Non-Passenger License Plates
Page I: Introduction to Non-Passenger Plates; Privately-Owned Vehicle Types
Click here to see a list of D.C. plate types with links to their descriptions. |
Click here to reach our page dedicated to non-passenger plates issued from 1965 through 1974. |
Introduction to Non-Passenger Plates
In general, non-passenger plates are registration plates (as opposed to sample plates and permits) other than those issued for use on private passenger vehicles. Defining and categorizing non-passenger plates can be difficult. For example, most DMVs consider personalized (i.e. "vanity") plates regular auto plates whereas plate collectors usually consider them a separate type.
The history of Washington, D.C. non-passenger plates is spotty at best. The earliest ones appear to be distinctive motorcycle and dealer plates known to have been issued in the late teens. It is unclear how many other types, if any, were made and issued during the early and mid-1920s, but we do know that with the introduction of letter prefixes to most D.C. plates in 1927, an organized system of type identification came into use.
Although more research is needed, it appears that the system of identifying non-passenger plates by letter prefixes was abandoned, at least temporarily, in 1935 when all-number plates returned. From this year through the late 1940s the type name was generally embossed on the plate, although in some instances (such as commercial) letter prefixes continued to be used.
Letter prefixes returned in the late 1940s and type names were then omitted, making it confusing for today's collector who seeks only passenger car plates. Especially during the 1950s through the 1960s, as was the case from 1927 through 1934, the only way to differentiate between plates of various types (including passenger) is to know which letter prefixes were used on the various types. Since the mid-1960s the non-passenger status has been evident, at least to the trained eye, in the numbering format or other attributes (such as an embossed year designation for a year in which auto plates were validated with a sticker). For those who have a plate with a letter prefix and wish to identify the type, a cross-reference to prefix letters will soon be added to this page. Until then, refer to the 1927-34 Registration Numbers section of our page about 1918-1929 plates for a discussion of prefix letters, many of which are still in use.
Washington, D.C. Types
Washington, D.C. registration types and other common license plate classifications are addressed on separate pages (including this one) in five categories. Each type with its name shown in CAPITAL letters is described on a dedicated page.
ELECTED OFFICIAL (various) |
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Privately-Owned Vehicle Types
| Antique Car | Issued 1958-1978 |
Click here to reach a separate page dedicated to this type.
| Clergy | First Issued: 1975 |
Current Type Designation: CLERGY |
Most U.S. states have at least one type that isn't issued in any other state, and D.C. is no different. Clergy is the type that first comes to the mind of most plate aficianados when asked to identfy D.C.'s unique type.
Distinctive plates for members of the clergy were first issued on the Bicentennial base in 1975. The plate layout has always been similar (and unusual for D.C.), with the type name in relatively large letters and the number printed in unusually small figures. It is unclear why there are two numbering formats on the 1984 (Capital City) base, but CL-prefix numbers may have been assigned after un-prefixed plate no. 999 was issued or the prefix may have been added in order to differentiate registrations of this type from others (including passenger) in the DMV's computer system.
| Diplomatic | Earliest Known: 1935 |
Issuance Discontinued: c.1985 |
Click here to reach a separate page dedicated to this type.
| Diplomatic Staff a k a No Warrant |
First Issued: 1950s |
Issuance Discontinued: c.1985 |
Here's another interesting type that, although not unique to D.C, is definitely unusual, especially with respect to the manner in which the type designation is indicated. No Warrant plates were introduced in the 1950s to provide special parking privileges to consular and embassy personnel that were not of sufficient status to obtain diplomat plates.
The word warrant in the context of this type's name refers to parking violation notices. Vehicles with No Warrant plates could be parked in special places reserved for diplomatic vehicles without being ticketed. According to a 1987 ALPCA Newsletter article on the subject of D.C. plates, the WN type designation was reportedly chosen because it was believed that NW would have been too obvious.
Like regular diplomat plates, this type was replaced by plates introduced by the U.S. Department of State in 1985.
| Disabled American Veteran | First Issued: 1975 |
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In this day and age DAV plates (of any jurisdiction) are usually considered examples of an optional or specialty plate variety rather than a true non-passenger type. However, we will continue to consider these rare plates as representative of a genuine non-passenger type for two reasons. First, D.C. DAV plates were introduced prior to the period during which optional plates, those that indicate something distinctive about the owner rather than the vehicle or its appropriate uses, were issued. Second, DAV plates do (in most jurisdictions) allow for special parking privileges.
| Elected Official | Earliest Known: 1968 |
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A variety of special plates have been issued to Washington, D.C. elected officials, most notably members of the Council of the District of Columbia. Click here to reach a separate page dedicated to the speical plates made for elected officials.
| Handicapped Disabled American Veteran | First Issued: unknown |
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Pictured here is an example of a heretofore unknown registration type. This plate is representative of a type that appears to be a combination of the separate types addressed above and below this section, DAV and Handicapped Person. The letters "DAV" appear to have been silk-screen printed. When plates of this type were first issued, and if they're still available, is unknown. |
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| Handicapped Person | First Issued: early 1980s |
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Washington, D.C. followed the lead of many states in the late 1970s and early 1980s by introducing specially-marked license plates for motorists with disabilites. Whether the first HP plates issued in the District appeared on the 1975 (Bicentennial) or 1978 (Nation's Capital) base is unknown for certain. However, we do know that during this period, plates of most non-passenger types were numbered beginning at 101. That numbers continue to be assigned sequentially from baseplate to baseplate is evident in the plates shown in this type section and others. If we assume that HP plates were numbered beginning at H/P 101 when the type was introduced, then plate no. H/P 156 pictured is the 56th plate issued. Although it was revalidated a few times, it appears to have first been issued with a expires 3-31-82 sticker. Based upon this information, it appears reasonable to conclude that this type was introduced in 1981 or 1982 on the 1978 (Nation's Capital) base, and that no plates of this type were issued on the 1974 (Bicentennial) base.
There are two distinct varieties of the 1984 (Capital City) base. The wheelchair motif on earlier examples (such as number 6912 pictured) is embossed, whereas it is printed graphically on later plates. There are also two varieties of the 1991 (Celebrate & Discover) base. As occurred on general-issue passenger car plates, the position of the city and type names was reversed during the period that plates with this slogan were being issued.
| Historic Motor Vehicle | First Issued: 1978 |
Current Type Designation: HMV |
Click here to reach a separate page dedicated to this type.
| Medical Doctor | Earliest Known: c.1959 |
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Exactly when special plates for physicians were introduced remains unknown, although the earliest observed example is from the late 1950s. Plates of this type through the mid-1960s are identical to regular private auto plates except for the MD prefix, which continued to be used when all-number registrations were re-introduced in 1966. Based upon the old baseplates of this type that may still occasionally be seen in use (as pictured below - click on each image for a close-up view of the plate), it appears that a wholesale replacement of all MD plates has not occurred since 1974.
| Motorcycle | First Issued: April 1908 |
Current Type Designation: M/T |
Click here to reach a separate page upon which pre-1918 motorcycle plates are discussed and pictured.
Motorcycle is arguably the most popular non-passenger type among license plate collectors, and Washington, D.C. is clearly the most difficult U.S. jurisdiction from which to obtain a recent cycle plate. (See our statistics section for the obvious reason.) Plates of this type from the late 1960s and early 1970s are slightly more plentiful, but in general D.C. cycle plates from all years are rare and desireable.
The first distinctive motorcycle plates were issued in April 1908, and distinctive cycle plates have been issued ever since. Information about the porcelain-enamel cycle plates used from April 1908 through December 1917 may be found on a separate page reached by clicking here. Dated cycle plates were issued annually, beginning in 1918, in the same colors as passenger and other plates. Tabs were used to revalidate multi-year plates in the same years as this was done for auto plates, meaning that the issuance and replacement of plates of both types was done simultaneously from 1918 through the 1965 plate, which is marked "1966" and expired on March 31, 1966.
When multi-year plates revalidated with stickers began to be issued for passenger cars in 1966 (marked "3-31-67"), cycle plates continued to be dated and replaced annually. The final annual, dated cycle plate is that of 1977, marked "EXP-3-31-78." Since then, multi-year plates have been issued that are validated with the same stickers that are used on regular auto and other plates.
From at least as early as 1960 (and likely earlier) until 1977, the registration number on all plates of this type began with a letter M. Through the late 1990s both M and N were used. More recent cycle plates have an MC prefix, and plates presently being issued are completely flat, black on white, and have a vertical MT prefix, such as numbers 1313 and 5415 pictured.
| Non-Resident | Earliest Known: 1920 |
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Specially-marked plates issued during the 1920s and at least into the early 1930s to individuals that were not D.C. residents but who remained in the District with their vehicle for longer than 15 days are marked with an X prefix. The 1931 plate shown is the latest known example of this type. Non-resident plates, some designated by an X-prefix, were issued in several states during this era before uniform reciprocity laws among the states and D.C. were enacted.
| Personalized (Passenger) | First Issued: 1964 |
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Click here to reach a separate page dedicated to this type.
| Personalized Motorcycle | First Issued: unknown |
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| Purple Heart Recipient | First Issued: unknown |
Current Type Designation: P/H |
When this type was introduced is unknown, but characteristics of this example suggest that it was manufactured during August or September 2002.
| Special Use | Earliest Known: 1951 |
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In which years the issuance of Special Use plates began and ended is unknown. The earliest and latest observed examples are from 1951 and 1963, respectively. All plates of this type are made of cardboard and were intended to be used only for short periods. They were issued in pairs.
Shown to the left is the explanatory text that is printed on the back of all Special Use plates. This particular example is plate number X-83221 pictured above.
Special Use plates differ from temporary plates (see below) in that they were issued by the DMV whereas Temporary plates are issued by dealers. The distinction is displayed in the type name at the top of Special Use plates and the different letter prefixes (X vs. DX).
| Temporary | Earliest Known: 1955 |
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Temporary plates have been issued in Washington, D.C. for over fifty years. If they were issued any earlier than the mid-1950s it was likely not for very long. They include the same instructions on the back as do Special Use plates including use of the term "Special Use."
No authoritative documentation that indicates when and why changes were made to features of plates of this type is known, so design alterations highlighted here are based upon observation of the plates pictured above. We can see, for example, with plate DX-39287 that drastic changes were made during the second half of 1961 or early 1962. Dimensions of these cardboard plates was changed to 6"x12". More evident, however, is that the size of the registration number was reduced dramatically in order to allow for the addition of spaces in which the name and address of the individual or business to which the plate was assigned was to be written by the issuing dealer. A space was also made for the dealer to identify itself, a task usually accomplished with a rubber stamp.
Perhaps a motorist's name and address was a little too personal for display on a license plate, for by 1965 that data was no longer required. Instead, information about the vehicle, the make, model year, serial number, and body style, were to be written. Shown immediately above is a close-up image of the data section of plate no. DX-66819.
Temporary and Special Use plates may be differentiated by their letter prefixes: Temporary plates, issued exclusively by vehicle dealers, begin with DX whereas Special Use plates begin with an X. An exception occurred in the early 1970s, as shown with plates X-6331 and X-18124 above, when the leading D was not included. This was probably the result of a manufacturing oversight rather than a deliberate change in the numbering system.
That as of the mid-1970s special Temporary plates were not being issued for use on motorcycles is evident with plate X-6331 shown, which was displayed on a year-old Honda during June 1970.
| Temporary Motorcycle | First Issued: unknown |
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Little is known about this registration type. The example pictured is cardboard covered with reflective sheeting, which includes a graphic of the D.C. flag (in gray, not red) in the background. This plate, like permanent motorcycle plates, is 4" high and 7" wide.
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This page last updated on September 6, 2010 |
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