British Columbia Motorcycle License Plates

More to Come!!!

1904 - 1912: Pre-Provincial
   
Issuing Statistics
1904-1912:
unknown

*  
There is a question as to the origin of the plate shown at left and whether it is, in deed, from BC.  Nevertheless, it is considered to be a good example of a Pre-Provincial motorcycle plate.  

1913 - 1914: Porcelain
Issuing Statistics
1913:
 unknown
1914:
 unknown
   

Not something you see very often, but the following is an excellent example of a 1914 motorcycle plate (usually, the angle is profile and it is not possible to see the plate):
Image Credit: Saanich Archives

Caption: "Harley Davidson motorcycle - photograph by Annie Girling (Girling Collection)"

Archives Number: 2008-025-052

1915 - 1917: Tin
Issuing Statistics
1915:
 unknown
1916:
 unknown
1917:
 unknown
 
Pierre Delacote Collection  

1917 BC License Plate Manufacturer
In case you were wondering who manufactured the 1917 license plates for British Columbia (passenger & motorcycle), this picture of the back of the No. 1330 plate above gives a fairly good clue - the MacDonald Manufacturing Company Limited of Toronto.

1918 - 1922
Issuing Statistics
1918:
 unknown
1919:
 unknown
1920:
 unknown
1921:
 unknown
1922:
 unknown
1922

1923 - 1948
Issuing Statistics
1923:
 1 to 1-500
1924:
 1 to 1-500
1925:
 unknown
1926:
 1 to 1-500
1927:
 unknown
1928:
 1 to 1-500
1929:
 unknown
1930:
 unknown
1931:
 unknown
1932:
 unknown
1933:
 unknown
1934:
 unknown
1935:
 unknown
1936:
 unknown
1937:
 unknown
1938:
 unknown
1939:
 1 to 2-300
1940:
 1 to 2-250
1941:
 1 to 2-350
1942:
 1 to 2-400
1943:
 1 to 2-250
1944:
 1 to 2-250
1945:
 1 to 2-250
1946:
 1 to 2-550
1947:
 1 to 3-490
1948:
 1 to 4-500
1927
   

1949 - 1971
Issuing Statistics
1949:
 1 to 5-000
1950:
 1 to 5-000
1951:
 1 to 5-000
1952:
 1 to 5-000
1953:
 1 to 5-000
1954:
 1 to 5-000
1955:
 1 to 5-000
1956:
 unknown
1957:
 unknown
1958:
 unknown
1959:
 unknown
1960:
 unknown
1961:
 unknown
1962:
 unknown
1963:
 unknown
1964:
1 to 6-400
1965:
1 to 11-500
1966:
1 to 15-000
1967:
1 to 20-000
1968:
1 to 22-000
1969:
1 to 26-000
1970:
1 to 27-500
1971:
1 to 31-000

1972 - 1973
   
Issuing Statistics
1972:
100-001 to 138-000
1973:
 100-001 to 140-000

1974 - 1978
1974
Issuing Statistics
1974:
10-001 to 80-000
1975:
 80-001 to 167-000
1976:
 N00-001 to N30-000
1977:
 N30-001 to N50-000
1978:
 N50-001 to N60-000
A known prototype, it is thought that this particular plate (at left) is displaying a possible colour combination that might have been considered for use with the introduction of the "N" prefix in 1976.

1974 Die Variations
The 1974 base is notorious for using mismatched die types on the same plate. The image presented at left is but one example, with the number "1" being the most easily identifiable. It is not known why this occurred.

1974-78: Over-run
Anything look familiar?
It would seem that when the 10,000 sets that had been produced for issuance in 1978 ran out (i.e. "N50-001" to "N60-000"), the province ordered an additional set (of possibly 2,000 plates) to make it through to the new base plate scheduled for release in 1979.

As can be seen in to the two images shown above, instead of using the design that had been employed throughout the series, the plates were issued on the new 1979 base (but with the 1974 colours).

1979 - 1986
Issuing Statistics
1979:
M00-000 to M99-999
???? L00-001 to L99-999
???? K00-000 to K99-999
???? J00-000 to J66-999

1986 - 2003: Astrographic Dies
Issuing Statistics
1985:
J6-7000 to H5-4999
1986:
H5-5000 to H9-9999
1986:
N0-0000 to N2-4999
1987:
N2-5000 to N4-2999
1988:
N4-3000 to N5-7999
1989:
N5-8000 to N9-9999
1989:
C0-0000 to C0-7999
1990:
C0-8000 to C4-2999
1991:
C4-3000 to C5-2999
1992:
C5-3000 to C7-3999
1993:
C7-4000 to C9-8999
1994:
C9-9000 to C9-9999
1994:
M0-0000 to M2-3999
1995:
unknown
1996:
unknown
1997:
unknown
1998:
unknown
1999:
unknown
2000:
unknown
2001:
unknown
2002:
unknown
2003:
unknown
2000
 

The Astrographics series commenced with a "J" prefix and progressed through "H", "N", "C", "M" and "E".

When Waldale commenced production of motorcycle plates, the series was still in the "E" prefix and has since progressed through "K", "L" and "S" (as of June 2010). This leaves only the "W", "Y" and the remainder of the "V" (above V3-0000) prefixes.

2003 - 2013: Waldale Dies
2003
2005
Issuing Statistics
2003:
unknown
2004:
unknown
2005:
unknown
2006:
unknown
2007:
unknown
2008:
unknown
2009:
unknown
2010:
unknown
2011:
unknown
2012:
unknown
2013:
unknown
2007
2010

Veteran Motorcycle Plate
In 2004, the Motorcycle plate was made available on the optional Veteran base. The prefix used on the plate is '"V" (for obvious reasons) and, following the release of the Olympic Motorcycle plate in 2007, it is thought that numbers V0-0000 through to V1-9999 have been reserved for use on this base. As of June 2010, this highest number spotted was V0-2263.

Olympic Motorcycle Plate
In 2007, the Motorcycle plate was one of the lucky six plate types along with passenger, truck, farm truck, trailer and utility trailer to be made available on the optional 2010 Olympic Winter Games base.
The prefix used on the plate was "V" - this being the same prefix that appeared on the Veteran Motorcycle plate in 2004 - with the series starting at V2-0000, and it is thought that a bloc of only 10,000 plates has been set aside for use on this base (as the highest plate spotted as of June 2010 was V2-6797).

Redesign (2011)
On May 30, 2011, ICBC announced changes to the design of the motorcycle license plate that would see the size of the font used increased in size by 3/8" in order "to provide better visibility of the plate number." In addition, the graphic logo was shifted from the centre of the plate to the bottom right-hand corner with the "Flag" replaced by the "BC Mark", while the dual decal box was also introduced. The changeover occurred at the S59-000 mark. The old style of plate will continue to be valid, with Autoplan Agents instructed to issue the previous base from their inventories before issuing the new plates.

2011 - present: "BC Mark"
2012
2013
2014
Issuing Statistics
2011:
unknown
2012:
unknown
2013:
unknown
2014:
unknown
       

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