Just a 'few' plates
Every year I try to add a few missing pieces to my collection but looking back over 30 years, a few has turned into a lot! All the pictures and plates posted here are in my personal collection. I try to tastefully display as much as I can at home (or what the wife will allow) but inevitably many of these plates are just being displayed here for the first time. The modern marvels of the world wide web! WARNING! This page contains A LOT of photos - give it time to fully load. |
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RECENT ADDITIONS |
Below are fresh additions to my personal collection. This section will be updated on a routine basis for my regular readers! See picture captions for more details.
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PASSENGER |
Passenger plates pictured from 1903 to present. All plates pictured are authentic originals. In 1944 and 1952 passenger plates were not made due to metal shortages caused by WWII and the Korean War respectively. Windshield stickers were used to validate 1943 and 1951 registrations. See picture captions for more detail about changes in manufacturing and design.
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AMATEUR RADIO |
Amateur Radio plates were first introduced as a supplemental/optional plate in 1969 after lobbying of "HAM" operators in Ontario. These would be in addition to regular issue plates. In 1976, Ontario allowed the call-sign to be on the vehicle plate, thus eliminating the small black supplemental. The plates always start with Ontario's provincial designator code of "VE3", then the operator's 2 or 3 letter radio call-sign. Once VE3 call signs were exhausted at some point in the 1990s, they added "VA3"; so any new call sign after that period starts "VA3".
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BUS |
These photos contain municipal and long distance (ie: Greyhound) bus plates from 1973 to present. They were issued in "quarters" similar to commercial vehicles (next section below). Under the quarterly system, essentially municipalities and businesses could buy plates on a quarterly basis rather than paying for a full year of registration which aided in planning and costing of fleets. By 1980 the quarterly practice was phased out in lieu of a permanent black on white plates and annual stickers.
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COMMERCIAL |
Commercial plates were introduced in 1916. From 1916 to 1929, commercial plates had the letter "C" at the beginning of the number. They switched to "C" at the end of the number from 1930 to 1942. From 1943 to 1954 registrations continued to increase, so "C" in both positions was needed. They also added "B" in the last position from 1950 to 1954. From 1955 to 1962, commercial registrations were assigned "A", "B", "C" and "D" in that last position. The quarterly system was introduced starting in 1963. Essentially you could buy a plate on a quarterly basis rather than paying for a full year of registration. This was advantageous for businesses in particular. By 1980 the practice was phased out in lieu of a permanent plate and stickers.
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CONSULAR |
Ontario began issuing Consular plates in 1961 with a "CC" prefix derived from the French term “Corps Consulaire”. Distinctive white on red license plates were produced in 1971, then again from 1973 to present. Prior to this and for 1972, the plates were the same colours as regular passenger plates. It's unknown if either the 1971 red/white or 1972 blue/white plates were done in error. Annual plates were issued until 1986. In 1987 a permanent plate was introduced with annual stickers expiring every December.
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DEALER |
This run is truly one of the toughest to complete since very few were made and dealers were forced to turn in the previous years' plates to receive their new ones. From 1903 to 1912, dealers were either assigned letters or they could choose letters of their liking. From 1913 to 1929, dealer plates had the letter "M" at the beginning of the number to signify "Merchant" or "Manufacturer". They switched to "M" at the end of the number from 1930 to 1972 (except for 1963 likely due to an error).
Modern-era distinctive dealer plates first appeared in 1973 with an opposite colour scheme than passenger plates. Ontario alternated yearly with blue and white until 1981. In 1982 they began painting them in yellow/black. In 2007 a new red/black/white base plate was introduced with "DEALER" now spelled out on the left side of the plate. The yellow/black plates continued on as "service plates" (ie: mechanic testing at garages). I'm still looking for many pre-1960 dealer plates. Let me know what you have!
Modern-era distinctive dealer plates first appeared in 1973 with an opposite colour scheme than passenger plates. Ontario alternated yearly with blue and white until 1981. In 1982 they began painting them in yellow/black. In 2007 a new red/black/white base plate was introduced with "DEALER" now spelled out on the left side of the plate. The yellow/black plates continued on as "service plates" (ie: mechanic testing at garages). I'm still looking for many pre-1960 dealer plates. Let me know what you have!
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DEALER - TRUCK |
From 1921 to 1935, Ontario produced a very rare "Truck Dealer" plate, used exclusively by merchants selling heavy equipment. I've also seen historic photos showing them on city buses as they were being delivered by the manufacturer to the municipality. So seldom used, Ontario discontinued the type in 1936 and simply rolled them into the Dealer plate type. The 1933 example below is only the 3rd documented survivor found to date (the other two being a 1928 and 1932). The letter "M" signified "Merchant" or "Manufacturer", while the "T" stood for "Truck". Archival registration data shows that no more than 175 pairs were ever issued in one year. By 1933, only 61 pair were issued so the example below was likely a sample plate kept at the end of the 200 pair run.
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DIPLOMATIC |
Ontario began issuing a diplomatic type sometime after the WWII. Distinctive white on red diplomatic license plates first appeared in 1959. Prior to this the plates were the same colours of regular passenger plates. The prefix (or in later years suffix) “CD” is used in keeping with international customs. The abbreviation “CD” is derived from the French term “Corps Diplomatique” Only two date stamped years featured slogans - 1967 and 1973. Annual plates were issued until 1986. In 1987 a permanent plate was introduced with annual stickers expiring every December.
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DOCTOR |
The "D" series was reserved for medical doctors from 1930 to 1972. In 1973 they moved to an "MD" prefix. Once that series was exhausted, they went to a 999-MAA format around 1994 when the reflective plates came out. An interesting note, the 1939 #D5426 plate features the first reflective application to a license plate in North America. They ground up fine bits of glass and applied it to the white letters. This was the only year and type that Ontario ever tested this method.
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DUAL PURPOSE |
Dual purpose plates were introduced in 1927. They were for vehicles that could be used for both personal and commercial purposes. These tended to be station wagons, motor-homes, RV's and campers. From 1927 to 1929, dual purpose plates had the letter "X" at the beginning of the number. They switched to "X" at the end of the number from 1930 to 1953. From 1953 to 1973 registrations continued to increase, so "X" in various positions was needed. The series was discontinued in 1973 when all registrations were folded into passenger. I'm still looking for a few early dual purpose plates. Let me know what you have!
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EVENT |
The following pictures contain an array of special event Ontario plates - some were used on vehicles, official motorcades, others were just for souvenir or commemoration purposes. Pictured in chronological order, see picture captions for details.
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FARM |
Specific farm plates were introduced in 1978 under the quarterly system, then flipped to permanent plates in 1980. There's been three distinctive permanent base plates since that switch pictured in white/black.
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FORCES |
This photo shows plates from a very rare type in Ontario. These are "Forces" plates which were used for Canadian Forces vehicles registered to bases in Ontario (CFB Petawawa, Trenton, Kingston etc). The series started in 1941 and were dated annually to about 1946. Its speculated they moved to undated plates sometime around 1947.
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FOREIGN NATIONAL |
Ontario began issuing plates to foreign nationals around 1959. Foreign nationals were essentially non-diplomatic embassy staff. From about 1959 to 1972, they began with the letter "F" from the F-1000 to F-1300 block. The 1958 plate pictured is not definitive if it was used for this use or not. In 1973 they switched to "ALN" which stood for "Alien". The MTO ended up having to recall them in 1975 due to embassy outcry over the term being used. As a result, they issued a new "XTR" annual plate which was based on a more politically correct "External" label. Annual plates were issued until 1986. In 1987 a permanent plate was introduced with annual stickers expiring every December.
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GRAPHICS |
The following pictures contain all the specialty graphic plates Ontario has ever issued since 1994 when the program started - discontinued ones as well. See captions for each type when clicking on the plate.
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GRAPHIC - FRENCH |
The following pictures contain specialty graphics, but instead of the above plates, these have been issued on the rarer French "TANT À DÉCOUVRIR" slogan plates. Ontario started issuing all current graphics on the French base plates beginning fall of 2017. Interesting to note is that the middle plate letters are randomly assigned on French plates versus the English graphics where the letters are usually the initials of the organization. See captions for each type when clicking on the plate.
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GROSS WEIGHT |
Commercial vehicles were assessed fees based on their gross weight. These were supplemental plates issued between 1921 and 1927 which demonstrated that fees had been collected. They came in denominations of pounds and tons. These plates were replaced by the Public Commercial Vehicle (PCV) system after 1927 (see further below).
The last plate pictured is a c1950s-60s Registered Gross Weight (R.G.W.) supplemental plate. As the province stopped issuing the Gross Weight type in 1927, the province required truck owners to either paint the registered weight on the truck or apply an owner supplied plate.
The last plate pictured is a c1950s-60s Registered Gross Weight (R.G.W.) supplemental plate. As the province stopped issuing the Gross Weight type in 1927, the province required truck owners to either paint the registered weight on the truck or apply an owner supplied plate.
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HISTORIC VEHICLE |
Historic vehicle plates were introduced as an annual plate from 1969 to 1972 with bright red decals. Permanent plates were introduced in 1973 along with regular passenger plates. The modern reflective plates have gone through 3 different number formats since 1994.
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MOPED |
For some reason Ontario made 1975 moped plates but never issued them. Only a few survive today. Moped plates were formally issued in 1976. The aqua plate is a Limited Speed Vehicle which is essentially a moped without pedals, but less than 50cc's, so it's not classified as a motorcycle.
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MOTORCYCLE |
Motorcycle plates pictured from 1907 to present with just two years missing (1912 and 1913). Very tough to find and collect due to much lower registration volume, especially in the early years. Motorcycle registrations began in 1907 in the same undated format as rubber plate #413 pictured. Only 3 known survivors exist, #413 being the highest. Interesting note is that motorcycle plates were issued in triplicate from 1921 to 1967 (two riveted back to back over the front fender, one on the rear).
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MC DEALER |
Similar to regular dealer plates, motorcycle dealer plates prior to 1973 featured the letter "M" in the last position (to signify "Merchant" or "Manufacturer"). It's believed they started issuing this series in the 1920s, with only a handful being made on a yearly basis. Modern-era motorcycle dealer plates first appeared in 1973 with an opposite colour scheme than passenger plates and they started with a "DL" prefix. Ontario alternated yearly with blue and white until 1981. In 1982 they issued a permanent blue plate, renewed with yearly stickers. In 1994 they introduced a baby-blue plate when the province adopted the reflective plates.
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OFF ROAD VEHICLE (ATV) |
The pictures below show all five variations of the "off road vehicle" (ORV) base plates that have been issued since the series began in 1984. The red one is a rare ORV dealer plate. Only a handful of these are known to exist.
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PERMITS |
Pump permit plates were mounted at gas stations pumps from 1926 to 1942. The 1926 plate pictured is the earliest known in this series and it's assumed it started around that time-frame. They did not always match the colours of passenger plates from a given year. The last four photos marked "ADV" shows permits that were affixed to roadside advertising billboards during the 1930s and 40s. #702 is a recent find and first known pink Ontario license plate! #685 permit is quite large at 12" x 8" while the other two ADV plates are about the same size as motorcycle plates of this era.
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PERSONALIZED |
In 1973 the "Owner Choice Plate" (OCP) program was brought into effect, coinciding with the introduction of the new base plate system. Choices were restricted to three letters and three numbers of the owner's choosing (see "JAG-327" plate as an example). With low uptake, Ontario revamped the program in 1983 as the "Personalized Plate" program which had far less restrictions. The first plates of this series were made of ALCAN aluminum with reflective 3M sheeting such as the "70" and "GKG" pictured. They had so many quality control and peeling issues that they switched to painted plates in 1986 to 1993. They switched to reflective plates province wide in 1994. These plates contain some rarer letters such as "I", "G", "Q" and "U" which are not permitted on regular plates due to legibility concerns. The 2*2*ACE is unique as it features two crowns, while the "J*ME" has a rare embossed crown on a modern reflective plate. The "ONTARIO" and "ONT" plates were likely used as a promotional show pieces in Service Ontario offices. The VE0DRN plate is not an amateur radio plate as the provenance of it has been proven as personalized submission. The HOBIT and FZ9 plates pictured are rarer motorcycle vanity plates.
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PESTICIDES |
Pesticides plates from 1968 to 1977. These plates were issued from 1966 to 1977 by the Ministry of Agriculture to license pesticide applicators such as lawn care companies and crop sprayers. I still need a few plates to complete my Pesticide collection. Please drop by my Wanted page to see which plates I still need.
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PRP |
Proportional Reciprocity Plan (PRP) first appeared as a "bingo card" supplemental plate 1968 to 1982. This plate was used to collect proportional fees and stickers from each province for inter-provincial, long haul trucking. PRP specific plates debuted in 1982 as a full license plate series. "PRP" stickers are issued to existing commercial carriers that may not have started with a PRP plate, then required inter-provincial access. Reflective plates were introduced province wide in 1994. The last two pictures show a subset of this type used for inter-provincial passenger buses. The add-on "PRP" sticker has almost completely faded from plate #BJ2-263.
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PROTOTYPE & ODDBALL |
Prototype, error and test plates over the years. See captions for details.
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PUBLIC COMMERCIAL VEHICLE |
Public Commercial Vehicle (PCV) plates were introduced in 1927 as a way to regulate inter-provincial trucking and help pay for the highway system. The series was discontinued by the mid-1990s after it was replaced by a more modern reciprocity plan. I still need a few from the early years and less common monthly plates from the 70s to complete my collection. Please drop by my Wanted page to see which plates I still need.
There were several classes over the years denoted by the letter. From 1931 to 1935 designation classes B and E had their full description spelled out making for an odd looking plate. From 1971 to 1982 the plates coincided with the quarterly commercial system hence the 4 quarterly plates per year during that era.
There were several classes over the years denoted by the letter. From 1931 to 1935 designation classes B and E had their full description spelled out making for an odd looking plate. From 1971 to 1982 the plates coincided with the quarterly commercial system hence the 4 quarterly plates per year during that era.
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PUBLIC VEHICLE |
Public Vehicle plates started being issued in 1924 regulating buses for hire. The plates were a supplement to the regular commercial plates normally issued to buses. They were the same size as motorcycle plates of this era (4" x 6"). In 1959 the plates increased in size to 8.5" x 5.5" similar to the PCV plates above. I still need a few plates to complete my Public Vehicle collection. Please drop by my Wanted page to see which plates I still need.
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RESERVED SERIES |
Reserved series plates are blocks of plate numbers pulled from regular issue, reserved for specific uses or government professions. "SCO" is reserved for a Supreme Court of Ontario judge; "CAN" is reserved for a Federal Cabinet Minister; "PJO" is reserved for a Provincial Judge of Ontario; "RT" was initially reserved solely for rental cars but later released for general use; "FD" is reserved for Federal Government owned vehicles and finally "ONT-001" is reserved for the Premier of Ontario. The 1968 plate beside it was also issued to the Premier of Ontario. #10-00 was set aside for this use annually from 1955 to 1972. Cabinet Ministers were issued the 10-01 to about the 10-10 block. The 1971 #10-02 would've been the second Cabinet Minister plate that year. The last two with the large crowns are for Ontario's Lt. Governor (the Queen's Representative in Ontario). #1 is reserved for this office (even though it states "1 - 1", it is in fact just #1 not #11).
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SCHOOL BUS |
Distinctive full sized school bus plates that first appeared in 1975. Unlike the quarterly system they expired at the end of school year in June to help school administrators. Permanent plates were introduced in 1981 as well.
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SCHOOL VEHICLE |
School vehicle plates first appeared as supplement plates in 1938 (in addition to the regular commercial plates). In 1959 the plates increased in size from 4" x 6" to the PCV plate size of 8.5" x 5.5". The supplemental plates were discontinued in the early 1990s. I still need a few plates to complete my collection. Please drop by my Wanted page to see which plates I still need.
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SNOWMOBILE |
The pictures below show all the plates issued for the short-lived snowmobile plate series. Prior to 1970, snowmobiles were issued motorcycle plates. There are no 1971 snowmobile plates as the 1972 plate was a two-year registration. After 1975, the province moved to a permanent serial number decal, renewed each year with a sticker.
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TEMP/TRANSIT |
Below are temporary related plates, permits and stickers. The first is an "in transit" windshield paper for delivery from car manufacturer to dealer. Very few of these exist since they were required to be destroyed once the vehicle was delivered. The "TRIP PERMIT" and "10 DAY TEMPORARY PERMIT" papers are windshield stickers for transporting a car after a private sale. They allow the buyer time to perform various certifications before receiving official plates. Beginning in 2008, Ontario simplified the process and issued regular plates right away but with a red "T" sticker instead. Very few instances now require the windshield style paper permits.
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TRAILER |
Trailer plates were introduced in 1921. From 1921 to 1929, trailer plates had the letter "T" at the beginning of the number. They switched to "T" at the end of the number from 1930 to 1956. From 1956 to 1970 registrations continued to increase, so "T" in both positions was needed. The quarterly system was introduced for trailers starting in 1963, however by 1973, trailers were phased out in favour of a semi-permanent plate validated each year with an annual sticker. By 1980 the province issued a one-time fee permanent plate without stickers.
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"ERIC" VANITIES |
This grouping of plates is pretty self explanatory! Have a plate with "ERIC" in some kind of form? Drop me an e-mail.
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CANADIAN FORCES |
This group of plates were used by the Canadian Forces. The first blue, black and red on white plates are Army and/or Air Force in Europe from about the 1950 to 1990s. The green on white plates toward the bottom are domestic Canadian Forces plates that started being issued in 1968 across Canada. Prior to this, all provinces issued their own versions. See captions for more detail.
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CANADA & 1867-1967 |
Top two pictures are plates commemorating Canada's Centennial year - 1967. Five of Canada's provinces opted to have special slogans added to their respective plates to celebrate. The two bottom photos are my "one Canadian plate from each province" run. Initially when I was putting this run together in 1997-2000 PEI had three general issue plates and I couldn't decide! Other than the two newer Nunavut plates added later, I've decided to keep the run as is without updating it for the nostalgic factor.
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UNITED STATES |
This is the run that started it all back in 1992. I still really like this run with all the colours and graphics. Every winter trip down to Florida I'd try to add a few more missing states - begging my parents to stop at every flea market along I-81 and I-95! Back before ebay this was really the only means I knew of to find plates. Many of the plates are from the late 80s and early/mid 1990s and I plan to keep all of them as is since there's so much history there. Each one has it's own story or side trip tied to it!
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NOSTALGIC PLATES |
These plates are one-offs in my collection that all have some sentimental significance to them. See captions for details.
