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EVfun
Samba Member
Joined: April 01, 2012
Posts: 5521
Location: Seattle
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 Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2024 5:08 pm Post subject: Where in WA is your car from? |
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Seeing the CA black plate information coming back up caused me to remember that for many years Washington state license plates told you where a car was first registered. We have a generous program to allow the use of YOM (Year Of Manufacturer) plates on older car in lieu of collector plates, so your vintage plate may not be where your car was first registered. It can still be interesting to learn where your old license plate came from. We used letter codes based on county until 1981.
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Washington state license plate letter codes 1935-1981
County Seat 35-57 [1] 58-81 [2]
Adams Ritzville AD YYA-YYR
Asotin Asotin AN ZYA-ZYL, ZZA-ZZZ
Benton Prosser R RAA-REU
Chelan Wenatchee K KAA-KDH
Clallam Port Angeles Q CLA-CMZ, PDA-PDF
Clark Vancouver G GAA-GCZ, GEA-GNP, HHA-HHZ
Columbia Dayton CO CUA-CUG
Cowlitz Kelso N NAA-NFR
Douglas Waterville DO DSA-DST
Ferry Republi FY FYA-FYE
Franklin Pasco FN FNA-FSF
Garfield Pomeroy GA GDA-GDF
Grant Ephrata GT GTA-GVW
Grays Harbor Montesano H HAA-HDW
Island Coupevill IS CVA-CVK [3], ISA-ITZ
Jefferson Port Townsend Y YAA-YAN
King Seattle A AAA-AZZ, OAA-OZZ, IAA-IRZ, IUA-IZZ, UCA-UKZ
Kitsap Port Orchard I KSA-KZF
Klickitat Goldendale Z ZAA-ZBD
Kittitas Ellensburt S SAA-SBM
Lewis Chehalis L LAA-LDG
Lincoln Davenport T TAA-TAN
Mason Shelton X XAA-XAZ
Okanogan Okanogan U UAA-UBK
Pacific South Bend V VAA-VAW
Pend Oreille Newport PO PEB-PES
Pierce Tacoma B BAA-BZZ, TBA-TFZ
San Juan Friday Harbor SJ SJA-SJK
Skagit Mount Vernon M MAA-MDS
Skamania Stevenson SA SKA-SKK
Snohomish Everett D DAA-DRZ, DVA-DVR
Spokane Spokane C CAA-CKZ, CNA-CTZ, CVA-CZZ [3], SLA-SMZ
Stevens Colville W WAA-WBC
Thurston Olympia J JAA-JEE
Wahkiakum Cathlamet WA WMA-WMF
Walla Walla Walla Walla O WWA-WYZ
Whatcom Bellingham F FAA-FFP
Whitman Colfax P PAA-PCF
Yakima Yakima E EAA-EKZ
Department of Licensing JJ [4] JJA-JJZ, XXA-XXZ
[1] Car, truck and trailer plates used the county code 41-57
[2] County codes were only used for passenger car plates
[3] CVA-CVK was used in Island county 58-62 and Spokane county 63-81
[4] Department of Licensing used LD prior to 43
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There were several different plates used during this span of years. Most VWs older than 1963 would have used a dark green plate with white letter. From 1963 through 1967 the plate was white with dark green letters. They started as "WASH 63" plates. Later the same basic plate design was "WASHINGTON" on the bottom (year omitted). These were used starting in King county in late 1964 and in other counties after they ran out of WASH 63 plates. Some counties issued "WASH 63" plates until the change to white reflective background plates starting in 1968 (often referred to as WASHINGTON at the top).
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oprn
Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2016
Posts: 12820
Location: Western Canada
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| Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2024 5:01 am Post subject: Re: Where in WA is your car from? |
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Wow that stretched my memory to the max!
Yes here in Alberta, Canada as a kid I remember adults pointing out plate numbers and telling me what city the car came from. Back then we got a new plate every year too when you paid your yearly license/registration fees in March. There was also a color change every year on the plates so it was easy to tell who was up to date and who wasn't. It was always exciting to see what the new color would be.
Then in the late '60's or very early '70's they went to a permanent plate and just gave us yearly date stickers to put on the plates. Now last year they eliminated the stickers. The numbers and letters are now completely random as far as I know.
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EVfun
Samba Member
Joined: April 01, 2012
Posts: 5521
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2024 9:09 am Post subject: Re: Where in WA is your car from? |
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My buggy has a "WASH 63" plate starting with KTR, originally from Kitsap county. The plate was a $15 find at a antique shop in Snohomish WA around 20 years ago.
I found another thread on theSamba this morning about late 1950's WA license plates.
Danny's License Plates web page has a lot of information about historic WA license plates.
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hopkin 
Samba Member
Joined: June 25, 2012
Posts: 2482
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
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| Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2024 9:54 am Post subject: Re: Where in WA is your car from? |
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My friend's '46 Beetle still carries it's Washington plates (car is on Ontario), from reading this thread, the plate must be a vanity plate issued after 1968.
Thanks for the info.
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EVfun
Samba Member
Joined: April 01, 2012
Posts: 5521
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2024 11:14 am Post subject: Re: Where in WA is your car from? |
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| hopkin wrote: |
My friend's '46 Beetle still carries it's Washington plates (car is on Ontario), from reading this thread, the plate must be a vanity plate issued after 1968.
Thanks for the info. |
Wonderful early Bug! I can tell looking at the license plate that it was issued from 1982 through 1986 because "WASHINGTON" is silk-screened on instead of raised letters. Doing my best to study the font I think it was a 1985 or 1986 issued plate as those are the only 2 years of WA green on white license plates that had a narrower font that allowed for 7 characters on custom plates. (I think I see space 46 space VW space.) We didn't start using 7 characters on regular license plates until 2010.
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hopkin
Samba Member
Joined: June 25, 2012
Posts: 2482
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
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| Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2024 7:04 pm Post subject: Re: Where in WA is your car from? |
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| EVfun wrote: |
..
Wonderful early Bug! I can tell looking at the license plate that it was issued from 1982 through 1986 because "WASHINGTON" is silk-screened on instead of raised letters. Doing my best to study the font I think it was a 1985 or 1986 issued plate as those are the only 2 years of WA green on white license plates that had a narrower font that allowed for 7 characters on custom plates. (I think I see space 46 space VW space.) We didn't start using 7 characters on regular license plates until 2010. |
Thanks for that info, I'm a bit of a license plate geek so I find this interesting. I may have a better photo or I'll get one the next time I visit, if so I'll post it here.
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1971 Super Beetle (past)
1971 Super Beetle (past)
1974 SunBug (past)
1972 914 (past)
1991 Honda Civic (Original Owner)
1996 'Open Air' Mexican Beetle (current)
2015 Golf (current)
2017 Dune Edition (daughter's car) |
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VW_Jimbo
Samba Member
Joined: May 22, 2016
Posts: 10005
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
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| Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2024 12:32 am Post subject: Re: Where in WA is your car from? |
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My 54 is from Washington. Found the plate in the hell hole interior junk pile!
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There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!
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EVfun
Samba Member
Joined: April 01, 2012
Posts: 5521
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2024 7:26 am Post subject: Re: Where in WA is your car from? |
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| VW_Jimbo wrote: |
My 54 is from Washington. Found the plate in the hell hole interior junk pile!
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The background is '82-'86 but I'm pretty sure it was issued between '82-'84 as the 4 looks wider than on 46 VW and I think on the last 2 years of that style all the passenger car plates (3 letters followed by 3 numbers) had a dot between the letters and numbers.
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| Wildthings wrote: |
| As a general rule, cheap parts are the most expensive parts you can buy. |
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VW_Jimbo
Samba Member
Joined: May 22, 2016
Posts: 10005
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
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| Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2024 11:20 am Post subject: Re: Where in WA is your car from? |
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| EVfun wrote: |
| VW_Jimbo wrote: |
My 54 is from Washington. Found the plate in the hell hole interior junk pile!
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The background is '82-'86 but I'm pretty sure it was issued between '82-'84 as the 4 looks wider than on 46 VW and I think on the last 2 years of that style all the passenger car plates (3 letters followed by 3 numbers) had a dot between the letters and numbers. |
Cool info! Thank you!
Makes me wonder where it was between 54 - 82? It would be neat to know more of the history, but It is just that His Story and He is no one I know of, plus my free time is sparse right. Maybe once the car is completed I will be able to find the time.
Thank you!
_________________
Jimbo
There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!
| TDCTDI wrote: |
| Basically, a whole bunch of fuckery to achieve a look. |
| 67rustavenger wrote: |
| GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo! |
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