Vehicle Registration Plates of New York - 1986: Statue of Liberty

1986: Statue of Liberty

Statue of Liberty plates used the word "Liberty" in the 3M security mark in the ABC 123 serial format and in the early 2AB 234 format. During 1990 the security mark changed from "Liberty" to a year designation. 1990, 1991, and 1992 were used. By 1993, 3M lot numbers were used until the end of the Liberty issue in 2000. The year security marks only denote the year the sheeting was manufactured; the plates may actually date somewhat later. It should be noted that both the ABC 123 and 2AB 234 formats were not issued consecutively; e.g. plates ABD 768 and UVK 767 could have been issued the same day in 1986. Type One Liberty PAS plate issues were largely County coded and were issued two ways: "Over The Counter" from a DMV or County office or "Mail Out" in which registrants received new plates directly by mail.

When the 2AB 234 format made its first appearance in September 1988, the first ones observed began with 6VB; this was because most plates from 2VA 100 to 9VZ 999 and 2XA 100 to 9XZ 999 were issued from new car dealers, and were the first to exhaust the original format, roughly VAA 100 to VZZ 999 and XGA 100 * to XZZ 999. By December 1988 other prefixes began to appear, again not in consecutive order. 4AB 234 and 7TC 766 both could have been issued on the same day in 1989. (Note: XAA 100 to XFZ 999 were issued in Suffolk County as mail-out replacement PAS plates.)

This PAS format had left side numbers from 2 thru 9; the 1 digit was not used so as to be confused with the letter I and this series was literally the last PAS plates that were allocated using a County code basis. During this issue this system was finally abandoned and all subsequent PAS plate issues beginning with the following Type Three A2A 100 type have been strictly alphabetical.

To date these earlier Liberty plates:

Type One:

• ABC 123 format was issued from July 1, 1986 through at least July 1989 - These were issued primarily on a County code basis.

The letters I-O-Q were only used as the first letter of a prefix on Type One PAS plates.

Type Two:

• 2AB 234 format was issued from about September 1988 to at least October 1991. Those stamped out during 1990 start using the 90 security mark. Type Two plates were at least partially issued on a County code basis and became the last regular series NY PAS plates issued in that manner.

Type Three:

• A2B 234 Format was issued from about January 1991 to at least November 1993. 90, 91 and 92 security marks appear on this format, and this format was manufactured in consecutive order. The digit 1 was not used between the letters so it would not be confused with a letter I.

Type Three plates began alphabetical issue order for all NY regular series passenger plate issues.

Type Four:

• A12 3BC format appeared in February 1993 and was issued to at least August 1999. These were manufactured in consecutive order. The earlier A plates issued in early 1993 had 92 security marks and were the final plates on galvanized steel . By the end of the A series plates had lot number security marks and were on thin gage aluminum. A few of the late A plates had 92 security marks on pre cleared 3M sheeting on aluminum stock, also.

Type Five:

• AB1 23C format appeared in May 1999 and was issued to February 28,2001. All had lot number security marks, and were aluminum. GS9 99E was the final known Type Five issue.
• Although technically not passenger plates, the series ZAA 100 to ZZZ 999 was assigned for use on rental cars from 1986 to September 1996, when they were discontinued and replaced with standard passenger plates, using Liberty, 90, and 91 security marks. This was done to discourage carjacking of rental cars. It is the only instance of the year-dated marks on this format. They were manufactured as needed in small quantities, and none were made after 1992.