MAINE COMMERCIAL PLATES
Began 1913. Numbers began at 1 all years 1913-74.
Highest numbers ordered in bold.
Reserved numbers 1920-30: X-1 - X-500.
Same-number run seen 1933 X-500, 1934 X/A 500, 1935 X 500, 1936 V-500.
1913 T327 1924 X-18-493 X-20-000
1914 X594 X500 1925 X-22-873
1915 X1134* X1200 1926 X-23-362*
1916 X1364 1927 X-26-677* X-30-000
1917 X3-202 X2-500 1928 X-28-682* X-32-000
1918 X4-086 X3-500 1929 X-28-287
1919 X5-714 X4-000 1930 X-32-197 X-34-000
1920 X7-425 X7-000 1931 X-36-324*
1921 X8-880 1932 X-39-307*
1922 X-13-675 X-15-000 1933 X-40-027*
1923 X-17-415*
DIMENSIONS (Verify 5-figure 1918-22, 1924-31, 6-figure 1922-25, 1927, 1930)
1918 5-figure (may be 6 1/4" x 11 1/2", longer than passenger)
1923 5-figure 6 1/4" x 11 1/2" (Longer than Passenger)
1926 6-figure 6 1/4" x 13 1/4" (Same as Passenger)
1928 6-figure 6 1/4" x 13 1/4" (Longer than Pasenger)
1929 6-figure 6 1/4" x 13 3/8" (Longer than Passenger)
1931 6-figure 6 1/4" x 13" (Same as Passenger)
1932-33 5-figure 6 1/4" x 11 3/8" (Longer than Passenger)
6-figure 6 1/4" x 13 3/8" (Longer than Passenger)
VARIATIONS
1917: X10 - X999 have no hyphen or space. X3-177 has far slots,
all others up to X2-731 have close slots.
1918: X 1 - X 999 have no hyphen.
X1-000 - X3-868 have shorter hyphen than passenger.
1919: X10 - X999 have no hyphen or space.
1920: X-10 - X-99 have long dash, X-100 on have short hyphen.
1921, 1929: X 10 - X 999 have no hyphen.
1927: X-10 - X-99 have space between "X-" and each digit;
middle digit slightly left of center. #X-391 is orange.
1932: X-1-000 - X-39-307 have close "MAINE 1932", unlike passenger.
1934-35 FORMATS
1934 X/A 1 - Y/S 593 (38,555*) 1935 variations
1935 X 1 - X 500, X/A 1 - Z/A 700 (42,159*) same as passenger.
No H,J,O used 1934. No H,I,J,O,Q used 1935. Z/B reported 1935.
Verify 1934 XE,XK,XM,XN,XP,XR,XU,XV,XY,YE,YF,YI,YL,YN,YR.
Verify 1935 XB,XD,XM,XP,XS,XV,XW,XY,YB,YF,YL,YM,YN,YV-YZ.
1935: Y/D reserved for passenger cars of veterans of the Yankee Division of World War I.
(Capacity of 56,444 would have been reached 1946.)
1936-41 FORMAT V-1 - Z9-999 Branch office assignments on file 1939-41.
1936 Y9-533 (39,530)
1937 Z3-250 (43,246)
1938 Z-645 (40,641)
1939 Z4-932 (44,928) Y9-999
1940 Z5-983 (45,979*) Z6-000
1941 Z3-541 (43,537) Z6-000
1942-47 FORMAT 1 - 99-999 Vertical "COM" prefix 1942-2000.
All plates 6 1/4" x 11 1/2" 1942-55 (except 1946 X).
Branch office assignments on file 1944-46.
1942 53-527 60-000 (50-001 - 60-000 made and delivered in 1943)
1944 48-948* 49-000
1945 50-155 52-000
1946 77-807 69-500
1946-47 BASE
1946 Type 1: Heavy steel 1 - 64-000 (64,000 S)
Feb.47 Type 2: Brass 64-001 - 78-000 (14,000 S)
Sep.47 Type 3: Light steel, no "COM" X1 - X5000 (5,000 S)
Maine only had 5-figure steel blanks available during the 1947 metal
shortage, therefore they made "X" prefix plates still with "VACATIONLAND"
but without "COM". Doug Brown has a 1946 aluminum (replacement) plate.
1948-49 BASE 4-digit has no hyphen 1948-present.
1948 Type 1: Brass, 1936-47 dies 1 - 64-000 (64,000 S)
Jun.48 Type 2: Aluminum, 1936-47 dies 64-001 - 75-000 (11,000 S)
Apr.49 Type 3: Aluminum, 1950-55 dies 75-001 - 83-556 (8,556 S)
1950-55 UNDATED BASE
1950 Type 1 1 - 99-548
1953 Type 1a X 2660 - X 9966, W 2089 - W 9320
1955 Type 4 Y 1256 - Y 7825, T 2232
1955 Type 5 T 1244, T 2640 - T 3063 (TOTAL 129,059 P)
Description of Types:
Type 1 - 1950-55 dies, bolt slots, 6 1/4" x 11 1/2"
(1, 130, 545, 976 have wide 1936-48 dies;
522, 1924, 3496 have thin 1950-55 dies)
(94-120 has small "MAINE", 92-516 and 95-890 normal)
(Type 3 - As Type 1, but 6" x 11 1/2", bottom edge cut)
Type 4 - 1956-93 dies, bolt slots, 6" x 12"
Type 5 - 1956-93 dies, bolt holes, 6" x 12"
1956-61 BASE
1956 Type 1: Dated "56", rounded "COM" 1 - 540
1956 Type 2: Dated "56", square "COM" 1276 - 63-329
1956 Type 1a 64-379 - 79-314
1957 Type 3: Undated, aluminum, tab right 82-698 - 99-478
1957 Type 3a W 1001 - X 7461, W3-835, W 9498
Type 4/6 X 8087 - Y 8375
Type ? Y 8420
1960 Type 5: Undated, galvanized steel Y9-579, T1-179, T 1620 - T 1739
Type 5a ("62" overstamped by box) T 3156 - T 3971
Type 5 (no date) T 5744
1961 Type 6: Undated, plain steel T 8487
(TOTAL 134,483 P)
Highest numbers reservable: 1956 63-000, 1962 70-000, 1968 75-000.
1962-67 BASE
1962 Type 1/2 1 - 90-846
Type 3/4 91-100 - 99-891
1965 Type 5 S 1206 - S 9625, T 3712 - T 8867, V 2492 - V 9633,
W 2270 - W 9590, X 1128 - X 9480, Y 1979 - Y 7682
(W 7962 issued 1965) (TOTAL 154,344 P)
Description of Types:
Type 1 - Dated "62", galvanized steel, beaded surface (64-180)
Type 2 - Dated "62", aluminum, beaded surface (83-780)
Type 3 - Undated, galvanized steel, beaded surface
Type 4 - Undated, aluminum, beaded surface
Type 5 - Undated, aluminum, scotchlite surface
1968-73 BASE
1968 Type 1 1 - 92-408 (92,408 P)
1969 Type 2 95-833 - 95-921 (89 P)
1969 Type 3 96-895 - 182-135 (85,241 P)
1972 Type 4 184-273 - 213-841 (29,569 P)
Description of Types: Type 1 - Dated "68", tab slots, decal bar
Type 2 - Undated, tab slots, decal bar
Type 3 - Undated, no slots, decal bar
Type 4 - Undated, no slots or decal bar
1968-88: 1-5-digits have wide "COM", wide hyphen, 6-digits have
thin "COM", thin hyphen (no hyphen on 205-000+ 1980-88).
1974-88 BASE
1974 "74" Type 1 1 - 6511 (6,511 P)
1974 "74" Type 2 7449 - 147-971 (140,523 P)
1975 "FEB 76" Type 3 150-032 - 150-510 (479 P)
1975 "FEB 76" Type 4 152-172 -
1975 "FEB 76" Type 3a 155-527 - 184-023 (28,497 P)
1978 "FEB 79" Type 5 186-282 -
1979 "FEB 80" Type 3b 188-620 -
1979 "FEB 80" Type 6 193-133 - 203-023 (9,891 P)
1979 "SEP 80" Type 7 205051 - 288986 (83,936 P)
1986 "MAY 87" Type 8 289099 - 304729 (15,631 P)
1987 "FEB 88" Type 7a 305146 - 311600 (6,455 P)
Description of Types:
Type 1 - Dated "74", sticker bar
Type 2 - Dated "74", no sticker bar
Type 3 - Undated, "M" of "MAINE" under UL hole
Type 4 - Dated "74", "MAINE" right of UL hole
Type 5 - Undated, "M" of "MAINE" right of UL hole
Type 6 - Undated, "MAINE" centered, painted border
Type 7 - As Type 6, but no hyphen
Type 8 - As Type 6, but no painted border
Not staggered; FEB stickers issued 1976-79.
Monthly Staggered Registration began by 1980 "APR 81" only for
new registrations. By 1990, all newly-registered trucks staggered, not FEB.
Private trucks under 6,000 lbs. registered as Passenger starting 10/1/1975,
if not used commercially.
1988-2000 LOBSTER BASE
1988 "DEC 88" Type 1 350274 - 499960 (149,687 P)
1993 "JUN 94" Type 2 500027 - 569941 (69,915 P)
(TOTAL 219,668 P)
Description of Types: Type 1 - Wide dies, thin "COM"
Type 2 - Thin dies, wide "COM"
Light green back "FEB 89" 391186 - 397140 (5,955 P);
unpainted back 378640, 428826.
1999-2023 LOON BASE No C/R prefix, "COMMERCIAL" embossed bottom.
Jun.99 1W - 4406W (1W - 9999X assigned)
2000-2023 CHICKADEE BASE "COMMERCIAL" embossed bottom.
7-1-99 "JUL 00" 600-001 - 800-000 (200,000 P)
12-20-07 "MAR 08" 1A-0001 - 1D-9978 (279,951 P)
(TOTAL 479,951 P)
Progression: 1A - 9A, 1B - 9B, etc.
