Vehicle registration plates of Delaware

Current Delaware license plate

The U.S. state of Delaware first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1909.

All license plates issued since 1942 can still be used with current stickers. Authorized reproductions of porcelain enamel license plates can be obtained through a private vendor,^[1] provided they fall within the state's guidelines.

In 1956, the U.S. states and Canadian provinces came to an agreement with the Automobile Manufacturers Association that standardized the size for license plates for vehicles, except those for motorcycles, at six inches in height by twelve inches in width, with standardized mounting holes. The first Delaware license plate that complied with these standards was issued in 1958.

Passenger plates 1909 to present

Image	First issued	Design	Slogan	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	1909	White on black	none	1234	1000 to 1500
	1910	Black on white	none	123	1 to 900
	1911	White on black	none	1234	1 to 1500
	1912	White on red	none	1234	1 to 2000
	1913	White on black	none	1234	1 to 2500
	1914	Yellow on black	none	1234	1 to 3500
	1915	Blue on white	none	1234	1 to 5000
	1932	Golden yellow on blue with border line; diamond at left and "DEL '32" at right	none	12-3451	1 to approximately 47-000
	1933	Blue on golden yellow with border line; diamond at left and "DEL '33" at right	none	12-345	1 to approximately 48-000
	1934	As 1932 base, but with "DEL '34" at right	none	12-345	1 to approximately 47-000
	1935	As 1933 base, but with "DEL '35" at right	none	12-345	1 to approximately 48-000
	1936	Golden yellow on blue with border line; "DELAWARE – 36" at bottom	none	12♦345	1 to approximately 51♦000
	1937	Blue on golden yellow with border line; "DELAWARE – 37" at bottom	none	12♦345	1 to approximately 53♦000
	1938	Red on silver with border line; "DELAWARE – 38" at bottom	none	12♦345	1 to approximately 55♦000
	1939	Silver on maroon with border line; "DELAWARE – 39" at bottom	none	12♦345	1 to approximately 58♦000
	1940	Blue on golden yellow; "DEL. EX. 3-31-41" at bottom	none	12♦345	1 to approximately 60♦000
	1941	Golden yellow on blue; "DELAWARE 3-31-42" at top	none	12♦345	1 to approximately 59♦000
	1942	white on black, porcelain enamel plate. The first permanent license plate issued by the state phasing out annual replacements that had been the norm from 1909 thru the war time material shortages associated with World War II. The design incorporated a simple "DEL." at top surrounded by insert tab spaces - month/day to left, year to right. Diamond (for the Diamond State) served as comma between 3rd and 4th digits. No diamond on registration numbers below 1000. Month and day insert tabs for all Delaware renewals were 3/31, 6/30, 9/30, 12/31. Year tabs issues from "42" to "62" and phased out in favor of stickers for renewals after 1962. Inserts alternated between gold on blue for odd years, and blue on gold for even years. March inserts were black on white, June white on green, September and December both white on red.	none	12♦345	1 to 869992	5.5"x9.5" in porcelain enamel renewed with metal tabs authorized modern reproductions allowed
	1947	Polished stainless steel numbers riveted on black painted stainless steel base plate. Base embossed with Delaware on top. Insert space at bottom. Insert format continued as original.	none	123456 (variable number of digits)	1 to 2000002	plates vaired in size: 5-digit 9.5 x 5.5 in 6 digit 11 x 5.5 in renewed with metal tabs
	1951	Reflective white scotchlite painted stainless steel numbers riveted on black painted stainless steel base plate. Base plate embossed with Delaware on top. Insert spaces at bottom. Insert format continued as original.	none	1234561	1 to 2000002	plates were smaller than the 6 digit plates if they were 5 digits or lower. renewed with metal tabs
	1958	Reflective gold numbers riveted on dark blue, Delaware at top, insert spaces bottom. Insert format continued as original.	none	1234561	4 to approx 2250002-3	first plate in federally mandated 6 x 12 in size renewed with metal tabs
	1962	gold on dark blue	The First State at top, Delaware at bottom. Insert spaces removed as inserts phased out in favor of stickers beginning with 1963 renewal dates.	1234561	4 to 10000002-3
	1969	gold on dark blue with gold border	The First State on top	1234561	4 to 10000002-3	Several variations of the font used for the serial exist. Some replacement plates have riveted numbers.
	2008	gold on dark blue with gold border	The First State on top	1234561	4 to 9999992-3	Plates have a beveled edge around the plate as opposed to the previous all-flat plates

Notes:
1. Variable number of digits
2 The state recycles numbers, so they can be found on any base.

3 Registration numbers 1,2,3 reserved for Governor, Lt. Governor, and Sec of State. These are special issue gold background with state coat of arms.

Non-passenger types

Delaware does not use leading zeros on its plates, so serials are composed of a variable number of digits.

Image	Type	Slogan	Serial format	Notes
	Commercial	The First State	C123456 C L123456
	Dealer	The First State	D12345
	Disabled	The First State	HP12345	International Symbol of Access at left.
	Farm Truck	The First State	FT1234
	Motorcycle	none	12345	"M/C" at bottom left.
	Pleasure Commercial	The First State	P C123456	Issued to station wagons and sport utility vehicles.
	Recreational Trailer	The First State	RT1234
	Recreational Vehicle	The First State	RV12345
	State-Owned	The First State	S1234
	Temporary Registration	The First State	XC123456; XP123456	Delaware started issuing temporary tags with an all-numeric format, then moved to the letter X as a prefix, then XA, XB, XC then the current XP as of 11/18/14
	Trailer	The First State	T123456

Optional types

Delaware does not use leading zeros on its plates, so serials are composed of a variable number of digits.

Image	Type	Serial format	Notes
	Centennial of Delaware License Plates	Remakes of passenger serials: 123456 Remakes of pleasure commercial serials: P C123456	Issued from October 1, 2008 through December 31, 2009.[2] Awarded "Plate of the Year" for best new license plate of 2008 by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association, the first and, to date, only time Delaware has been so honored.[3]
	Disabled American Veterans	123DAV
	Duck	Remakes of passenger serials: 123456	A portion of the proceeds from this license plate's sales benefit Delaware's two National Estuary Programs: the Center for the Inland Bays[4] and the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary.[5] These funds are used to improve the health of Delaware's coastal waterways and bays, or "estuaries."
	Lighthouse	Remakes of passenger serials: 123456 Remakes of pleasure commercial serials: P C123456	A portion of the proceeds from this license plate's sales benefit Delaware's two National Estuary Programs: the Center for the Inland Bays[6] and the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary.[7] These funds are used to improve the health of Delaware's coastal waterways and bays, or "estuaries."
	Lighthouse—Personalized	various	A portion of the proceeds from this license plate's sales benefit Delaware's two National Estuary Program's: the Center for the Inland Bays[8] and the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary.[9] These funds are used to improve the health of Delaware's coastal waterways and bays, or "estuaries."
	Passenger—Personalized	various
	Purple Heart	P H1234
	State Legislators	Legislators' initials: A. B. C.
	Telephone Pioneers	TP1234
	University of Delaware	UD1234
	Volunteer Firefighter	V F1234

References

External links

• Delaware license plates 1969-present