BRITISH COLUMBIA
Highest 1904-13 pre-provincial plate seen: #4687
Numbers began at 1 1913-69. 1919-22 tab numbers match baseplates.
Truck issued 1924 only, then Commercial began 1936.
1913 6821* (1 - 7000 ordered) 1920-22 BASE 39168
1914 7854*
1915 7684 (1 - 8000 ordered) TABS
1916 9316 1921 34714
1917 12963* 1922 39397
1918-19 BASE
1918 Type 1: Steel, dated 1918, bottom slots 1 - 19313
1919 Type 2: Steel, undated, no bottom slots 20563 - 21388 (826 P)
1919 Type 3: Cardboard, dated 1919, no tab 21965 -
ALL-NUMERIC SERIES
ASSIGNED OBSERVED ASSIGNED OBSERVED
1923 41000* 38222 1937 87-400 95-555*
1924 45-000* 44-843* 1938 ? 96-698*
1925 58-500* 56-916* 1939 ? 98-593*
1926 69-000* 68-676* 1940 90-000 99-830
1927 44-000 76-435* 1941 91-000 99-264
1928 90-000* 89-217* 1942 99-999 93-754
1929 99-999* 99-942* 1943 89-000 92-688
1930 105-000* 102-963* 1944 92-950 95-597
1931 115-000* 107-579* 1945 96-000 96-374
1932 120-000* 119-988* 1946 99-999 98-302
1933 99-999* 111-111* 1947 99-999 99-473
1934 92-000* 95-353* 1948 99-999 99-646
1935 96-000 101-830* 1949 144-725 167-488*
1936 85-550* 88-551* 1950-51 162-025 236-404
OMITTED SERIES (Except Medical Profession and Unknown series)
15-001 - 20-000 (1934, 1936, 1940)
16-001 - 20-000 (1937, 1941, 1943-44) 1943 17-248, 18-550 seen.
17-001 - 20-000 (1935)
17-501 - 20-000 (1942)
SPECIAL SERIES
Attorney General: 1927 80-000
Mail Order: 1930-31 1 - 5-000, 1930 15-126 - 15-820
Medical Profession: 1930-33 19-000 - 19-999,
1934-35 19-000 - 19-549, (1934-37 assumed)
1936-37 19-000 - 19-499 (PN prefix 1938-43)
Unknown: 1936-37 16-000 - 16-099
LETTER SERIES 1940-48 C,D,E,N = Non-Passenger. F = Farm 1948.
Assigned by specific offices at first, thus the multiple prefixes:
A = Vancouver Island (1947 A2-000, 1948 A5-000)
B = Vancouver (1946 B1-040, 1947 B7-000)
F = New Westminster (1942 F1-000, 1948 W)
H = Other mainland offices 1946-47, Vancouver Island 1948 (H2-000)
J = Vancouver (1948 J7-000)
OBSERVED: 1940 -A-110, B2-086, -F-133
1941 A-286, B1-756, F2-112
1942 B1-599, F1-752
1943 A-363, F2-369
1944 A-918, B-978, F2-227
1945 A1-352, F1-270, H-308
1946 A1-683, B2-362, F1-762, H1-909
1947 A5-453, B9-400, F3-414, H1-408, J4-081
1948 A9-742,(B rep.) (no F) H8-187, J9-422, K9-964,
P9-932, R9-703, S5-933, T9-924, U6-404, W-757, W1659
1951 TAB ASSIGNED OBSERVED
1-5-digit 250001 - 355000 (105,000) 347809
6-digit 400001 - 525000 (125,000) 532622
1952-54 FORMATS No B,C,D*,F,G,I,L,M,N,O,Q,V,X,Z used.
A- 1 - A- 999, A1-000 - Y9-999 (C,D,F = Non-Passenger)
1A- 1 - 1A- 99, 1A-100 - 9Y-999
1 A - 99 A, 100A - 999A, 1-000A - 9-999Y *D used.
1952-54 BASE Initial assignment in bold.
1952 Type 1: Dated 1 - 99-999 (99,999 P)
A- 1 - U9-999 (99,990 P)
1A- 1 - 4T-999+ (50,450 P) (TOT. 250,439 P)
5P- 1 - 5P-546 (546 P)
W- 1 - W4922 (4,922 P) (TOT. 255,907 P)
1953 Type 2: Undated W5115 - Y9-999 (14,884 P)
4S-682, 8J-144 - 8J-619 (477 P)
1 A - 1-076K (51,071 P) (TOT. 66,432 P)
Unknown Type: 7J-149
(TOTAL 324,067 P)
+Not assigned: 9H- 1 - 9H-999, 7J- 1 - 9J-999, 4K-501 - 9K-999,
5P- 1 - 9P-999, 5R- 1 - 9R-999, 4S- 1 - 9S-999, 5T- 1 - 9T-999.
1953-54 TABS ASSIGNED OBSERVED
1953 PASSENGER 100001 - 335000 329943
(COMMERCIAL 400001 - 485000 no maple leaf around totem pole)
1954 PASSENGER 100001 - 360000 384573*
ASSIGNED OBSERVED ASSIGNED OBSERVED
1955 275-000 309-184* 1963 ? 533-307*
1956 ? 351-401* 1964 573-750* 572-326*
1957 ? 401-862* 1965 630-000* 629-059*
1958 ? 420-117* 1966 650-000 673-655*
1959 ? 431-494* 1967 700-000 719-380*
1960 ? 453-007* 1968 758-000* 761-756*
1961 ? 471-046* 1969 808-000* 804-702*
1962 ? 508-687*
1970-72 BASE No I,O,Q,U,Y,Z used.
1970 Type 1/2 AAA-001 - KKJ-999 Alpha 1-1-1 (980,019 P)
1972 Type 2a KLL-001 - KXP-743 Alpha 1-2-2 (93,651 P)
(TOTAL 1,073,670 P)
Description of Types:
Type 1 - Steel, with hyphen, 4 1/4" short slogan (no exact
Type 2 - Steel, with hyphen, 4 3/4" long slogan breakdown)
Letters used 1970-2013: Alpha 1 - A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,J,K
Alpha 2 - L,M,N,P,R,S,T,V,W,X
GAG-GCE (19,000) not listed, but probably issued.
JFA-JKK (50,000) "not manufactured", but JHK-668, JKB-843 seen.
All combinations ending in 000 made but not issued.
Replaced 1/1/1973.
1973-78 BASE No I,O,Q,U,Y,Z used.
1973 Type 1 LAA 001 - XKK 999 Alpha 2-1-1 (984,000 P)
1974 Type 1a LLA 001 - XXK 999 Alpha 2-2-1 (999,000 P)
1977 Type 1b LLL 001 - MRL 282 Alpha 2-2-2 (140,145 P)
1978 Type 2 MSS-032 - PXL-250 (234,984 P)
(TOTAL 2,372,860 P)
Description of Types:
Type 1 - B.C. dies, alum., no hyphen, gray back (2,123,145 P)
Type 2 - Quebec dies, alum., hyphen, unpainted back (234,984 P)
(Reportedly used MSL - PXX = 249,750 P)
Replaced 1/1/1979.
1979-86 BASE No I,O,Q,U,Y,Z used.
1-1-79 Undated Type 1 AAA-001 - KKK-999 Alpha 1-1-1 (999,000 P)
1979 Undated Type 1a AAL-001 - BFX-052 Alpha 1-1-2 (158,893 P)
1979 "MAR 80" Type 2 CBV-902 - DJT-863 (168,793 P)
1979 "APR 80" Type 1b EAT-200 - KKX-999 (593,207 P)
1981 Type 1c ALL-001 - APW-001 Alpha 1-2-2 (37,963 P)
Aug.81 "JUL 82" Type 3 APX-999 - KXX-999 (959,041 P)
Nov.83 "OCT 84" Type 3a ALA-001 - BRB-454 Alpha 1-2-1 (141,313 P)
(TOTAL 3,138,313 P)
Description of Types:
Type 1 - Quebec dies, alum. (Acme Co., Montreal) (1,789,063 P)
Type 2 - Quebec dies, steel (Acme Co., Montreal) (168,793 P)
Type 3 - Alberta dies, alum. (Roy Foster Co., Edm.) (1,100,354 P)
Letters used 1970-2013: Alpha 1 - A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,J,K
Alpha 2 - L,M,N,P,R,S,T,V,W,X
Undated 1979 pairs issued 1/1/1979 - 3/31/1979, expire "(FEB 80)".
000 reported on Type 3. Replaced August 1985 to July 1986.
1986-2023 FLAG BASE No I,O,Q,U,Y,Z used.
7-2-85 "JUL 86" Type1/2/3LAA 000 - XKK 999 Alpha 2-1-1 (1 Mill. P)
Dec.85 "NOV 86" Type 2a LLA 000 - XXK 999 Alpha 2-2-1 (1 Mill. P)
May 87 "APR 88" Type 2b LLL 000 - XXX 999 Alpha 2-2-2 (1 Mill. P)
1990 " 91" Type 2c LAL 000 - XKX 999 Alpha 2-1-2 (1 Mill. P)
Jul.92 "JUN 93" Type 2d AAA 000 - KKK 999 Alpha 1-1-1 (1 Mill. P)
Jul.94 "JUN 95" Type 2e AAL 000 - KKX 999 Alpha 1-1-2 (1 Mill. P)
Aug.97 "JAN 98" Type 2f ALL 000 - KPX 999 Alpha 1-2-2 (940,000 P)
May 99 "APR 00" Type 4 KRL 000 - KXT 999 (57,000 P)
Aug.99 Type 4a ALA 000 - ARC 999 Alpha 1-2-1 (43,000 P)
"NOV 01" Type 2g ARD 000 - KXK 999 (957,000 P)
6-13-01"OCT 01" Type 2h 000 AAA - 000 HFA Alpha 1-1-1 (750,001 P)
11-30-02"SEP 03"Type 5 999 HFE - 000 JEJ (93,002 P)
Type 2i 201 JFG - (JFJ reported)
Type 5a 166 JGA - 999 KKJ (138,834 P)
3-25-03"APR 04" Type 5b 000 AAL - 999 KKX Alpha 1-1-2 (1 Mill. P)
4-24-05 Type 5c 000 ALA - 999 KXK Alpha 1-2-1 (1 Mill. P)
12-15-06 Type 5d 000 ALL - 999 KXX Alpha 1-2-2 (921,700 P)
10-13-08"NOV 09"Type 5e 000 LAA - 999 XKK Alpha 2-1-1 (810,000 P)
Apr.10 "APR 10" Type 5f 000 LAL - 999 XKX Alpha 2-1-2 (810,000 P)
Jul.11 "JAN 13" Type 5g 000 LLA - 999 XXK Alpha 2-2-1 (810,000 P)
Jan.13 "OCT 13" Type 5h 000 LLL - 891 NWT Alpha 2-2-2 (168,192 P)
2013 "NOV 13" Type 6 003 NWW - 999 XXX (640,796 P)
Apr.14 "NOV 14" Type 6a 000 MJG - 999 MXX Alpha Both (210,600 P)
Aug.14 "DEC 14" Type 6b AA0 00A - JK9 24E Alpha Both(3,380,925 P)
8-18-22 Type 7 SG9 77R -
(TOTAL 20,699,278 P)
Description of Types:
Type 1 - Sharp or thin dies, shallow embossing
Type 2 - Wide dies, deep embossing
Type 3 - Stylized vanity dies
Type 4 - Waldale wide dies (100,000 P)
Type 5 - Waldale thin dies, 1 sticker box
Type 6 - Waldale thin dies, 2 sticker boxes
Type 7 - Waldale thin dies, no sticker boxes
Letters used 1970-2013: Alpha 1 - A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,J,K
Alpha 2 - L,M,N,P,R,S,T,V,W,X
#400 - 499 omitted starting 2008. Last 400 seen: 436 CMT
No M in 4th position on Types 5e-5h. No P,R in 1st position on Type 6b.
Issued only to (AUG) renewals 7/2/1985 - 7/31/1985, new
registrations and replacements 8/1/1985 on. Some registrants
renewed early to receive Flag base at extra cost, resulting in
expirations "AUG 85" to "JUN 86".
Veteran: 000 VAA - 999 VBX (full alphabet). 066 VBM seen.
Type 6b: BJ, BS, CC, CS, DL, HC, SR, VD omitted.
Plate stickers discontinued 5/1/2022.
2007-11 OLYMPIC BASE (Full alphabet) No I,O,Q,U,Y,Z used.
4-16-07 "JUL 07" 000 MAA - 939 MJF (165,940 P)
Optional base for $35 initial and $25 annual renewal fee.
Assuming all #400 - 499 series issued. Last 400 seen: 401 MHG
Last issued May 2010.
