Maryland License Plates

From 1910 until 1937, Maryland license plates displayed the year of issuance and expired on December 31 of the year indicated. Plates issued in 1938 were valid for 15 months, and indicated the expiration date of March 31, 1939 on the plate. Thus, there was no dated 1938 plate, and all plates from 1939 to present display the year of expiration. From 1939 until 1986, all passenger cars expired annually on March 31. In some years, the expiration month or month and date were indicated, at other times only the expiration year was shown. All Maryland plates, excluding motorcycle plates, from 1937 through 1956 expirations were 13 inches wide by 6 inches high. All Maryland passenger car plates from 1910 to 1943 were issued in pairs. 1944 to 1947 plates were issued as singles; 1948 to 1951 plates were issued in pairs; 1952 to 1955 plates were issued singly; all passenger car plates since 1956 have been issued in pairs. All Maryland passenger plate serial numbers from 1910 to 1953 were all-numeric.