Optional Passenger Car License Plates
| City Bicentennial Plate |
For some drivers the regular license plate, the one that most everyone else has, just isn't distinctive enough. Optional design license plates were first offered by three states (Georgia, Maryland, and Virginia) to commemorate the U.S. bicentennial. The practice of offering an option to the general-issue design didn't catch on at that time, but rather got rolling in the mid-1980s.
The number of optional plates offered in the U.S. has exploded during the past fifteen years. Alternative, extra-cost designs are now available in all fifty states and Washington, D.C., although clearly some jurisdictions have embraced the concept more than others. Florida, New York, and Virginia have among the largest specialty plate programs, whereas in states like North Dakota, Rhode Island, and Wyoming the offerings are limited to just a few designs. Sales of many specialty plates benefit colleges and universities, not-for-profit organizations, charitable foundations, and other causes.
Optional plates have been issued in the District of Columbia since 1991, albeit in small quantities, for various purposes.
City Bicentennial Plate
This design was introduced in 1991 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the founding of Washington, D.C., a historical event discussed briefly on our 2000 baseplate page. The exact months during which plates of this design were first and last offered for sale are unknown, but we believe that they were sold for approximately 10 years. Specifically, their introduction probably occurred in the late summer or autumn of 1991, and sales were likely suspended sometime during 2001, possibly in the spring. Number 200-OYV was observed in use in late March 2001, and the highest number observed is 200-OYZ. Although City Bicentennial plates may continue to be used if properly validated, their no longer being produced is thought to be a result to the shift from embossed to flat plates that occurred in the summer of 2001.
In addition to general-issue passenger plates, the unique numbering configuration of which is discussed below, personalized and Disabled American Veteran plates are also known to have been made on this base. No other types are known. As is evident in one of the images below, the layout of personalized plates differs slightly from that of passenger plates in that the logo centered on regular plates is offset to the left on vanities so as to not interrupt the appearance of plates comprised of more than three letters.
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Click on each of these images of rare non-passenger City Bicentennial plates in use for close-up images of the plates. |
The most unusual characteristic of this colorful, attractive plate is a unique numbering system. It's not unusual, of course, for plates to be marked with three numbers followed by three letters. What's different about the D.C. city bicentennial plate is that the three digits on every single one are two, zero, zero, to reinforce the theme of celebrating the city's 200th year. Letters progress sequentially from right to left. For example, plate number 200-DDS pictured above was issued immediately after 200-DDR was handed out, and was followed by 200-DDT, 200-DDU, 200-DDV, etc. The only exceptions are the rare reserved-number plates that were specially-ordered when, for at least one registration year, individuals to whom these numbers were assigned chose to have their plates made on the optional base. Whether this option was offered for registration years other than 1991 is unknown.
A close-up of the city bicentennial logo appears to the left. When used in contexts other than license plates, WASHINGTON, D.C.is printed in the wide bar across the bottom. On plates, the fireworks are shown in red. This logo and the Celebrate the City... Beyond the Monuments theme was used in a variety of promotional contexts.
Like general-issue plates, the expiration of these special, colorful graphic plates is staggered monthly based upon the date of issuance. City bicentennial plates were issued in pairs and cost $25 in addition to the regular registration fee upon initial purchase. There is no surcharge upon renewal, and they may still be renewed even though they are no longer available.
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Upon its introduction in 1991, the design of the City Bicentennial plate was recognized as being unlike anything previously issued in Washington, D.C., and indeed its numbering system has never been used anywhere, ever. We're still not sure if every letter was used in the serial (i.e. letter) positions, but even if they were, this photo of a Ford Mustang taken in late 1991 or 1992 shows no later than the 42nd plate issued. Its October expiration suggests that this optional base was first offered late in the summer or fall of 1991, but the exact introduction date has not yet been determined. |
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Although samples of passenger (left) and personalized City Bicentennial plates were made, they are not believed to have been available to plate collectors or otherwise widely distributed. |  |
City Web Site Address PlateAs discussed in more detail on the 2000 baseplate page, this option takes the form of a general-issue plate but with the somewhat controversial TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION legend replaced with the domain name for the city government's Web site, www.washingtondc.gov. There is no extra charge for these plates. Click on the image to the right and visit our 2000 baseplate page for close-up images of these plates. |
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Organizational Plate Program
It's likely that an organizational plate program was developed here because the District is enveloped by the state with the largest one, by far. With over 600 graphic and non-graphic organizational plates offered in Maryland, it was probably inevitable that some D.C. groups would request, and ultimately be issued, their own distinctive plates. To qualify for them, a non-profit organization must submit written commitments from at least 25 Washington motorists to the effect that they would purchase plates of a particular design if they were made available. In the Maryland tradition, all D.C. organizational plates have a logo on the left side followed by a four-digit number that is immediately preceded by a stacked three-letter code.
Washington, D.C. organizational plates cost $52 initially, in addition to the regular registration fee, and there is also a surcharge for them upon renewal. Only sequentially-assigned numbers are available: they cannot be personalized. The 15 organizational plates presently available are as follows:
*Considered an organizational plate by the D.C. DMV but classified as a separate non-passenger type by DCplates.net. DAV existed long before the organizational plate program began but has been folded into this classification by the DMV. |
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N.C. A&T State Univ. Alumni |
Bad Boys Club |
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority organizational plate and detail of graphic |
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D.C. Firefighters Local 36 organizational plate (early style) and detail of graphic |
D.C. Firefighters Local 36 organizational plate (later style) and detail of graphic |
Fraternal Order of Police organizational plate and detail of graphic |
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Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity organizational plate and detail of graphic |
Order of the Eastern Star |
Prince Hall Masonic Family organizational plate and detail of graphic |
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Omega Psi Phi Fraternity |
Nat'l Assn. of Black Scuba Divers organizational plate and detail of graphic |
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Like all organizational plates, the issuance of Foreign Organization plates is restricted. In this case, however, the organization is not a fraternity, sorority, or fraternal organization: it's the government of Taiwan. Foreign Organization plates were introduced in D.C. (and many states in which Taiwan has official representation) presumably becuase this island, part of the Republic of China, does not have a separate seat in the United Nations, a distinction that would permit its representatives to obtain official diplomatic plates issued by the U.S. Dept. of State.
Taiwan lost its separate seat in the U.N. in October 1971 upon the admittance of the People's Republic of China. Since then, the Taipei government has continually lobbied for a separate seat, as well as, of course, independence from China. Taiwan's autonomy in the U.N. has repeatedly been denied by Beijing. An increase in visible signs of Taipei's push for independence, even if in the form of something as simple as license plates used on the other side of the globe, may have come as a result of the election of pro-independence candidate Chen Shui-bian to the presidency in March 2000. D.C.'s Foreign Organization plates are thought to have been introduced in the same year as the historic election that brought about the end of 50 years of Nationalist rule.
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This page last updated on December 31, 2009 |
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