Complete Listing of All Delaware Plate Types

Passenger & Non-Passenger →
State Owned

1928

Manufacturer: National Colortype Co. (Bellevue, KY)
Material: Steel
Colors: Black on white
Dimensions: 5.5" x 13.5"
Pairs/singles?: Pairs
Notes: Newspaper articles suggest that the first year for this type was 1928.

Serial range observed: S41 - S88

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From Dave Lincoln

From DelDOT

1929

Manufacturer: National Colortype Co. (Bellevue, KY)
Material: Steel
Colors: Colonial Blue on yellow
Dimensions: 6" x 15"
Pairs/singles?: Pairs

Serial range observed: S40 (only one number observed)

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From John Anshant

1930

Manufacturer: National Colortype Co. (Bellevue, KY)
Material: Steel
Colors: Yellow on Colonial Blue
Dimensions: 6" x 15"
Pairs/singles?: Pairs

Serial range observed: S25 - S41

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From Dave Lincoln

1931

Manufacturer: National Colortype Co. (Bellevue, KY)
Material: Steel
Colors: Colonial Blue on yellow
Dimensions: 6" x 15"
Pairs/singles?: Pairs

Serial range observed: S15 - S200

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From Dave Lincoln

1932

Manufacturer: National Colortype Co. (Bellevue, KY)
Material: Steel
Colors: Yellow on Colonial Blue
Dimensions: 6" x 15"
Pairs/singles?: Pairs

Serial range observed: S141 (only one plate observed)

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From John Anshant

1933

Manufacturer: National Colortype Co. (Bellevue, KY)
Material: Steel
Colors: Colonial Blue on yellow
Dimensions: 6" x 15"
Pairs/singles?: Pairs

Serial range observed: S250 (only one plate observed)

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From Delaware Public Archives

1934

Manufacturer: National Colortype Co. (Bellevue, KY)
Material: Steel
Colors: Yellow on Colonial Blue
Dimensions: 6" x 15"
Pairs/singles?: Pairs

Serial range observed: S264 (only one plate observed)

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From Delaware Public Archives

From Delaware Public Archives

1935

Manufacturer: National Colortype Co. (Bellevue, KY)
Material: Steel
Colors: Colonial Blue on yellow
Dimensions: 6" x 15"
Pairs/singles?: Pairs

Serial range observed: S111 - S210

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From John Anshant

1936

Manufacturer: Grote Brothers (Bellevue, KY)
Material: Steel
Colors: Yellow on Colonial Blue
Dimensions: 5 3/8" x 10 1/2"
Pairs/singles?: Pairs

Serial range observed: S111 - S300

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From John Anshant

1937

Manufacturer: Grote Brothers (Bellevue, KY)
Material: Steel
Colors: Colonial Blue on yellow
Dimensions: 5 3/8" x 10 1/2"
Pairs/singles?: Pairs

Serial range observed: S111 - S173

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From eBay

1938

Manufacturer: Grote Brothers (Bellevue, KY)
Material: Steel
Colors: Maroon on silver
Dimensions: 5 3/8" x 10 1/2"
Pairs/singles?: Pairs

Serial range observed: S492 - S557

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From Snookie Vent

1939

Manufacturer: Grote Brothers (Bellevue, KY)
Material: Steel
Colors: Silver on maroon
Dimensions: 5 3/8" x 10 1/2"
Pairs/singles?: Pairs

Serial range observed: S213 - S311

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From eBay

From Delaware Public Archives

1940

Manufacturer: National Colortype Co. (Bellevue, KY)
Material: Steel
Colors: Blue on yellow
Dimensions: 5.5" x 9.5"
Pairs/singles?: Pairs
Notes: No photos are known of this type for 1940. Per MV records, numbering began at "S15". It is currently unknown if the "S" prefix was used on the plate, as prefixes indicated for other types in MV records do not use those prefixes on the actual plate.

Serial range observed: S15 - S752 (per MV records)

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1941 (January - July)

Manufacturer: National Colortype Co. (Bellevue, KY)
Material: Steel
Colors: Yellow on blue
Dimensions: 5.5" x 9.5"
Pairs/singles?: Pairs
Notes: Number block from Passenger series reserved for State Owned vehicles.

Serial range observed: 63100 - 63551, and 63913 (per MV records)

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From Delaware Public Archives

July 1941 - Early 1947

Manufacturer: Baltimore Enamel & Novelty Company (Baltimore, MD)
Material: Porcelain
Colors: White on black
Dimensions: 5.5" x 9.5"
Pairs/singles?: Unknown
Notes: No records are known to tell us which number blocks were reserved for State Owned. It's possible that plates with "EXEMPT" tabs in place of month-day tab are state vehicles but that is unconfirmed.

Serial range observed: Unknown

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Early 1947 - October 1958

Manufacturer: Unknown
Material: Stainless steel
Colors: Silver/off-white (Scotchlite) on black
Dimensions: Unknown
Pairs/singles?: Singles
Notes: No records are known to tell us which number blocks were reserved for State Owned. It's possible that plates with "EXEMPT" tabs in place of month-day tab are state vehicles but that is unconfirmed.

Serial range observed: Unknown

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October 1958 - June 1959

Manufacturer: Unknown
Material: Stainless steel
Colors: Gold on dark blue
Dimensions: Unknown
Pairs/singles?: Singles
Notes: No records are known to tell us which number blocks were reserved for State Owned. It's possible that plates with "EXEMPT" tabs in place of month-day tab are state vehicles but that is unconfirmed.

Serial range observed: Unknown

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June 1959 - June 1962

Manufacturer: Unknown
Material: Steel (briefly), then aluminum
Colors: Gold on dark blue
Dimensions: 6" x 12"
Pairs/singles?: Singles
Notes: No records are known to tell us which number blocks were reserved for State Owned. It's possible that plates with "EXEMPT" tabs in place of month-day tab are state vehicles but that is unconfirmed.

Serial range observed: Unknown

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June 1962 - Autumn 1968

Manufacturer: Unknown
Material: Aluminum
Colors: Gold on dark blue
Dimensions: 6" x 12"
Pairs/singles?: Singles
Notes: No records are known to tell us which number blocks were reserved for State Owned. It's possible that plates with "EXEMPT" stickers are state vehicles but that is unconfirmed and no plates are observed with Exempt stickers on this base.

Serial range observed: Unknown

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Autumn 1968 - July 2002

Manufacturer: Demco (Milford, DE)
Material: Aluminum
Colors: Gold on dark blue
Dimensions: 6" x 12"
Pairs/singles?: Singles
Notes: Once numbering reached 10000, "STATE OWNED" font became smaller to accomodate a fifth digit. Recycled numbers under 10000 were printed with smaller "STATE OWNED" (see #2506). DMV replacement plates had riveted numbers.

Serial range observed: 4 - 11324
(Only new registrations shown; numbers from former bases also observed reprinted on these formats)

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From eBay

(Smaller "STATE OWNED")
From eBay

(Smaller "STATE OWNED")
From Michael Williams

(Sample)
From Worthpoint

(Sample)
From Jordan Irazabal

(Unknown format)
From Jordan Irazabal

July 2002 - Present

Manufacturer: Waldale Manufacturing Limited (Nova Scotia, Canada)
Material: Aluminum
Colors: Gold on dark blue
Dimensions: 6" x 12"
Pairs/singles?: Singles
Notes: Three font variations:
(1) Thin ("Waldale 1", July 2002 - Early 2003)
(2) Thicker ("Waldale 2", Early 2003 - 2006)
(3) Copy of Demco font ("Waldale 3", 2006 - Present)
Beveled edges around plate added around March 2010.

Serial range observed:
- Waldale 1: S11697 - S11896, and S20023 - S20103
- Waldale 2: No new numbers observed
- Waldale 3: S20211 (only new number observed)
(Only new registrations shown; numbers from former bases also observed reprinted on these formats)

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(Waldale 1)
From Jordan Irazabal

(Waldale 2)
From Jordan Irazabal

(Waldale 3)
From Jordan Irazabal

(Beveled edges)
From Jordan Irazabal