British Columbia Sample License Plates

A special thanks to Tom Lindner for providing many of the plates pictured below

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Sample license plates are generally manufactured by the issuing authority (i.e. ICBC) as an example/specimen to be used by various law enforcement and government authorities to familiarize themselves with that jurisdictions current issue. Usually, for a small fee these plates are also made available to collectors.

In British Columbia, the earliest known example of a Sample License Plate is 1924. From this point, there is a known plate for every year of manufacture. The serial used on the plates consistently followed the 00-000 format, except from 1931 (possibly 1930) to 1933, and 1950-1951 when a six-digit 000-000 was employed.

1924 - 1935
CLICK HERE	1925		CLICK HERE
1928	1929	CLICK HERE	CLICK HERE
			CLICK HERE

1936 - 1950

CLICK HERE
In 1949 & 1950 - and for the first time time since 1933 - the MVB would issue Sample license plates with 6 digits in addition to the standard 5 digits seen between 1936-1948.

1951


	No sample plates were produced in 1951. Rather, a validation strip was manufactured that year displaying a "000000" registration number. This was then to be placed over top of the 1950 base plate (see above). The validation strip was manufactured in two sizes to match the 1950 base.

1952 - 1954
Click Here	Click Here	Click Here
Click Here

1955 - 1963
CLICK HERE		CLICK HERE	CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE	CLICK HERE	CLICK HERE	CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE

1957 Oddball

CLICK HERE

This oddball 5-digit sample is from the collection of the TB Vets. The Vets previously issued their keytags in the design of the province's license plates and would routinely receive a sample each year in order that they could craft their keytags in the same colours and design. Why this particular plate was only made with 5 zeros is just one of those mysteries that will likely never been solved ...

1964 - 1969
CLICK HERE		CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE	CLICK HERE

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When the province introduced the alpha-numeric AAA-000 sequence for 1970, the law at the time stipulated that zero was not a valid number. Unfortunately, this was not conveyed to the Plate Shop at Oakalla and approximately 1,000 sets of license plates with the number '000' in it were manufactured.

Unable to issue these plates, it has long been suspected that the Motor Vehicle Branch opted to provide these as Sample plates to collector's and other jurisdictions.

Shown below are example from the first bloc of one million plates (shown at left) and the second bloc of one million plates (shown at right) that were issued during this period:

1970 - 1972
CLICK HERE	CLICK HERE

1970 World's Fair - Osaka, Japan
	We have yet to verify this story, but it is understood by the crew here at BCpl8s.ca that these particular plates are not actual Samples, but were a souvenir plate issued to certain attendees at the 1970 World's Fair held in Osaka, Japan. These plates are not very common.

1973 - 1978
	CLICK HERE

1979 - 1986
CLICK HERE

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There are generally three types of Sample plates associated with the "Flag" era, the first of these (i.e. Type I - see below left) being those displaying the early die type used by Astrographics. It is not known how many of these plates were issued, but it is suspected that they would have only been used in 1985 & 1986.

The second type (i.e. Type II - see below middle) displays the classic Astrographic dies and was likely used for the years 1986 through to the end of Astrographics contract with ICBC to manufacture license plates in 2002 (an dpossibly for a few months into 2003).

The final type (i.e. Type III - see below right) displays the Waldale die type and began to be issued in 2003 through to the present.

1985 - 2014
TYPE I - EARLY ASTROGRAPHICS DIES CLICK HERE	TYPE II - CLASSIC ASTROGRAPHICS DIES CLICK HERE	TYPE III - WALDALE DIES CLICK HERE

Souvenir License Plate: 1985 - 2002
CLICK HERE	When the province introduced the new "Flag" graphic in 1985, the practice of making genuine Sample plates available to collector's was replaced with a Souvenir plate stamped on the Truck base and displaying a "BC-0000" serial.
	Unfortunately, this plate was routinely confused as a genuine BC license place in other jurisdictions.
	Due to concerns surrounding the ambiguity of the "BC-0000" type as an easily identifiable Souvenir plate, ICBC made the decision to phase it out as of November 2002.
	In its place, collectors are now able to order genuine "SAMPLE" plates for a fee of $21.50 CDN (GST included); payment must be made by certified cheque.

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Passenger | Non-Passenger | Decals