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D.C. Auto License Plates Since April 1997

The collection of plates pictured on this and associated pages 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. Issuance months noted are approximate, and through spring 2003 are based upon expiration month stickers observed on plates of each series. B-series plates are shown below and plates of other series may be found on separate pages using these links:

F series

D.C. auto plate no. BR-0698 on a Volkswagen Passat parked on the Mall.
Changes were made to several characteristics of D.C. auto plates early in the B series. Just after the midway point, however, this presentation was settled upon, and it remained unchanged for over seven years (at which time the size of registration number characters was decreased). Plate BR-0698 was likely issued in late November 2002, and was photographed on the Mall by J. Reid Williamson with the National Gallery of Art in the background.

B-Series Plates: Dec. 2000-June 2004

The B series appears to have been issued for about 42 months. This is the most interesting series (so far) in terms of plate varieties. Click here to reach a separate page upon which the many B-series varieties are discussed. The BI, BO, and BQ series were skipped presumably due to the similarity of I, O, and Q with other registration number characters. It was during this period that the first two series, BB and BJ, were set aside for use on plates with an alternative legend to TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.


Plate no. BA-7170, issued Feb. 2001
Plate no. BB-1708, issued Oct. 2001
Plate no. BC-0288, issued March 2001
BA - issued Dec. 2000-Feb. 2001
BB - first optional series
BC - issued Feb.-April 2001
     
Plate no. BD-8700, issued May 2001
Plate no. BE-8111, issued July 2001
Plate no. BF-7834, issued Sept. 2001
BD - issued April-June 2001
BE - issued June-Aug. 2001
BF - issued Aug., Sept. 2001
     
Plate no. BG-7529, issued Nov. 2001
Plate no. BH-6340, issued January 2002
Plate no. BJ-0959
BG - issued Sept.-Nov. 2001
BH - issued Nov. 2001-Jan. 2002
BJ - second optional series
     
Plate no. BK-8594, issued March 2002
Plate no. BL-0245, issued April 2002
Plate no. BM-8291, issued c.July 2002
BK - issued Jan.-March 2002
BL - issued March-May 2002
BM - issued May-July 2002
     
Plate no. BN-6713, issued c.Aug. 2002
Plate no. BP-1509, issued c.Sept. 2002
Plate no. BR-5370, issued c.Jan. 2003

BN - issued July-Sept. 2002

BP - issued Sept.-Nov. 2002
BR - issued Nov. 2002-Feb. 2003
     
Plate no. BS-1122, issued c.Feb. 2003
Plate no. BT-2480, issued c.April 2003
Plate no. BU-0095, issued c.June 2003
BS - issued Feb.-April 2003
BT - issued April-June 2003
BU - issued June-Aug. 2003
     
Plate no. BV-6215, issued c.Sept. 2003
Plate no. BW-5427, issued c.Nov. 2003
Plate no. BX-6939, issued c.January 2004
BV - issued Aug.-Oct. 2003
BW - issued Oct.-Dec. 2003
BX - issued Dec. 2003-Feb. 2004
     
Plate no. BY-1821, issued c.Feb. 2004
Plate no. BZ-3508, issued c.May 2004
BY - issued Feb.-April 2004
BZ - issued April-June 2004



D.C. auto plate no. BA-1466 on a Toyota parked at Dover Downs in Delaware.
Clear evidence that graphic features of a plate were applied through traditional silk-screen printing is evident as the plate ages and the paint fades in the sun. Most D.C. plates are made with graphic sheeting, not plain white sheeting to which the graphic elements are manually added as is the case with this BA-series plate. It was photographed in Delaware at Dover Downs by J. Reid Williamson. Note how much more susceptible to fading is the red paint compared to the blue.
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This page last updated on December 31, 2017

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