New Jersey License Plates

New Jersey passenger plates changed from embossed to flat by A10-EFF in April 2014. The FQ- suffix series was later skipped. The last embossed plate was possibly T99-EEK, highest embossed observation R40-EEK. No suffixes between EEL and EFE have been observed and there was no overlap between the embossed and flat plates.

After reaching ZZZ-99Z in 2010, the numbering format changed to A10-AAA. Letters T and X are being used in the first position (i.e. T10-AAA and X10-AAA), but they do not conflict with Trailer or Commercial plates.

2010+ current format low: A27-AAA 2011-04-15 Jim Moini, Prior format high: ZZZ-86Z 2011-08-01 Brad Harding

There were some notable letter gaps in New Jersey passenger plates in 2009-10:

Pre-jump high: W74-ASP 2011-04-02 Dave Mackey, Jump low: C14-AUF 2010-11-24 Ed Angiolillo

YYH-prefix plate was spotted around 2009 when YND was high.

Passenger plates jumped from the Sxx to the Uxx prefixes in 2005 as the Txx-prefix series was used for TRAILER plates from 2004-22.

Simon observed blue passenger plate UVT-83G on 2006-05-08.

New Jersey stopped issuing new passenger license plate stickers around RVA-prefix series on October 1, 2004 and ceased for renewals as of Jan. 1, 2005.

Plate sticker boxes were dropped in 2006 during the late Vxx series yet reappeared in 2008 during the Y-- series (YBX or YBZ). There was no clean break as to exactly where they were dropped. VYX, VZS and VZT series plates have been observed with and without boxes. Thanks to Jeff Fazekas, Jim Moini and Dave Mackey.

New Jersey passenger license plates since 1992 have used 3M reflective sheeting except for a brief period from 2002-04 when Avery sheeting was used.

2004+ current 3M low PXS-prefix, more pronounced bottom border, standard middle 3M holograms.

Avery high PXL, Avery low LHM-76M

Original 3M high LGL-83P (state name in slightly larger font since LGX series)

Thanks to Wally Punzmann, Clark Wothe, Jeff Ellis and Bobby Pressimone.

Flat with "Ambulance" along bottom.

OA-9999 reached, series moved to OA-123A in 2024.

Starting at AS-100A, Apportioned plates are FLAT.

Formats:

X-9999Z

XA-100A

XAA-A10

Kevin Gallagher spotted a low of XAA-A11 in the current format.

It appears that the change to flat plates began with the XCW series.

Embossed high: XCV series

Flat low: XCW-V85 2015-07-14 Andrew Persaud

2012+ current format is CG prefix, divider, number and three letters

Frank Khan believes the seven digit format is not issued concurrently with the six digit format. The seven digit format was originally issued around 1992, and went from CG10000 to around CG21000. Issuance of that series should have stopped a long time ago.

High: CG21007 2012-09-29 Dave Mackey

Flat

Flat plates probably started at H/Z 9000. And the H/A suffix was apparently skipped (went from H/Z 9999 to 1000 H/B.)

Earlier info:

Still with sticker boxes through H/U, but it appears sticker boxes were dropped starting at H/V 1000.

Embossed high: H/Z 8012

Flat low: H/Z 9901

The middle number is a small "suffix" number between 1 and 5. Progression is 10 AA, 11 AA... 99 AA, 10 AB... 99 AZ, 10 BA...

These are on official vehicles that patrol the Garden State Parkway (help stranded motorists, etc.) Bottom of plate still reads Garden State.

There was a block of 100 plates in the HA- series, HA-701 through -800, that were assigned to State Police cruisers on the GSP. Most of these cars have since been replated, but some still use HA, some have TPA, and some just regular Passenger. All should have TPA eventually.

Series has reversed from QQ prefix to QQ suffix.

Sticker boxes used through at least 32555QQ.

No sticker boxes on 34747QQ.

A jitney is known as a dollar van, a privately owned type of bus service.

L/S/V is screened diagonally to the left of the serial, and "Low Speed Vehicle" legend is screened bottom center.

Formerly Blue on silver

Now flat MC base no longer has sticker boxes with serial centered on plate. Upon reaching 9999Z, the format changed to A000A.  Upon reaching Z999Z, it changed to 1AAA1.  Progression: 1AAA1 to 1ZZZ9, then 2AAA1, etc. New Jersey has reached 9999Z for motorcycle plates, and has started issuing plates in the A000A format again. This format was used years ago, and was dropped in 1994 at N999Z. The new plates started at P100A.  The R, S, and T series were skipped. Somewhere in the xxxxV, the "MOTORCYCLE" caption changed from embossed to screened, but the plate numbers are still embossed.  Some other M/C types (such as DEALER) still have embossed captions. Motorcycle Handicapped  -  A349  2009-05-25  Dave Mackey Historic Motorcycle - Q4814  2009-08-18  Dave Mackey Commercial Motorcycle - XG161  2009-09-21  Bob Mackey Plate has COMM CYCLE screened on bottom.

After MG99999, series flipped to 10000MG.

No sticker boxes on the current high.

Embossed high: NF36531

Flat low: NF36619

Series started with OXV1000 when changeover to "Black On Straw" plates began.

Now flat

From Jim Moini: The MD series went from MD-A100 to MD-Z999, and then in the late 1980's, started again at MD-1000 (on the blue base).

Series just flipped from S1-Z999 to A100-S1.

Progression:

Last series used S1 as a prefix.

Previous format used S1 as a suffix.

Z999-S1 was reached in June 2023 and the new series started at S1-1000.

School Vehicle II is for less than 16 passengers. Previous format used S2 as a suffix.

Caption on plate is STATE GOVT, but this type with the TD prefix is for the Transportation Dept.

It appears that the progression of these was TD10000 - TD11999, then they skipped to TD16000.

In early 2021 numbers jumped again from the middle of the TD18000 series to TD30000.

See listing below for Turnpike Authority regarding State Police cruisers used on the Garden State Parkway.

Flat

"Taxi Cab" on bottom.

New style Temporary, mounted where the rear plate is, with the standard "New Jersey" (same font as regular plates) across the top. Expiration date is pre-printed, not hand written as in the past.

Back window temps no longer issued as of 7/1/2012.

The series advanced from F to H, skipping G, then to J, skipping I.  Series then skipped from J to L, skipping K.

New Jersey has been known for odd jumps in recent years, and one occurred with Temporary plates in early 2015.  We have a high of J873263 reported on 2015-02-09 by Andrew Persaud, but everything else was in the J200000 range at the time.  We also had J666606 reported by Chris Scott on 2015-02-01.  However, all recent reports have been back in the more sequential J300000 range, so we will continue to report what is still showing up sequentially.

Resident and Non-resident Temp tags are issued in Arial font.

Now flat

Sticker boxes still on corners of plate.

Embossed high: TNL series

Flat low: TNN-55D (TNM not seen yet)

A00-TAA after TAA-A00

State Police cruisers on the Garden State Parkway are now being issued license plates from TPA1101 to TPA1200 with the last three digits corresponding to the number of the cruiser (101-200). Previously they had civilian plates, but most famously the HA-A701 to HA-A800 series which were among the very first black-on-goldfinch yellow plates NJ issued in 1992.

Colin MG reports TP-A858 on 2014-01-18.

Flat

Dave Mackey reports an unusual format of 45 DMF 03 on this type.

Format has reversed from G/S 9999 to 1000 G/S.

Plate has featured a different graphic since about 10EA. The current high has sticker boxes. I/M nnSx and I/M nnTx series skipped.

Old base high: I/M 52CZ

After I/M 99ZZ, switched to I/M AA01.

Battleship with #62 on left side of plate. Probably started w/ B/B1000-9999, then 1000B/B-9999B/B, then B/B10AA, up.

Flat plates began being issued in 2018 starting at 1000 D/L.

EM stacked on left with shield, EMT A on bottom. Flat as of E/M 3027.

Plate says "Price of Honor" at bottom. Progression: L/E 1000 to L/E 9999, then 1000 L/E to 9999 L/E, then L/E 10AA to L/E 99ZZ, now BA10L/E.

Embossed High: KV79 LE

Flat Low: LP13 L/E

The original 1A A1 format was abandoned in the middle of its run before being switched to the A1 1A format. After Z9 9Z was reached, the original format picked up where it left off, probably at 1E A1.

This plate denotes membership in the NJ Professional Firefighter's Association/IAFF and is different from the standard issue "Firefighter" plates.

After reaching L/S 9999, this series flipped to 1000 L/S.

Flat

"NJPF Safe Cop" bottom center

First with a U/S prefix, now with it as a suffix.

P/L 10AA followed P/L 9999.

Prefixes used: SA, SC, SE, SF, SJ, SK, SL, SN, SR, SU, SV. SP was skipped.

New Special Plate - Multiple sports organizations are using this common format. (New York Yankees, Phillies, Mets)

Normal NJ Yellow, no boxes, flat black letters instead of embossed.

Firemen's Mutual Benevolent Association

Now flat

NJ State Patrolman's Benevolent Association

P/B9999 was reached by the end of 2018, and the series flipped to 1000P/B

W/E 100A followed W/E 9999.

Treasure Our Trees (Commercial) - X/A 250 W/E 2013-08-01 Jim Moini

Sticker boxes have been eliminated from this type.

Original format was U/W 1000, then 1000 U/W, now U/W 10BA.

This type started in 1997. Original series was W/C 000A. After reaching W/C 999Z, the series reversed to A000 W/C.

This type started in 1993.

The series is discontinued and the last issued plate is C/W99FZ.

Flat

Army Guard and Air Guard seem to draw from the same series, although they are differentiated on the plates themselves.

Now flat

Plate features a purple heart on the left; bottom line reads "Combat Wounded"