What is the longest-expired license plate you've seen on a car in active use?

[KCRoadFan]

From state to state - as well as over the course of decades within each state - license plates vary, and have varied, greatly in terms of how the various elements are displayed, such as the pattern of the numbers and letters, as well as the font and placement of the state name. Amid all those differences, however, license plates have always shared one common element: namely, the year, and usually month, of expiration - and thus the deadline to renew the plate - have been on there somewhere. For a long time, the year was embossed in the metal of the plate, and new plates were issued every year.

However, at some point (I believe that in most states, it was sometime in the 80's), that practice gave way to simply printing square stickers to put in the corner - or sometimes the center - of the plate, bearing a two-digit number representing the year of expiration (for example, "85" for 1985 or "23" for 2023), with new stickers being placed on top of the old ones at the time of renewal. And while I'm sure the renewal period differs from state to state, I know that here in Missouri, plates are renewed every two years. It stands to reason, then, that the vast majority of plates I see right now, in 2023, have "23" or "24" stickers, depending on whether renewal is in odd or even-numbered years; of course, there's also a growing number of "25" plates as the year progresses and drivers with 2023 expirations renew their plates. That being said, however, I have seen a fair number of plates with "22" stickers on them lately, as well as the occasional "21"; in fact, I even saw a plate with a "20" sticker on it about a month ago!

That made me wonder: when going about your life, what's the longest-expired license plate that you remember having seen on a car, as in the greatest amount of time between the year on the plate and the time when you saw it? The memory can be as recent or as long ago as you like - whether you drove behind a car with an "18" sticker on your way to work this morning, or saw a car with an "84" sticker on some road trip you took back in 1989 - all such examples are fair game. The only stipulation here is that in order for an example to count, it must be from a car that was actively being driven - or, at the very least, was parked in such a manner as to suggest ongoing active use - at the time you saw the plate in question. (Thus, license plates on abandoned cars - as well as those old plates that commonly adorn the walls of restaurants that go for a "nostalgic" or "rustic" aesthetic, such as barbecue restaurants and 50's-style diners - don't count for the purposes of this post.)

Anyway - I can't wait to see what you can come up with! I challenge you to top my example...

[chrisdiaz]

I was on Two Notch Road in Columbia, SC about two weeks ago, and I saw a plate that expired in April 2016

[KCRoadFan]

I was on Two Notch Road in Columbia, SC about two weeks ago, and I saw a plate that expired in April 2016

I suppose one of two things: either that driver has picked up a lot of tickets, or drives so well that he or she hasn't been pulled over - or had an accident - for 7 years.

[Rothman]

So much for NY...

[KCRoadFan]

So much for NY...

Huh? What was the longest-expired plate you saw there?

[1995hoo]

Not counting antique plates being used on antique cars (which would mean they're not truly "expired"), the following is probably the longest-expired I can think of based on kphoger's comments. The dates on the quotes tell you when I saw it–June 1, 2021, near Tarantella Ristorante in Weston, Florida.

On our most recent trip to Florida, I saw a Distrito Federal plate in Weston.

Was it a legit rear plate?  How long ago was that?

I ask because there hasn't been any such thing as a Distrito Federal plate since the 2015 issue.  Every issue from 2016 through early 2019 has said CDMX instead, and everything from late 2019 until today has said Ciudad de México.  Plates from 2015 and earlier really shouldn't be circulating anymore by now.

I posted it on the forum. I'll follow up and edit this post when I find it. I think you may have made the same observation when I posted it.


Edited to add a quote:

Don't see this too often in Broward County! Parked next to us last night.

I'm surprised it's still got a current registration.  That base hasn't been issued since around 2007.  I haven't seen one in years–even in Mexico.

[formulanone]

I saw a car on the road last month with this style of Alabama plate, which was last issued in 2014. (Photo courtesy of Q15.net)



Annual registrations get an all-new plate every 5-6 years (with exceptions for the In God We Trust series), though there was a delay in the most recent replacement in late-2021 for some obvious reasons.

I don't have a particular hatred for the newer plates, but I think it was a nice balance of understated design and readability...

[Rothman]

So much for NY...

Huh? What was the longest-expired plate you saw there?

Plates don't have expiration dates in NY and I don't believe in MA, either. 

[hotdogPi]

The plates themselves don't expire in Massachusetts, but registration does. I saw a 21 sticker a few days ago, and I believe the month was September. I'm not counting parked cars.

[Rothman]

The plates themselves don't expire in Massachusetts, but registration does. I saw a 21 sticker a few days ago, and I believe the month was September. I'm not counting parked cars.

Registration in NY is not marked on the plate.

[SectorZ]

So much for NY...

Huh? What was the longest-expired plate you saw there?

Plates don't have expiration dates in NY and I don't believe in MA, either.

If Mass plates did the elders with the green plates would be pissed.

[Rothman]

So much for NY...

Huh? What was the longest-expired plate you saw there?

Plates don't have expiration dates in NY and I don't believe in MA, either.

If Mass plates did the elders with the green plates would be pissed.

Heh.  I know some of those elders that'd get mad...even though their plates are now white-on-white.

[MATraveler128]

I was in Providence last year and saw a Massachusetts plate with May 2016 plates. The car has since been renewed and now has a 2024 sticker. Locally, I saw a May 2020 plate in Salem.

[1995hoo]

I saw a car on the road last month with this style of Alabama plate, which was last issued in 2014. (Photo courtesy of Q15.net)
....

The license plates on the car I drive most often were issued to me in September or October 2003 and the style (Jamestown 400th Anniversary plate with the ship–the style seen in the photo below, though that one is not mine) has long been discontinued, but the plates are still valid. Every two years when it comes time to renew my registration, the DMV website admonishes me that my plates are over 10 years old and I should consider new ones because it is my responsibility to ensure they're still legible and in good condition. But since they satisfy both of those requirements, I see no reason to replace them. I like that plate design.

[formulanone]

I saw a car on the road last month with this style of Alabama plate, which was last issued in 2014. (Photo courtesy of Q15.net)
....

The license plates on the car I drive most often were issued to me in September or October 2003 and the style (Jamestown 400th Anniversary plate with the ship—the style seen in the photo below, though that one is not mine) has long been discontinued, but the plates are still valid. Every two years when it comes time to renew my registration, the DMV website admonishes me that my plates are over 10 years old and I should consider new ones because it is my responsibility to ensure they're still legible and in good condition. But since they satisfy both of those requirements, I see no reason to replace them. I like that plate design.

Oh, I'm aware that's common in many other states and provinces, but Alabama is different; all of the plates get replaced in a one-year period after a 5-6 year usage cycle, regardless of registration. I think it's wasteful to keep replacing them, since they can last at least 10+ years in most weather, and probably up to 20 years in places without frequent salt usage. That, and I like seeing variety - it's fun to spot old plates in places that still allow them.

They've make an exception for the "In God We Trust" range, since there was no difference in design since the 2014 issue. Seeing "2172 AD" makes me think I'm in the future.

[1995hoo]

As a general matter, BTW, recently I see more and more expired plates and expired state inspections. It's not unusual to see license plates that expired in 2021. Makes you feel a bit like a sucker for renewing everything in a timely fashion.

[dlsterner]

This is kind of an offshoot post, as the plate was never actually expired, but it's still a good story.  I hope.

For my first car (bought in 1981) I was issued a replacement Maryland plate in 1986 (I think).  Nothing special, just a "AAA 123" type number.  But the letters were "PHD" and I was amused that people would ask me if I was a doctor (I'm not).  Minor things amuse me.

In 1990 I bought a new car, and was able to transfer the plate to it.

Likewise in 1999 I bought another new car, and was able to transfer the plate to it.

That came to a halt in 2015 when I bought the next car, but for some reason could not do a transfer, and got one of the Maryland "1812" plates.

So I had that same license plate (both back and front) for about a 30 year period.  At the end, in the corner where the annual/biannual stickers containing the expiration year would go, the "stack of pancakes" of stickers must have been 1/8" or so tall.  Some wear and tear on the plates, but still serviceable.

[Ted$8roadFan]

Connecticut and New Jersey I believe stopped using stickers on plates sometime in the aughts. Thus there are still many plates with expirations from 2006 or 2008.

[chrisdiaz]

Connecticut and New Jersey I believe stopped using stickers on plates sometime in the aughts. Thus there are still many plates with expirations from 2006 or 2008.

Yes, if we count this, I've seen a car on my college campus (Coastal Carolina) with a sticker from 2003.

Pennsylvania also stopped issuing stickers for plates as well. Ive seen many PA plates with stickers from 2017.