Washington, D.C. License Plate Validation Sticker Details
To reach our main page devoted to validation stickers, click here.
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This is the only sticker applied to the 1966 baseplate, of which for general-issue passenger car plates there are dated "3-31-67" and undated varieties. There are three distinct formats of the 1967 sticker, all of which share a white-on-green color scheme. The traditional format, almost square, is used on passenger car plates and plates of a few non-passenger types, such as rental car. The vertical-format version is used on plates of several non-passenger types, such as truck, taxi, and livery. The third is a strip-style sticker applied across the bottom of 1964 multi-year personalized baseplates. (The example pictured below was revalidated for the 1968 registration year, but "68" is printed in white in the space underneath the "69" sticker.) Some of these strip stickers have the serial number printed in a white area so as to be more legible. The sticker on plate RBT, shown on this page, is an example. This is the final year that strip stickers were used.
We have not seen enough 1967 ("68") stickers to draw conclusions about how examples of each format were numbered and assigned to plates of various types other than to say that traditional-format stickers applied to unissued general-issue passenger car plates have a serial number that is 112,000 numbers lower than the plate number. Auto plates of the 366,000 and 367,000 series are common in the plate collecting hobby because this leftover stock was purchased at auction by one or more plate collectors. Here are examples of license plates and 1967 sticker serial numbers in our collection:
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Plate Number |
"68" Sticker Serial No. |
| Traditional Stickers | ||
| Reserved-number passenger | 254 |
1564 |
| Reserved-number passenger | 898 |
1596 |
| General-issue passenger, renewal registration | 101-060 |
5332 |
| General-issue passenger, renewal registration | 126-013 |
9184 |
| General-issue passenger, renewal registration | 125-216 |
34036 |
| Rental Car | RC-925 |
104701 |
| Rental Car | RD-996 |
160536 |
| General-issue passenger, new registration | 366-508 |
254508 |
| General-issue passenger, new registration | 367-082 |
255082 |
| Strip Stickers | ||
| Personalized | CVM |
402485 |
| Vertical Stickers | ||
| Hire (Taxi) | HS-517 |
631209 |
| Commerical (truck) | CC-4389 |
631274 |
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New, undated passenger car plates were issued for the 1968 registration year, so the use of stickers was limited to the validation of plates of a small number of non-passenger types. Traditional format stickers, such as no. 5148 pictured, are known to have been used only on personalized plates whereas vertical-format stickers appeared on commercial, bus, hire, livery, and presumably trailer plates. There does not appear to be any correlation between registration and sticker serial numbers. This is the final year that vertical-format stickers were used.
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1969 Registration Year
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April 1969-March 1970 |
Stickers issued for the 1969 registration year (marked "EXP. 3-31-70") were used primarily on general-issue passenger car baseplates introduced in early 1968, but they were also used to validate a relatively small quantity of older non-passenger plates, such as bus plate no. BB-892 pictured near the top of this page. Plates used on most non-passenger vehicles were annual issues dated 3-31-70 (as shown here), so stickers were not needed on them.
As discussed near the bottom of our page devoted to the 1968 baseplate , there are three identified batches of 1969 stickers used to validated general-issue passenger car plates, although in most cases their start and end points are indeterminable. Although we haven't observed enough 1969 stickers on plates of various types to draw any conclusions as to how those with various serial number sequences were used, here is a summary of what we know.
The lowest numbers, beginning at 100000, were used for the lowest-numbered auto plates issued for new registrations. They likely went up to around 140000. These numbers are among those observed on auto plates issued during the previous registration year and revalidated for 1969: 146648, 153702, 161967, 169102, 205937, 248377, and 261962. Number 263704 appears on the aforementioned bus plate. The highest-numbered observed 1969 stickers, such as 296972 and 308063, appear on the highest-numbered general-issue auto plates prepared for this year.
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1970 Registration Year
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April 1970-March 1971
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Stickers issued for the 1970 registration year (marked "EXP. 3-31-71") were used primarily on general-issue passenger car baseplates of the style introduced in early 1968, but they were also used to validate a relatively small quantity of non-passenger plates. Plates used on most non-passenger vehicles were annual issues dated 3-31-71 (as shown here), so stickers were not needed on them.
As discussed near the bottom of our page devoted to the 1968 baseplate , there are three identified batches of 1970 stickers used to validated general-issue passenger car plates, although in most cases their start and end points are indeterminable. Although we haven't observed enough 1970 stickers on plates of various types to draw any conclusions as to how those with various serial number sequences were used, it appears that the lowest- and highest-numbered stickers were used on plates issued for new registrations and those with numbers in between were issued to revalidate plates in use at the beginning of the registration year.
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1971 Registration Year
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April 1971-March 1972
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Stickers issued for the 1971 registration year (marked "EXP. 3-31-72") were used primarily on general-issue passenger car baseplates of the style introduced in early 1968, but they were also used to validate a relatively small quantity of non-passenger plates. Plates used on most non-passenger vehicles were annual issues dated 3-31-72 (as shown here), so stickers were not needed on them.
As discussed near the bottom of our page devoted to the 1968 baseplate , there are three identified batches of 1971 stickers used to validated general-issue passenger car plates, although in most cases their start and end points are indeterminable. Although we haven't observed enough 1971 stickers on plates of various types to draw any conclusions as to how those with various serial number sequences were used, it appears that the lowest- and highest-numbered stickers were used on plates issued for new registrations and those with numbers in between were issued to revalidate plates in use at the beginning of the registration year.
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1972 Registration Year
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April 1972-March 1973
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Stickers issued for the 1972 registration year (marked "EXP. 3-31-73") were used primarily on general-issue passenger car baseplates of the style introduced in early 1968, but they were also used to validate a relatively small quantity of non-passenger plates. Plates used on most non-passenger vehicles were annual issues dated 3-31-73 (as shown here), so stickers were not needed on them.
As discussed near the bottom of our page devoted to the 1968 baseplate , there are two identified batches of 1972 stickers used to validated general-issue passenger car plates, although in most cases their start and end points are indeterminable. Although we haven't observed enough 1972 stickers on plates of various types to draw any conclusions as to how those with various serial number sequences were used, it appears that the lowest- and highest-numbered stickers were used on plates issued for new registrations and those with numbers in between were used for non-passenger plates and to revalidate auto plates in use at the beginning of the registration year. Stickers numbered 133425 and 146812 have been observed on diplomatic plates, suggesting that the first batch of stickers used on auto plates, which are thought to have begun at serial number 100000, may have extended to 130000.
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1973 Registration Year
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April 1973-March 1974
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Stickers issued for the 1973 registration year (marked "EXP. 3-31-74") were used primarily on general-issue passenger car baseplates of the style introduced in early 1968, but they were also used to validate a relatively small quantity of non-passenger plates. Plates used on most non-passenger vehicles were annual issues dated 3-31-72 (as shown here), so stickers were not needed on them.
As discussed near the bottom of our page devoted to the 1968 baseplate , there are two identified batches of 1973 stickers used to validated general-issue passenger car plates, although in most cases their start and end points are indeterminable. Although we haven't observed enough 1973 stickers on plates of various types to draw any conclusions as to how those with various serial number sequences were used, it appears that the lowest- and highest-numbered stickers were used on plates issued for new registrations and those with numbers in between were issued to revalidate plates in use at the beginning of the registration year.
Natural 1974 Baseplate Stickers
Nine hundred thousand pairs of plastic, reflective validation stickers are thought to have been made for the three registration years for which they were required while the 1974 baseplate was issued: 1975, 1976, and 1977. (No stickers were used for the 1974 registration year.) For each year, 300,000 sets of stickers were made, and the first batch, those with the lowest serial numbers, were applied to plates set aside for distribution to motorists that purchased a new registration.
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1975 Registration Year
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April 1975-March 1976 |
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Used only on the 1974 baseplate |
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Serial No. Sequence |
Usage |
Comments |
More Info |
100000 to 154999 |
New general-issue registrations |
plate nos. 340-000 to 394-999 |
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155000 to 399999 |
Renewals and non-passenger |
see discussion below |
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372000, 373000 series |
Reserved-number passenger |
plate numbers 1 to 1250 |
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Stickers marked "76" appear to have been numbered from 100000 through 399999, with the first 55,000 being used for general-issue passenger plates issued in evidence of new registrations purchased during the registration year. The remaining stickers appear to have been issued randomly with respect to the registration type (e.g. truck, trailer, etc.) and transaction type (i.e. new non-passenger and renewals of all types). However, it does appear that stickers applied to the 1,250 sets of low-number plates were all taken from the 372000 and 373000 series, although unlike later years not in any particular order.
The lowest and highest 1975 sticker serial numbers observed are 100359 and 396037.
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1976 Registration Year
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April 1976-March 1977 |
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Used only on the 1974 baseplate |
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Serial No. Sequence |
Usage |
Comments |
More Info |
400000 to 454999 |
New general-issue registrations |
plate nos. 395-000 to 449-999 |
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455001 to 456125 |
Reserved-number passenger |
plate numbers 1 to 1250 |
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456126 to 699999 |
Renewals and non-passenger |
see discussion below |
Stickers marked "77" appear to have been numbered from 400000 through 699999, with the first 55,000 being used for general-issue passenger plates issued in evidence of new registrations purchased during the registration year, and the next 1,250 applied to the series of reserved-number plates numbered 1 through 1250. The remaining stickers appear to have been issued randomly with respect to the registration type (e.g. truck, trailer, etc.) and transaction type (i.e. new non-passenger and renewals of all types). The starting point for the "renewals and non-passenger" category indicated above, 456126, has been assumed.
The lowest and highest 1976 sticker serial numbers observed are 400261 and 677220.
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1977 Registration Year
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April 1977-March 1978 |
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Used only on the 1974 baseplate |
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Serial No. Sequence |
Usage |
Comments |
More Info |
700000 to 749999 |
New general-issue registrations |
plate nos. 450-000 to 499-999 |
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750001 to 751250 |
Reserved-number passenger |
plate numbers 1 to 1250 |
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751251 to 999999 |
Renewals and non-passenger |
see discussion below |
Stickers marked "78" appear to have been numbered from 700000 through 999999, with the first 50,000 being used for general-issue passenger plates issued in evidence of new registrations purchased during the registration year, and the next 1,250 applied to the series of reserved-number plates numbered 1 through 1250. The remaining stickers appear to have been issued randomly with respect to the registration type (e.g. truck, trailer, etc.) and transaction type (i.e. new non-passenger and renewals of all types). The start and end points for the "renewals and non-passenger" category indicated above have been assumed.
The lowest and highest 1977 sticker serial numbers observed are 700163 and 890839.
Natural 1978 Baseplate Stickers
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1978 Registration Year
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April 1978-March 1979 |
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A natural sticker only on the 1978 baseplate; also used to revalidate 1974 baseplates |
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Serial No. Sequence |
Usage |
Comments |
More Info |
400000 to c.430000 |
New general-issue registrations |
plate nos. 500-000 to c.530-000 |
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435101 to 436350 |
Reserved-number passenger |
plate numbers 1 to 1250 |
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nos. bet. 436350 and c.675000 |
Renewals and non-passenger |
see discussion below |
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c.675000 to c.707400 |
New general-issue registrations |
plate nos. c.530-000 to 561-999 |
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It's not as easy to determine how stickers were numbered for 1978 as it is for other years. Two batches of "79" stickers were used on general-issue auto plates, the first having serial numbers exactly 100,000 digits lower than the registration number, up to about plate no. 530-000, and the second having serial numbers 145,400 digits higher than the registration number.
In order to estimate the highest number made (but not necessarily issued) for a natural 1978 registration, which is to say a plate with a "3-31" month sticker and a "79" year sticker, we have found it easiest to base our estimate on the probable lowest number of the following registration year. Plate no. 565-603 has a natural 1979 (marked "3-31-80") validation sticker with a serial number of 103603, and the sticker-serial-to-plate-number interval for 1979 is consistently 462,000 (as discussed below). If we assume 3-31-80 stickers were numbered beginning at 100000, then the lowest natural 1979 number is 562-000. Therefore, we have estimated that natural 1978 plates were numbered up to 561-999, which would have had a sticker serial number of 707399.
The division of the block of general-issue registration numbers into two from the standpoint of sticker serial numbers may be due to stickers 435101 to 436350 having been applied (perhaps in error) to the series of reserved-number plates numbered 1 through 1250.
We unfortunately have only a single non-passenger and renewed passenger plate upon which to estimate which stickers were used for those applications. It is a DAV plate with "79" sticker no. 670667, a point higher than the stickers used on reserved-number plates but lower than the second batch used for general-issue passenger plates. Presumably the large group of stickers in this range were used for renewal transactions and non-passenger registrations, new and renewed. However, the start and end points for the "renewals and non-passenger" category indicated above have been estimated.
The lowest and highest 1978 sticker serial numbers observed are 409632 and 683996.
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1979 Registration Year
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April 1979-March 1980 |
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A natural sticker only on the 1978 baseplate; also used to revalidate 1974 baseplates |
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Serial No. Sequence |
Usage |
Comments |
More Info |
100000 to 162999 |
New general-issue registrations |
plate nos. 562-000 to 624-999 |
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| 163000 to 167000 | possibly new truck registrations | plate C-27450 has stkr. 165950 | |
167001 to 168250 |
Reserved-number passenger |
plate numbers 1 to 1250 |
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168251 and higher |
Renewals and non-passenger |
see discussion below |
Stickers marked "3-31-80" appear to have been numbered from 100000 to into the 300000 series, but the end point cannot be reasonably estimated, with the first 63,000 being used for general-issue passenger plates issued in evidence of new registrations during the registration year. It appears that the next 4,000 stickers were used for non-passenger plates, and the next 1,250 were applied to the series of reserved-number plates numbered 1 through 1250. The remaining stickers appear to have been issued randomly with respect to the registration type (e.g. truck, trailer, etc.) and transaction type (i.e. new non-passenger and renewals of all types).
The lowest and highest 1979 sticker serial numbers observed are 103603 and 315309.
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1980 Registration Year
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April 1980-March 1981 |
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A natural sticker only on the 1978 baseplate; also used to revalidate 1974 baseplates |
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Serial No. Sequence |
Usage |
Comments |
More Info |
600000 to c.645000 |
New general-issue registrations |
plate nos. 625-000 to c.670-000 |
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| 645001 to 664500 | unknown | none observed | |
664501 to 665750 |
Reserved-number passenger |
plate numbers 1 to 1250 |
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665751 to 899999 |
Renewals and non-passenger |
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| 900000 to c.906000 | New motorcycle registrations | plate M6776 has stkr. 900076 | |
| c.906000 and higher | New general-issue registrations | plate 673-591 has stkr. 909591 | |
Stickers marked "3-31-81" appear to have been numbered from 600000 to into the 900000 series, but the end point cannot be reasonably estimated. Approximately the first 45,000 stickers were used for most of the general-issue passenger plates issued in evidence of new registrations during the registration year. The lowest and highest 1980 sticker serial numbers observed are 608645 and 909591.
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This page last updated on December 31, 2017 |
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