Pennsylvania License PlatesPennsylvania license plates are aluminum plates displaying unique serials for identifying motor vehicles registered with the state. Also, Pennsylvania license plates are affixed to the vehicles to which they are registered. License plates in the state are issued by the Driver and Vehicle Services Divisionof the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). Standard passenger vehicles are required to display one license plate, while vehicles such as passenger vehicles owned by the state are required to display two license plates. Per 67 Pa. Code § 47.2, vehicles required to have single license plates must have their plates located at the rear of the vehicle, except for the license plate of a truck-tractor, which is required to be located on the front of the vehicle. If two license plates are required, one must be located at the rear of the vehicle and the other at the front.
The PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services issue the following types of license plates:
Pennsylvania License Plate Design and FormatsPennsylvania's standard-issue license plate has a dark blue serial printed on a white middle background, with a rectangular navy-blue block on top and another rectangular yellow block on the bottom. The first three letters of the serials are separated from the last four characters by a blue keystone separator. On the top left-hand corner of the design is a state outline, and on the yellow rectangular block on the bottom is the address to the state's official tourism website - visitPA.com
Pennsylvania's military plates portray the standard-issue plate's colors of blue, white, yellow, and a medal, emblem, or image of military classification or unit, such as the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Air Force medal, and Korean Defense Service. The Medal of Honor license plate has 13 white stars and white lettering printed on a light blue background.
Standard issue license plate:
Specialty and military license plates
* Source: Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicles
Pennsylvania Vanity License PlatePennsylvania vanity plates are personalized plates displaying customized, state-approved, visible, and unique alpha-numeric identification marks of their own requests uniformly. A Pennsylvania vanity plate may contain up to seven letters and numbers. One space or hyphen character is allowed, but special characters are not permitted on vanity plates. A vanity motorcycle plate may combine up to five letters and numbers. A hyphen or space is allowed as part of the configuration for vanity plates for motorcycles but does not count as one of the available spaces for customization.
The PennDOT processes vanity license plates on a first-come, first-served basis. They are limited to:
To apply for a vanity plate, use the Personalized Registration Plate Availability Tool to verify the availability of your preferred configuration. Afterward, complete the MV-904 form and include the completed form and applicable fee (paid by check or money order made out to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) in a mail submission to:
Bureau of Motor VehiclesNote that you must have a valid license plate, which you must retail pending receipt of the requested plate before applying for a vanity plate. Also, the applicable fee for a vanity license plate can be found in the Bureau of Motor Vehicles Schedule of Fees document.
Once PennDOT receives your vanity plate application and payment, a team of PennDOT staff will complete a thorough review of the plate request. The PennDOT will not issue your vanity plate if found on the "Do Not Issue" list of unacceptable configurations. If the configuration is on the list, PennDOT's system will not allow it to be entered. Your application will be returned with an explanation stating why the application was not processed.
The PennDOT may contact you by phone if further clarifications are required concerning your chosen configuration. If your application is successful, your vanity plate should arrive in 8-10 weeks.
PennDOT will reject any application for a vanity license plate if it deems the plate configuration to be:
Most Popular License Plate in PennsylvaniaThe most popular license plate numbers in Pennsylvania are:
Pennsylvania License Plate LookupA license plate lookup in Pennsylvania involves searching for information associated with a specific vehicle's license plate number. This process can be undertaken for various reasons, with individuals and businesses commonly seeking such information for:
Some license plate lookups typically offer limited or inaccurate information due to the search method or means employed. However, you can use Recordsfinder to get accurate results from a license plate search on its website. Some of the information available via a license plate lookup includes:
Note that Recordsfinder complies with state and federal driver privacy laws. Hence, private information, including the driver's name, SSN, address, photo, and address, are inaccessible to the public. However, law enforcement agencies may be able to access certain private information which is unavailable to the public
A reverse license plate lookup, often referred to simply as a license plate lookup, is a process where you can retrieve information about a vehicle using its license plate number. A reverse license plate lookup and a license plate lookup can be used interchangeably and performed on the Recordsfinder website by providing the license plate number of a vehicle.
What Do I Need to Get a License Plate in Pennsylvania?To obtain a license plate from PennDOT, you must title and register the vehicle to be assigned the license plate by the Department.
If the vehicle is a new vehicle manufactured in 2008 or newer, with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GCWR) of 8,500 pounds or less and has under 7,500 miles on the odometer, it must be certified by the CARB (California Air Resources Board).
Subsequently, the Manufacturer Certificate and Statement of Origin (MCO or MSO) documentation with the Application for Certification of Title (Form MV-1) must be used to apply for vehicle registration. Form MV-1 is only available from authorized PennDOT agents.
To complete your application, you must bring a copy of your current insurance identification card and current Pennsylvania photo ID or Pennsylvania Driver's License to the authorized PennDOT agent's office. If you are a non-profit organization or business buying, you must bring acceptable ID requirements to the PennDOT office.
If you are registering a used vehicle with a Pennsylvania Certificate of Title, the Certificate of Title must be used with Form MV-4ST. The form is only accessible from authorized PennDOT agents.
You must also provide the following:
For more information on titling and registering a vehicle with PennDOT, see the vehicle title and registration page on the Pennsylvania DMV website or the Buying or Selling your Car in Pennsylvania fact sheet.
Differences Between a Passenger License Plate and a Commercial License Plate in PennsylvaniaPennsylvania differentiates a commercial vehicle from a passenger vehicle by defining a commercial vehicle as any motor vehicle type used for transporting goods or passengers for compensation. Passenger vehicles are cars, SUVs, or motorcycles used for non-commercial purposes. The state issues commercial license plates to commercial vehicles and passenger license plates to passenger vehicles.
Pennsylvania passenger and commercial license plates are compared in the table below:
| Features | Passenger License Plate | Commercial License Plate |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Identifies personal vehicles used for non-commercial purposes | Identifies vehicles used for commercial purposes (transporting passengers or cargo for profit) |
| Fees | Standard registration fees apply | Fees vary depending on the vehicle type, weight class, and the scope of commercial operation |
| Registration | Standard registration with the PennDOT DMV | May require additional permits, inspections, and insurance coverage depending on the type of operation. Registrations are typically completed with the Commercial Registrations Section, Bureau of Motor Vehicles |
How to Renew License Plate in PennsylvaniaYou can renew your Pennsylvania license plate by renewing your vehicle or trailer registration online, through PennDOT's Online Messenger services, or via mail. To renew your registration by mail, submit a completed Form MV-140, applicable fees, and appropriate documents (as listed on page 2 of Form MV-140) to:
Bureau of Motor VehiclesFor online renewal, you must provide your registration plate number, title number, insurance details, odometer reading, and valid credit card. After completing the transaction, you can print a receipt and a permanent registration credential. Note that PennDOT no longer mails registration cards for online renewals.
Form MV-70S contains a comprehensive list of current renewal fees and information on a reduced processing fee available for individuals eligible for retired status. For truck or trailer renewals, the registration fee varies based on the registered gross weight of the vehicle.
Additionally, residents' county of residence can impose an annual $5 fee for local use for each non-exempt vehicle registered to an address within that county. PennDOT collects this $5 fee during the initial registration and annually upon renewal. The fee is determined by the number of years the vehicle is registered. For multi-year registrations, customers will pay the $5 fee for each year of registration, resulting in a $10 fee for a two-year registration and $25 for a five-year registration. For further details on the fee for local use and renewing vehicle registrations, see the Fee for Local Use – Participating Counties Fact Sheet and the vehicle registration renewal page of the Pennsylvania DMV website.
How to Transfer a License Plate in PennsylvaniaAccording to 75 Pa. C.S. § 1314, registration plates may be transferred to another vehicle leased or owned by the registrant or to a vehicle leased or owned by the parent, spouse, or child of the registrant.
If you purchase a car from a private individual or a dealer, you can apply for the transfer of license plates from your old vehicle to the new vehicle if the vehicles are in the same category.
To transfer a license plate in Pennsylvania, follow these steps:
Pennsylvania License Plate Lookup Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)The federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), which went into effect on September 13, 1997, provides disclosure protection for driver records maintained by state departments of motor vehicles. The DPPA ensures uniform requirements across the United States and mandates that personal information in DMV records be kept from public disclosure except in certain limited circumstances.
The DPPA created new requirements for releasing driver and vehicle information in Pennsylvania. Prior to the passing of the DPPA, all vehicles and some limited driver information could be purchased without a signed release by the driver or owner or a notarized statement of intended use by legitimate business interests.
However, with the implementation of DPPA, the PennDOT no longer processes any requests for sensitive information without either a signed release by the driver/owner or a notarized statement of intended use by an authorized requester. The DPPA allows release only to those with legitimate business needs, such as employers and insurance companies or requesters who have obtained notarized consent.
With the driver's name, address, and phone number contained in DMV records considered sensitive information, you cannot find a license plate owner in Pennsylvania unless you have obtained permission to do so under state law. To find non-personal DMV records, you can use Recordsfinder to get non-sensitive information on more than 269 million registered vehicles across the USA.
If you lose your Pennsylvania license plate, you can obtain a replacement license plate by completing Form MV-44. Appropriate fees, as indicated in Form MV-70S, should be included with the completed form in the form of a check or money order made out to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Mail the completed form and appropriate fee to:
Bureau of Motor VehiclesWhen police run your license plates in Pennsylvania, they typically have access to various information to ensure public safety and enforce the law, such as:
Free license plate lookup services are commonly used by many people, especially when purchasing a used car. You may conduct a free license plate search to:
Pennsylvania motorists caught driving with expired registrations are typically fined between $100 and $200. The state does not offer a grace period for renewing expired registrations. Hence, once your registration expires, you are in violation of the state motor vehicle regulations. Serious penalties, such as vehicle impoundment, may apply if the registration has expired beyond 60 days.
If you are moving out of Pennsylvania, you must return your license plate to the Return Tag Unit of the state's Bureau of Motor Vehicles. However, the state allows you to transfer your license plate from an old vehicle to another when purchasing a new one.
Per Pennsylvania regulation, once you have a new license plate from the state you are moving to, you must return your Pennsylvania license plate to:
Bureau of Motor VehiclesUpon receiving the license plate, the Return Tag Unit will mark the plate as a dead tag. By returning the license plate to PennDOT, you are helping the state protect you from someone using your license plate fraudulently.
Pennsylvania license plates measure 6 inches in height and 12 inches in length.
The PennDOT issues a temporary license plate for individuals who have just purchased a vehicle but do not have a registration plate to be transferred from an old vehicle. The temporary license plate is valid for 90 days and can be used while waiting for the issuance of the permanent license plate.
You can renew your Pennsylvania license plate by renewing your vehicle registration using any of the following options:
to:
Bureau of Motor VehiclesIf you are completing your renewal online, you must have your title number, registration plate number, insurance information, odometer reading, and a valid credit card ready.
If you lose your license plate or it is stolen, you should report it to local law enforcement. Afterward, to obtain a replacement license plate, you must: