2,021,976 P)
    Reserved Prefixes (3-31) 1976-present in JUN 2001 ALPCA.
    All are included in appropriate totals.  JEA 274 also seen.

    1976-80 BICENTENNIAL BASE                          No I,O,Q,U used.
    12-1-75  Undated              001 AAA - 486 AFH         (117,369 P)

    Optional $5 one-time extra-cost issue.  Steel, unpainted back.
    Made/Polyvend.  Last issued February 1977.  Replaced March 1980.
    Also seen:  335 ANG - 932 ANG, 072 ART - 470 ART (not counted).

    (3-31) 1981-87 BASE                                No I,O,Q,U used.
    1980  Undated  Type 1         AAA 001 - EDF 474       (2,005,467 P)
                   Type 2         EFA 599 - EJY 642          (85,958 P)
    1982   "83"    Type 1a        EKD 018 - KEE 037       (2,308,709 P)
    1985   "86"    Type 3         KEM 999 - KHN 139          (66,074 P)
                                                    (TOTAL 4,517,617 P)
    Description of Types:
    Type 1 - Steel, white back
    Type 2 - Aluminum, unpainted back
    Type 3 - As Type 1, but wide space between letters and numbers

    Replaced October 1986 to September 1987.

    1984-87 ANNIVERSARY BASE                           No I,O,Q,U used.
    8-1-83   "84"                 001 AAA - 828 AKC         (200,628 P)

    Optional $9 one-time extra-cost issue.  Aluminum, unpainted
    back.  Replaced October 1986 to September 1987.

    1986-2012 SHIELD BASE                              No I,O,Q,U used.
    2-1-86  "11-86"  Type 1       NAA 001 - WBH 895       (2,930,962 P)
    Jul.88   "7-89"  Type 2       WBM 430 - ZZZ 999       (1,900,668 P)
    Jun.92   "6-93"  Type 2a      AAA 001 - MZZ 999       (5,802,192 P)
    9/24/04  "4-07"  Type 2b      1AA A01 - 9AK Z99         (197,780 P)
    2/26/05  "2-06"  Type 3       1AL A01 - 8CM X22         (907,813 P)
    11/19/06 "2-07"  Type 4       1CN B18 - 6CN Z46          (18,509 P)
    12/1/06          Type 3a      1CP A90 - 4GD J43       (1,550,130 P)
                                                   (TOTAL 13,314,867 P)
    Description of Types:
    Type 1 - Steel, white back, no slogan
    Type 2 - Steel, unpainted back, no slogan               (7,900,640)
    Type 3 - As Type 2, but "www.Maryland.gov" added bottom (2,457,943)
    Type 4 - As Type 3, but New Jersey dies

    1991-2006 CHESAPEAKE BASE                          No I,O,Q,U used.
    12-24-90  "6-91"              001 AAA - 899 BNN         (760,139 P)

    Optional $20 extra-cost issue.  Aluminum, unpainted back.
    BAY series issued in 1990-91.  Discontinued 1/26/2004, but still
    currently revalidated     
     
    2010-17 WAR OF 1812 BASE                           No I,O,Q,U used.
    6-14-10  "12-10"           1 M/D 0001 - 9 M/D 9999       (89,999 P)
             "12-10"           1 A/A 0001 - 9 C/M 8115    (4,948,061 P)
                                                    (TOTAL 5,038,060 P)
     
    Numbers progress 1 0001 - 9 9999, using 2 0000, etc. as needed. 
    Verify:  CN  (BJ,BS reportedly omitted)
     
    2017-19 PROUD BASE                                 No I,O,Q,U used.
    9-26-16  "10-17"              8CN0000 - 6DT0918       (1,870,898 P)
     
    Verify:  DH,DN,DP,DR,DS