D 3 - Less than 4 Tons
E 4+ Tons
LEGENDS
1916-20 "COMMERCIAL" bottom (and presumably some 1921)
1921-27 "TRUCK" bottom (in place of "PRIVATE" 1922-26)
1928-41 FORMATS 1 H1 - 99-999 H8
H1 = Less than 1 Ton, etc. H8 = 7+ Tons.
H6, H7, H8 dropped 1936 (H6 reinstated 1942).
Suffix all years except prefix 1931, 1939, 1941.
Known assignments in bold.
1937: Legend bottom 15-694 H1, legend top 23-808 H1.
H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6 H7 H8 TOTAL
1928 27 27-178 (27,205)
1929 11-492 23-283 (34,775)
1930 1-701 28-636* 2-113* (32,450)
1931 11-825 25-045 1-710 591 (39,171)
1932 11-825* 23-624 886 48 (36,383)
1933 12-459 23-643 1-385 (37,487)
1934 7-470 22-895 1-129 (31,494)
1935 24-523 49 117* (24,689)
1936 9-495 11-986 - - - (21,481)
1937 23-808 28-648 - - - (52,456)
1938 25-977* 15-165 571 - - - (41,713)
1939 28-050 32-400 666 152 6 - - - (61,274)
1940 29-000 31-000 600 100 10 - - - (60,710)
1941 35-333 32-140 - - - (67,473)
REPLACEMENT PLATES (Known assignments in bold.)
START 100-001 500-001 771 197 11
1939 100-500 500-700 800 200 12 (1,236)
1940 100-009
1942-67 FORMATS 1 H/1 101 - 9 H/6 9-999 Hyphen dropped 1961.
10 H/1 101 - 67 H/6 9-999
1950 1 H/1 12-082
County codes 1 - 67 same as passenger.
Weight codes H/1 - H/6 same as 1928-41.
H added 1954 for pickup trucks 3/4 ton or less.
Weight code position: Slanted 1942-54, 1956, 1958-60,
Vertical 1955-58, 1961-67.
1959: Fully Reflective Blue/White.
1965: Some have 1964 dies.
1968-70 FORMATS 8P 101 - 8P999999
12P 101 - 73P99999
No county codes; weight (8 - 73) and usage (F,P) codes listed below.
1971-81 FORMATS 1 P/1 1001 - 9 P/1 99999
10 P/1 101 - 67 P/1 9999
1982-84 FORMATS 1 P/2 A0001 - 9 P/2 Z9999 A,B seen.
10 P/2 A001 - 67 P/2 Z999
County codes 1 - 67 same as passenger.
Weight/Usage codes (i.e. P, P/1 - P/7) listed below.
P is small size, top-justified.
1977-82 PRIVATE TRUCK
P: State Capitol Base in PAA-RZZ series.
P/1: State Capitol Base in 2AA-2ZZ series.
P/2 - P/7: Annual plates in 1971-76 formats.
1982-84 PRIVATE TRUCK
P: Believed to have merged with passenger 1982.
P/1: Believed to have issued 1982-87 Single Heart Base in PAA-PAZ
series, but may have been discontinued in 1985.
P/2 - P/7: Annual plates last seen 1984; reportedly discontinued 1985.
1977-82 STATE CAPITOL BASE No I,O,Q used.
Oct.76 "77" Type 1 PAA 001 - RLA 343 (744,598)
"79" Type 2 RLG 943 - RXR 725 (237,545)
(TOTAL 988,736)
Oct.76 "77" Type 1 2AA 001 - 2BY 668 (no 2AE) (44,624)
Type 2 2CD 127 - 2CG 471 (3,342)
(TOTAL 52,419)
Oct.76 "77" Type 1 ZPA 845, 2ZA 646 (Replacement)
Description of Types:
Type 1 - Open-corner sticker box, dated "77"
Type 2 - As Type 1, but enclosed sticker box at UR, undated
County assignments PAA 001 - RCD 999 (564,435) on County Code page.
County assignments 2AA 001 - 2BJ 300 (30,270) on County Code page.
County stickers discontinued 1978. Monthly Staggered Registration
began 10/1/80, expire "JAN 81" to "OCT 81", same as passenger.
Replaced during 1982.
1978 STICKER: White/Green (PAA-RZZ) or White/Red (2AA-2ZZ?).
1979 STICKER: Blue/White
1982-87 SINGLE HEART BASE
1PAA 001 - 9PAZ 999
10PAA 01 - 67PAZ 99, 80PAS 02
Believed to be P/1 class. Last seen "NOV 85".
Replaced November 1987, although may have been discontinued in 1985.
TRUCKS 8,001 - 10,000 LBS.:
This class appears to have begun in 2002.
2002-09 STARS BASE 1 P/1 0001A - 9 P/1 9999A
10 P/1 001A - 67 P/1 999A
2009-15 SWEET HOME BASE 1 P/1 00001 - 9 P/1 99999
10 P/1 0001 - 67 P/1 9999
2015-17 NEW BASE 1 P/1 00000
10 P/1 0000
TRUCKS 10,001 - 12,000 LBS.: (All expire "NOV")
Issued to trucks 8,001 - 12,000 lbs. 1987-2002.
1987-92 TWIN HEARTS BASE 1XA 0001 - 9XA 9999
10XA 001 - 67XA 999
1992-97 TINY HEART BASE 1XM0001 - 9XM9999
10XM001 - 67XM999
1997-2002 CRIMSON HEART BASE 1XA 0001 - 9XA 9999
10XA 001 - 67XA 999, 47XC 111
2002-09 STARS BASE 1XM0001 - 9XM9999
10XM001 - 67XM999, 47XP086
2009-15 SWEET HOME BASE 1XA001 - 67XM999 (XA & XM only)
2015-17 NEW BASE 1 X/A 00000
10 X/A 0000
SUMMARY OF TRUCK WEIGHT CODES:
P = Private Truck 1968-84 (Last seen 1984)
F = Farm Truck 1968-on
O = Forest Truck 1972-85 (Became L 1986)
X = Truck For Hire 1971-83, Truck 1985-on
C = Exempt Commodity Truck 1972-84 (Last seen 1984)
L = Forest Truck 1986-on
1968-70 (All represent 8000, 12000, 18000, etc. except 73280)
P 8, 12, 18, 30, 42, 52, 62, 73
F 30, 42
1971-84 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
P 8 12 18 30 42 52 62 62+ - (73,280
F - 30 42 - - - - - - maximum)
O - 30 42 - - - - - -
X 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 62 62+
C 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 62 62+
1991-92+ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
F 30 42 * * - - - -
L 30 42 - - - - - -
X 18 26 33 42 55 73,280 80 80+
2009-11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
F 30 42 42+ T42+ - - - - -
L 30 42 - - - - - - -
X 18 26 33 42 55 64 73,280 80 80+
*F3 (Truck over 42,000 lbs.) and F4 (Tractor over 42,000 lbs.)
added 1998.
+Probably began 1985. X9 earliest seen 1989.
TRUCKS OVER 12,000 LBS.:
1 - 67 = County code, X1 - X9 = Usage/Weight code.
1985 FORMATS 1 X/1 A001 - 9 X/1 Z999 B seen.
10 X/1 A01 - 67 X/1 Z99
1986-2007 FORMATS
EVEN YEARS 1986-94, 1X1 0001 - 9X1 9999
ALL YEARS 1996-2007 10X1 001 - 67X1 999
OVERFLOW 2007 11X1 07A
ODD YEARS 1987-95 1X1 A001 - 9X1 Z999 A,B,C,D,F,G,J seen.
10X1 A01 - 67X1 Z99
2008-PRESENT FORMATS 1 X/1 00001 - 9 X/1 99999
10 X/1 0001 - 67 X/1 9999
PLATE DESIGNS 1977-PRESENT
All legends screened 1982-on unless noted. X series 1984-present.
Became multi-year October 2013, "NOV 14".
1977, 1979, 1981 "HEART OF DIXIE" top, "H ALABAMA 77" bottom
1978, 1980 "HEART OF DIXIE" top, "78 ALABAMA H" bottom
1982 "H Alabama" top, embossed "82" LR corner
1983 "H Alabama" top, embossed "83" LL corner
1984-85, 1987-91 "H Alabama" top, embossed "NOV 87" bottom
