British
Columbia Passenger License Plates
1940-1948

A
special thanks to Tom Lindner, Dallas Doyle, Pierre Delacote and Ron Garay for providing many of the plates pictured.
1940 |
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Issuing
Statistics |
Initial Series:
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1 to 90,000 |
Registered:
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101,452 |
Over-run:
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19,000* |
Issued:
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Pairs |
Manufacturer:
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Oakalla Prison |
Dimensions:
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290 mm x 137 mm |
Material:
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Metal |
Comments:
'A' prefix: Vancouver Island;
'B' prefix: Vancouver; and
'F' prefix: New Westminister.
It is not clear if prefix plates were only issued in blocks of 3,000 (i.e. 'A-1' to 'A2-999'). |
* Estimate / Unconfirmed |
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"A" Prefix / 4-digit |
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"B" Prefix / 1-digit |
"B" Prefix / 2-digit |
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"F" Prefix / 1-digit |
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"F" Prefix / 4-digit |
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Shown at left is Premier Duff Pattullo exiting his official car with the No. 1 license plate for 1940 (the same one as shown above)! |
1941 |
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Issuing
Statistics |
Initial Series:
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1 to 91,000 |
Registered:
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105,410 |
Over-run:
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16,000* |
Issued:
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Pairs |
Manufacturer:
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Oakalla Prison |
Dimensions:
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290 mm x 137 mm |
Material:
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Metal |
Comments:
'A' prefix: Vancouver Island;
'B' prefix: Vancouver; and
'F' prefix: New Westminister.
It is not clear if prefix plates were only issued in blocks of 2,000 (i.e. 'A-1' to 'A1-999'). |
* Estimate / Unconfirmed |
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"F" Prefix / 1-digit |
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1942 |
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Issuing
Statistics |
Initial Series:
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1 to F1,000 (105,000*) |
Registered:
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100,582 |
Over-run:
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1,000* |
Issued:
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Singles |
Manufacturer:
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Oakalla Prison |
Dimensions:
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290 mm x 137 mm |
Material:
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Metal |
Comments:
'A' prefix: Vancouver Island;
'B' prefix: Vancouver; and
'F' prefix: New Westminister.
It is not clear if prefix plates were only issued in blocks of 2,000 (i.e. 'A-1' to 'A1-999'). |
* Estimate / Unconfirmed |
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"F" Prefix / 1-digit |
"F" Prefix / 2-digit |
"F" Prefix / 3-digit |
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Shown at left is a car displaying an example of the "F" prefix that was issued to passenger vehicles in New Westminster between 1940-47. Available MVB records indicate that this particular plate was the last in the initial bloc of 1,000 plates (i.e. F1 to F1000) produced in 1942. An additional bloc of over-run plates with an "F" prefix was subsequently produced in 1942. |
1943 |
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Issuing
Statistics |
Initial Series:
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1 to 89,000 |
Registered:
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98,920 |
Over-run:
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20,000* |
Issued:
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Singles |
Manufacturer:
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Oakalla Prison |
Dimensions:
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290 mm x 137 mm |
Material:
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Metal |
Comments:
'A' prefix: Vancouver Island;
'B' prefix: Vancouver; and
'F' prefix: New Westminister.
It is not clear if prefix plates were only issued in blocks of 3,000 (i.e. 'A-1' to 'A2-999'). |
* Estimate / Unconfirmed |
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"F" Prefix / 1-digit |
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Due to material shortages associated with the War Effort, British Columbia (as well as many other jurisdictions) opted to issue only a single license plate for the 1942 license year, and would continue to do so through 1947. |
This decision, however, was only made after Oakalla had already produced pairs of 1942 plates. So that the metal did not go to waste, the pairs of 1942s were split-up with one plate heading back to Oakalla were it would be re-stamped for issuance in 1943 and repainted, and the other plates being issued to motorists. |
Although not generally visible from the front of the plates, it is possible to see the restamping process on the back of the 1943 plates (with some plates showing this better than others): |
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1944 |
1-digit |
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Issuing
Statistics |
Initial Series:
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1 to 92,950 |
Registered:
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99,063 |
Over-run:
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16,050* |
Issued:
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Singles |
Manufacturer:
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Oakalla Prison |
Dimensions:
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290 mm x 137 mm |
Material:
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Metal |
Comments:
'A' prefix: Vancouver Island;
'B' prefix: Vancouver; and
'F' prefix: New Westminister.
It is not clear if prefix plates were only issued in blocks of 3,000 (i.e. 'A-1' to 'A2-999'). |
* Estimate / Unconfirmed |
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"F" Prefix / 1-digit |
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1945 |
1-digit |
2-digit |
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Issuing
Statistics |
Initial Series:
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1 to 96,000 |
Registered:
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99,421 |
Over-run:
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9,579* |
Issued:
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Singles |
Manufacturer:
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Oakalla Prison |
Dimensions:
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290 mm x 137 mm |
Material:
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Metal |
Comments:
'A' prefix: Vancouver Island;
'B' prefix: Vancouver; and
'F' prefix: New Westminister.
It is not clear if prefix plates were only issued in blocks of 2,000 (i.e. 'A-1' to 'A1-999'). |
* Estimate / Unconfirmed |
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"F" Prefix / 1-digit |
"F" Prefix / 2-digit |
"F" Prefix / 3-digit |
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By 1946 the MVB had expanded the prefix system to include the letter "H": |
In the event of Issuing offices requiring further allotments of passenger plates, these will be supplied in the usual manner. However, if the ordinary numerical passenger sequence is exhausted during the licence year, Mainland points will be supplied with a series beginning with the prefix “H” (with the exception of Vancouver Motor Licence Office which will be allotted “B” and New Westminster Motor Licence Office and Sub-Offices which will be allotted “F”. The alphabetical prefix for Vancouver Island being “A” as in previous years.
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1946 |
1-digit |
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Issuing
Statistics |
Initial Series:
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1 to B1,040 (104,040*) |
Registered:
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109,077 |
Over-run:
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7,950* |
Issued:
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Singles |
Manufacturer:
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Oakalla Prison |
Dimensions:
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290 mm x 137 mm |
Material:
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Metal |
Comments:
'A' prefix: Vancouver Island;
'B' prefix: Vancouver;
'F' prefix: New Westminister; and
'H' prefix: Lower Mainland.
It is not clear if prefix plates were only issued in blocks of 3,000 (i.e. 'A-1' to 'A2-999'). |
* Estimate / Unconfirmed |
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"F" Prefix / 1-digit |
"F" Prefix / 2-digit |
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"H" Prefix / 2-digit |
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1947 |
1-digit |
2-digit |
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Issuing
Statistics |
Initial Series:
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1 to B7,000 (117,000*) |
Registered:
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128,611 |
Over-run:
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33,000* |
Issued:
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Singles |
Manufacturer:
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Oakalla Prison |
Dimensions:
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287 mm x 137 mm |
Material:
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Metal |
Comments:
'A' prefix: Vancouver Island;
'B' prefix: Vancouver;
'F' prefix: New Westminister;
'H' prefix: Lower Mainland; and
'J' prefix:
(unknown).
It is not clear if prefix plates were only issued in blocks of 10,000 (i.e. 'A-1' to 'A9-999'). |
* Estimate / Unconfirmed |
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"F" Prefix / 1-digit |
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"H" Prefix / 1-digit |
"H" Prefix / 2-digit |
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"J" Prefix / 1-digit |
"J" Prefix / 2-digit |
"J" Prefix / 3-digit |
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1948 |
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2-digit |
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Issuing
Statistics |
Initial Series:
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1 to J9,999 (140,000*) |
Registered:
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143,675 |
Over-run:
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70,000* |
Issued:
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Pairs |
Manufacturer:
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Oakalla Prison |
Dimensions:
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287 mm x 137 mm |
Material:
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Metal |
Comments:
The use of the 'F' prefix on passenger vehicles would be discountined in 1948 following amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act in 1947 which created a sepoarate category of Farm Tractors. Henceforward, farm tractors would be issued 'F' prefix plates.
It is not clear if prefix plates were only issued in blocks of 10,000 (i.e. 'A-1' to 'A9-999'). |
* Estimate / Unconfirmed |
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Does "T" = Truck? |
In light of photographic evidence (see below), there is some question as to whether the "T" was issued to private passenger vehicles of commercial trucks in 1948:
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Given the wild range of alpha-numeric combinations that had to be used to accommodate Commercial Trucks in 1948 (Click here to see!) due to the peeling paint, use of the "T" prefix would have provided 10,000 combinations versus the 1,000 available under any 2-letter/3-number combo. Until more information comes to light, we are posting plates with a "T" prefix under passenger, but this could change ...
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A Urinary Defect |
On March 1, 1948, the MVB reported that "a defect had developed in a large number of motor-vehicle licence plates issued for 1948 (the white paint on the numerals and letters coming off after exposure to dampness) it is necessary that such plates be substituted ..." It is thought that the plate shown above represents an example of this "defect".
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Subsequently, the MVB would have to replace inexcess of 30,000 defective plates. This, combined with the growth in private vehicle ownership following the end of WWII led to as many as 11 different prefix letters being used.
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In the Letter to the Editor at right, which appeared in the Vancouver Sun in October of 1948. "M. Porritt" of 999 Beach Avenue, Vancouver (which is now under the site of the Burrard Street Bridge) is complaining that anyone attempting to record the license plate numbers of reckless drivers would be unable to due to the poor state of the paint on many plates. |

© Copyright Christopher John
Garrish. All rights reserved.
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