Collage of three D.C. plates.

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D.C. Auto License Plates Since April 1997

The collection of plates pictured on this page is comprised of a single example of every two-letter series used on general-issue and optional passenger car plates since the AB-1234 format was adopted in April 1997. In addition to providing information about during which months plates of each letter series were issued, this gives us a good chance to see some plates validated for more than one year, which most plates are, because elsewhere on the site we try to show only plates validated just a single time (i.e. "natural" plates). The plates pictured below are in the DCplates.net collection, and as we acquire plates of the missing series we will add their photos. Issuance months noted are approximate and based upon expiration month stickers observed on plates of each series.

The following two-letter prefixes do not appear on passenger car plates:

AP

used only on apportioned truck plates

AS
reason for omission unknown
AT
reason for omission unknown
AU
reason for omission unknown
BI
not used due to the similarity between I and 1 (even though AI was used)
BO
not used due to the similarity between O and Q (even though AO was used)
BQ
not used due to the similarity between Q and O (even though AQ was used)
CI
not used due to the similarity between I and 1
CL
possibly set aside for use on Commercial (Truck) plates of the future
CO
not used due to the similarity between O and Q
CQ
not used due to the similarity between Q and O
DC
not used because a vertical "DC" prefix appears on city government plates
DI
not used due to the similarity between I and 1

Plate no. AA-4847, issued June 1997
Plate no. AB-1634, issued July 1997
Plate no. AC-3243, issued Sept. 1997
AA - issued April-June 1997
AB - issued June-Aug. 1997
AC - issued Aug.-Oct. 1997
     
Plate no. AD-0687, issued Nov. 1997
Plate no. AE-4332, issued c.Feb. 1998
Plate no. AF-5480, issued April 1998
AD - issued Nov. 1997-Jan. 1998
AE - issued Jan.-March 1998
AF - issued March-May 1998
     
Plate no. AG-0001, issued May 1998
Plate no. AI-1279, issued Sept. 1998
AG - issued May-June 1998
AH - issued June-Aug. 1998
AI - issued Aug.-Oct. 1998
     
Plate no. AL-5490, issued May 1999
AJ - issued Nov 1998-Jan. 1999
AK - issued Jan.-March 1999
AL - issued April-June 1999
     
Plate no. AM-4159, issued June 1999
Plate no. AN-2721, issued Aug. 1999
Plate no. AO-3034, issued Oct. 1999
AM - issued June-Aug. 1999
AN - issued Aug., Sept. 1999
AO - issued Sept.-Nov. 1999
     
Plate no. AQ-9490, issued Jan. 2000
Plate no. AR-3172, issued Feb. 2000
Plate no. AV-6757, issued May 2000
AQ - issued Nov. 1999-Jan. 2000
AR - issued Jan.-Mar. 2000
AV - issued Mar.-May 2000
     
Plate no. AX-6004, issued Aug. 2000
Plate no. AY-5587, issued Sep. 2000
AW - issued May-July 2000
AX - issued July-Sept. 2000
AY - issued Sept.-Nov. 2000
     
Plate no. AZ-0407, issued Nov. 2000
Plate no. BA-7170, issued Feb. 2001
Plate no. BB-1236, issued during 2001
AZ - issued Nov., Dec. 2000
BA - issued Dec. 2000-Feb. 2001
BB - first optional series
     
Plate no. BC-0288, issued March 2001
Plate no. BE-5552, issued July 2001
BC - issued Feb.-April 2001
BD - issued April-June 2001
BE - issued June-Aug. 2001
     
Plate no. BF-7834, issued Sept. 2001
Plate no. BG-7529, issued Nov. 2001
Plate no. BH-6340, issued January 2002
BF - issued Aug., Sept. 2001
BG - issued Sept.-Nov. 2001
BH - issued Nov. 2001-Jan. 2002
     
Plate no. BJ-0959
Plate no. BK-8594, issued March 2002
Plate no. BL-0245, issued April 2002
BJ - second optional series
BK - issued Jan.-March 2002
BL - issued March-May 2002
     
Plate no. BM-8291, issued c.July 2002
Plate no. BN-6713, issued c.Aug. 2002
Plate no. BP-1509, issued c.Sept. 2002

BM - issued May-July 2002

BN - issued July-Sept. 2002
BP - issued Sept.-Nov. 2002
     
Plate no. BR-5370, issued c.Jan. 2003
Plate no. BS-1122, issued c.Feb. 2003
Plate no. BT-2480, issued c.April 2003
BR - issued Nov. 2002-Feb. 2003
BS - issued Feb.-April 2003
BT - issued April-June 2003
     
Plate no. BU-0095, issued c.June 2003
Plate no. BW-5427, issued c.Nov. 2003
BU - issued June-Aug. 2003
BV - issued Aug.-Oct. 2003
BW - issued Oct.-Dec. 2003
     
Plate no. BX-6939, issued c.January 2004
Plate no. BY-1821, issued c.Feb. 2004
Plate no. BZ-3508, issued c.May 2004
BX - issued Dec. 2003-Feb. 2004
BY - issued Feb.-April 2004
BZ - issued April-June 2004
     
Plate no. CA-4057, issued c.July 2004
Plate no. CB-0664, issued c.Aug. 2004
Plate no. CC-8716, issued c.Dec. 2004
CA - issued June-Aug. 2004
CB - issued Aug., Sept. 2004
CC - issued Sept.-Dec. 2004
   
Plate no. CD-9129, issued c.Feb. 2005
Plate no. CE-9691, issued c.April 2005
  
CD - issued Dec. 2004-Feb. 2005
CE - issued Feb.-April 2005
CF - issued April-June 2005

This collection of photos will be expanded as we acquire examples of more recent plates.

CG - issued June-Aug. 2005
CH - issued Aug.-Oct. 2005
CJ - issued Oct.-Dec. 2005
     
CK - issued Dec. 2005-Mar. 2006
CM - issued Mar.-May 2006
CN - issued May-July 2006
     
CP - issued July-Sept. 2006
CR - issued Sept.-Nov. 2006
CS - issued Nov. 2006-Jan. 2007
     
CT - issued Jan.-Mar. 2007
CU - issued Mar.-May 2007
CV - issued May-July 2007
     
CW - issued July-Sept. 2007
CX - issued Sept., Oct. 2007
CY - issued Oct.-Dec. 2007
     
CZ - issued Dec. 2007-Mar. 2008
DA - issued April-June 2008
DB - issued June-Aug. 2008
     
DD - issued Aug.-Oct. 2008
DE - issued Oct. 2008-Feb. 2009
DF - issued Feb.-May 2009
     
DG - issued May-July 2009
DH - issued July-Sept. 2009
DJ - issued Sept.-Nov. 2009
     
DK - issued Nov. 2009 into 2010


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This page last updated on January 14, 2010

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