Comprehensive guide to Florida License plates
 Weight and county codes 1938 - 1975

By D.F. "Buddy" Harris and other notable contributors.

Send inquiries to:

buddy@pl8.us

Beginning in 1938 Florida assigned a number for each county based on population at the time. This is the first digit(s) on a plate from this era. Dade county was largest (Miami) it  so they were assigned the number one. The codes were abolished with the 1980 license plates. So if your license plate begins with a (1) you now know it came from Dade County. See Chart Below for all county designations. Please ask permission before copying and using images elsewhere.

Florida License Plate County Designator Code
1-Dade	2-Duval	3-Hillsborough	4-Pinellas	5-Polk
6-Palm Beach	7-Orange	8-Volusia	9-Escambia	10-Broward
11-Alachua	12-Lake	13-Leon	14-Marion	15-Manatee
16-Sarasota	17-Seminole	18-Lee	19-Brevard	20-St.Johns
21-Gadsden	22-Putnam	23-Bay	24-St Lucie	25-Jackson
26-Osceola	27-Highlands	28-Pasco	29-Columbia	30-Hardee
31-Suwannee	32-Indian River	33-Santa Rosa	34-DeSoto	35-Madison
36-Walton	37-Taylor	38-Monroe	39-Levy	40-Hernando
41-Nassau	42-Martin	43-Okaloosa	44-Sumter	45-Bradford
46-Jefferson Image 46M-20 From EBAY Auction	47-Citrus	48-Clay	49-Hendry	50-Washington
51-Holmes	52-Baker	53-Charlotte Image 53W-9 From EBAY Auction	54-Dixie Image 54GW-9 From EBAY Auction	55-Gilchrist
56-Hamilton	57-Okeechobee	58-Calhoun	59-Franklin	60-Glades Image 60Q-10 From EBAY Auction
61-Flagler	62-Lafayette	63-Union	64-Collier	65-Wakulla
66-Gulf	67-Liberty	68-State DMV Issued Motor Cycle Plate Shown	68-State DMV Issued Passenger Vehicle Plate	90-Replacement

Florida License plates have also had an alphabetic code that told the weight or use of the vehicle that was also abolished with the 1980 license plates. This weight or use code is found on the plate immediately following the county code. The chart below shows these codes. Some letters were stacked on top of each other with a line between them. Since I can't depict that stacking with this font, I will use a forward slash between them as a representation.

Florida License Plate Weight Designator Code  No code - Passenger Vehicle 2501-3500 lbs. A - Motor Cycle, Private >500 Lbs B - Heavy Trailer, Private (1932-1975)   B/B - Light Trailer, Private (1939-1975) 501 - 1050 lbs C - City Bus CONV. - Convention (Shriner, etc.) Motor Cycle Convention Car (Shriner, etc.) C/V - Commercial Vehicle Payload >2000lbs. D - Passenger Vehicle 2001- 2500 lbs E - Limousine or Bus (for hire) G - Commercial Truck G/H - Truck 2051 - 3050 lbs. G/K - Truck 3051 - 5050 lbs. G/W - Truck >5050 lbs.  H or H/T - House Trailer H/F - Half year semi trailer   K - Hearse or Ambulance L - Semi Trailer   M - Auto Dealer MC - Member of Congress   MF - Franchise Auto Dealer MH - Mobile Home   MI - Independent Auto Dealer MT - Independent Auto Dealer N - Rental Trailer over 2000 lbs.   National Guard Member   NN - Rental Trailer Under 2000 lbs.   O - Rental Semi Trailer   P - Off Road Vehicle or Farm Truck Q - Antique Car (25 years old at year of issue) R - Motor Cycle, Private <500 Lbs. RB - Ringling Brothers. RP - Real Property (Mobile Home converted to a fixed asset and taxed along with land.) County Code on right end. (29 = Columbia) RV - Recreational Vehicle S - Bus for Hire T - Passenger Vehicle Under 2000 lbs. (1934-1961) TA - Semi Tractor Picture from eBay TAF - Semi Tractor  TBF - Semi Tractor from Howard Hinz TD TDF - Semi Tractor TE - Semi Tractor TEF - Semi Tractor   V - Light trailer <500 lbs.   W - Passenger vehicle 3501-4500 lbs. WW - Passenger Vehicle  over 4500 lbs. X - Non Profit Owned (EXEMPT) Seminole Indian State issued Sample