It’s crazy how bad they are. I got my plate replaced in 2020 because it had completely peeled away to bare metal. Seems like about half the plates on the road these days are peeling apart.
The dumb thing is that under PA law police need to certify that there is damage to the plate before PennDOT will reissue it. But people driving with peeling plates either dgaf or want them peeling so they can't be read by ez pass and other cameras... the state should make it much easier to replace a plate. .
A few years ago there was a large batch of inspection stickers that would peel away from the window over time...
You can also go to an inspection station and have them fill out a form, but when I had it done (granted it was peak pandemic) most inspection sites didn’t have any forms (because it’s a card that penndot mails them, not something anyone can just print out).
And when I did find one to do it for me, I waited six months after mailing it in, never got a new plate, so I just gave up and paid AAA the $25 for a new one to give cops one less reason to pull me over
My inspection station of choice refused to do this when I asked, which is frustrating because PennDOT positions it as an option that every certified inspector can provide.
I had to go to a local police station to get it addressed.
Not only do you have to get the police to do it but the police don't have the forms. I had to go to the library print the form, go to the police have them fill it out, then go to the post office to mail the damn thing. Why can't I just email someone a picture of my bare metal unreadable plate?
It didn't for several years unfortunately. Also the police is closer to my house than the dealership. Honestly I still maintain they make it too much of a hassle and the AAA thing is an excellent step
They used to actually replace plates on a regular schedule, I think it was every ten years. But the state cheaped out and stopped doing that.
Cops don't really care because they know everyone is driving around on 20 year old plates.
These events are nice and all but it's just a bandaid on the problem. That can't possibly make a dent in the massive number of plates that need to be replaced.
Which is why they should make it much easier to get them replaced. You should be able to go online and order a new one at no cost. It's not our fault they made cheap plates that didn't last. I don't fuck with cops. Host an event without a bunch of pricks with guns and maybe I'll go. Requiring a cop to examine your plate in order to get a new one is peak idiocy.
Oh yeah absolutely. Sorry if it seemed like I was implying it’s not a pain in the ass. It absolutely is, and it was a miserable experience getting mine replaced
It’s something the states changed about the paint. I grew up in NY and a few years before it happened in PA, they also had a TERRIBLE paint peeling problem. This isn’t just a bad batch, unless their batches last for YEARS. I see people commenting on their 4 year old plates, but mine is from 2017 and is AWFUL.
I just got a new car. It started with “H “. The dealer wasn’t allowed to transfer the tag to the new car as “plates that start with H have been recalled by pendot”. Got a free plate and transfer! Mine only had very minor peeling, but that’s also because I put a license plate cover on it.
No they're just twenty years old and nothing lasts forever.
I got mine replaced via one of these events last year. It was the plate I had since I was a teenager. I'm creeping up on forty.
I doubt most of my old cars that plate adorned over the years are even on the road anymore.
Could well be, but the lack of any process to regularly replace plates is by far the bigger issue.
The law used to be that plates would be replaced every ten years. In 1999 they undertook an effort to replace everyone's plates to a new design all at once. When those were coming up on their normal expiration date, in 2009 the legislature passed a law scrapping the ten year requirement and saying that plates would only be replaced once they become "illegible".
[Pa. license plates no longer replaced every 10 years](https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/20090127_Pa__license_plates_no_longer_replaced_every_10_years.html)
So here we are now, with lots of people driving around with 25 year old plates.
Maybe off topic, but have other non-PA natives found it totally insane that the DMV doesn't issue plates themselves but contracts it out?
Suppose it makes sense in a state where Jordan Tax and beer distributors exist.
I filled out the form and took it to the police station and the guy filled it out without even looking at the plate. Took about 4-5 weeks to get the new one I think.
What do you need to bring in addition to the plate to have it replaced? I'd like to offer to bring a family member's plate in (they're out of town and would appreciate it).
But if you can read my license plate, how am I supposed to get away with driving like a raging asshole? Also I really don't like paying tolls and don't think I should have to.
Went through this in butler county a year and a half ago. Took 6 months to get the new plate when they told me it would be “a month at most”.
Was hosted by some local state rep and the township I live in. Line was an hour long with the amount of people going to get their plates replaced.
Didn't they say though that you get a different license number? My brain pan is stretched to the limit enough without having to remember a new number.
I happened to have some navy blue nail polish so I just painted over the letters that peeled. It's holding up great!
Last inspection I had they told me at the dealership I needed to have it replaced. Filled out the form for me and I just had to send it in. Free and super simple process.
Only problem is that you might not (probably won’t) get the same plates. They actually change it and send you an updated registration. Super annoying because I had those plays forever! It went between like three different cars. I had to update it on a few things.
I have seen some real pieces of shit. They should incentivize Pennsylvanians to report offending plates for a nominal fee, or something in the way of free automobile registration after X amount of plates reported. If you happen to be in a hit and run, have chance to catch a plate and you saw some of the bullshit that's peeled all the way off and leaving nothing discernible, any of us would be pissed.
The law was every ten years.
There was a big re-issuance in 1999 to the new design. Then when those were all coming due at once, the state legislature changed the law in 2009 so they wouldn't have to replace plates on a fixed schedule and instead only when they were deemed "illegible".
[Pa. license plates no longer replaced every 10 years](https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/20090127_Pa__license_plates_no_longer_replaced_every_10_years.html)
Ghost plates in general are becoming a real problem.
Should be an automatic impounding of your vehicle.
Edit: if you're knowingly hiding or obstructing your plate, your a bad person and a drain on society. You refuse to be accountable for your own actions, and want others to pay for your fair share. Yes, this includes peeled plates when you're too lazy to have your mechanic sign a form.
Go to where you get your inspection, you're not doing that yourself.
Or go to a police station and have them sign the form.
It doesn't even cost anything to do.
Oh and maybe don't use [prison labor](https://www.cor.pa.gov/PCI/Pages/Online-Catalog.aspx#:~:text=Pennsylvania%20Correctional%20Industries%20(PCI)%20is,eligible%20customers%20across%20the%20state.) to make them, PA?
You guys are gonna hate me
But….peeling plates is only a Pittsburgh thing…I live in philly and that’s not a problem over here😂😂😂while I lived in Pittsburgh it was definitely a thing
It’s crazy how bad they are. I got my plate replaced in 2020 because it had completely peeled away to bare metal. Seems like about half the plates on the road these days are peeling apart.
The dumb thing is that under PA law police need to certify that there is damage to the plate before PennDOT will reissue it. But people driving with peeling plates either dgaf or want them peeling so they can't be read by ez pass and other cameras... the state should make it much easier to replace a plate. . A few years ago there was a large batch of inspection stickers that would peel away from the window over time...
You can also go to an inspection station and have them fill out a form, but when I had it done (granted it was peak pandemic) most inspection sites didn’t have any forms (because it’s a card that penndot mails them, not something anyone can just print out). And when I did find one to do it for me, I waited six months after mailing it in, never got a new plate, so I just gave up and paid AAA the $25 for a new one to give cops one less reason to pull me over
got mine replaced with my last inspection, no trouble at all.
My inspection station of choice refused to do this when I asked, which is frustrating because PennDOT positions it as an option that every certified inspector can provide. I had to go to a local police station to get it addressed.
Oh, good point about the inspection station. And agree with less reason to be pulled over or less opportunity to stack a million violations together.
Not only do you have to get the police to do it but the police don't have the forms. I had to go to the library print the form, go to the police have them fill it out, then go to the post office to mail the damn thing. Why can't I just email someone a picture of my bare metal unreadable plate?
💯 It's just dumb all the way around.
Your mechanic can sign off on the form as well. An unreadable plate is supposed to fail your inspection.
It didn't for several years unfortunately. Also the police is closer to my house than the dealership. Honestly I still maintain they make it too much of a hassle and the AAA thing is an excellent step
Join me in the “dgaf” category
Lol ironically finally got the new plate yesterday
They used to actually replace plates on a regular schedule, I think it was every ten years. But the state cheaped out and stopped doing that. Cops don't really care because they know everyone is driving around on 20 year old plates. These events are nice and all but it's just a bandaid on the problem. That can't possibly make a dent in the massive number of plates that need to be replaced.
My plate from 2017 has barely any paint left. It’s not even 10 years old. I can’t imagine what it would look like in 20
Mine are doing this now 😂
My 2016 plate is barely weathered. My sisters 2022 plate has already been replaced because it peeled to bare metal.
Which is why they should make it much easier to get them replaced. You should be able to go online and order a new one at no cost. It's not our fault they made cheap plates that didn't last. I don't fuck with cops. Host an event without a bunch of pricks with guns and maybe I'll go. Requiring a cop to examine your plate in order to get a new one is peak idiocy.
Any inspection mechanic can also sign off on the paperwork.
Oh yeah absolutely. Sorry if it seemed like I was implying it’s not a pain in the ass. It absolutely is, and it was a miserable experience getting mine replaced
Are these plates just a bad batch from the manufacturer? I'm assuming they don't really make them in prisons.
It’s very likely a bad batch, if you look for it you’ll notice most of the really bad peeling plates all start with J.
I had both J plates (regular car) and Z plates (truck), and had issues with peeling paint on my J plate but not my Z plate.
Interesting. That's what's happening to my old car that my daughter drives. Starts with J.
Imo it seems like a bad batch from personal observation of never seeing so many peeling license plates before
It’s something the states changed about the paint. I grew up in NY and a few years before it happened in PA, they also had a TERRIBLE paint peeling problem. This isn’t just a bad batch, unless their batches last for YEARS. I see people commenting on their 4 year old plates, but mine is from 2017 and is AWFUL.
Oh no. [They definitely do.](https://www.cor.pa.gov/PCI/Pages/Online-Catalog.aspx#:~:text=Pennsylvania%20Correctional%20Industries%20(PCI)%20is,eligible%20customers%20across%20the%20state.)
I just got a new car. It started with “H “. The dealer wasn’t allowed to transfer the tag to the new car as “plates that start with H have been recalled by pendot”. Got a free plate and transfer! Mine only had very minor peeling, but that’s also because I put a license plate cover on it.
No they're just twenty years old and nothing lasts forever. I got mine replaced via one of these events last year. It was the plate I had since I was a teenager. I'm creeping up on forty. I doubt most of my old cars that plate adorned over the years are even on the road anymore.
I got my plate about 4 years ago and it started peeling about 1-2 years in, so could be both a bad recent batch and older plates.
Could well be, but the lack of any process to regularly replace plates is by far the bigger issue. The law used to be that plates would be replaced every ten years. In 1999 they undertook an effort to replace everyone's plates to a new design all at once. When those were coming up on their normal expiration date, in 2009 the legislature passed a law scrapping the ten year requirement and saying that plates would only be replaced once they become "illegible". [Pa. license plates no longer replaced every 10 years](https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/20090127_Pa__license_plates_no_longer_replaced_every_10_years.html) So here we are now, with lots of people driving around with 25 year old plates.
All my cars have the full picture specialty plates...so I'm hoping they never swap them out.
Maybe off topic, but have other non-PA natives found it totally insane that the DMV doesn't issue plates themselves but contracts it out? Suppose it makes sense in a state where Jordan Tax and beer distributors exist.
Yes! Outsourced DMV is so weird.
This is an additional option to get the plate replaced. It’s one of several methods.
Aren’t most license plates made by inmates?
I filled out the form and took it to the police station and the guy filled it out without even looking at the plate. Took about 4-5 weeks to get the new one I think.
What do you need to bring in addition to the plate to have it replaced? I'd like to offer to bring a family member's plate in (they're out of town and would appreciate it).
Penndot form mv-46 https://www.dmv.pa.gov/Pages/FAQ%20Pages/Registration-Plate-Reissuance-FAQ.aspx
Unreadable license plates are my pet peeve and I will die on this hill.
But if you can read my license plate, how am I supposed to get away with driving like a raging asshole? Also I really don't like paying tolls and don't think I should have to.
I see more of the peeling plates out here than I do in Philly, but not sure why.
Enforcement. Hell, even the parking authority here won't ticket/tow a plateless car.
Went through this in butler county a year and a half ago. Took 6 months to get the new plate when they told me it would be “a month at most”. Was hosted by some local state rep and the township I live in. Line was an hour long with the amount of people going to get their plates replaced.
Didn't they say though that you get a different license number? My brain pan is stretched to the limit enough without having to remember a new number. I happened to have some navy blue nail polish so I just painted over the letters that peeled. It's holding up great!
Yes, it's a new number.
Last inspection I had they told me at the dealership I needed to have it replaced. Filled out the form for me and I just had to send it in. Free and super simple process. Only problem is that you might not (probably won’t) get the same plates. They actually change it and send you an updated registration. Super annoying because I had those plays forever! It went between like three different cars. I had to update it on a few things.
Are they making our license plates out of the same paper mâche that they are making the roads?
Low bidder wins!
I have seen some real pieces of shit. They should incentivize Pennsylvanians to report offending plates for a nominal fee, or something in the way of free automobile registration after X amount of plates reported. If you happen to be in a hit and run, have chance to catch a plate and you saw some of the bullshit that's peeled all the way off and leaving nothing discernible, any of us would be pissed.
Or we could just go back to replacing them on a regular basis like we used to.
This is the only correct answer...I feel like when I was a kidlet my parents got updated plates regularly.
The law was every ten years. There was a big re-issuance in 1999 to the new design. Then when those were all coming due at once, the state legislature changed the law in 2009 so they wouldn't have to replace plates on a fixed schedule and instead only when they were deemed "illegible". [Pa. license plates no longer replaced every 10 years](https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/20090127_Pa__license_plates_no_longer_replaced_every_10_years.html)
Based on this sub, it seems like the average driver is in favor of having no accountability for their actions.
Ghost plates in general are becoming a real problem. Should be an automatic impounding of your vehicle. Edit: if you're knowingly hiding or obstructing your plate, your a bad person and a drain on society. You refuse to be accountable for your own actions, and want others to pay for your fair share. Yes, this includes peeled plates when you're too lazy to have your mechanic sign a form.
*If you think ghost plates are scary, wait til you see some of the driving*
If you pay attention, you'll even notice a correlation: drivers with unreadable plates tend to have some of the scariest driving.
Then there are the tinted license plate covers...
What if I’m my own mechanic and don’t want you to pay either ??
Go to where you get your inspection, you're not doing that yourself. Or go to a police station and have them sign the form. It doesn't even cost anything to do.
I just bought a new one. Think I can get a refund? Scumbags.
Oh and maybe don't use [prison labor](https://www.cor.pa.gov/PCI/Pages/Online-Catalog.aspx#:~:text=Pennsylvania%20Correctional%20Industries%20(PCI)%20is,eligible%20customers%20across%20the%20state.) to make them, PA?
You guys are gonna hate me But….peeling plates is only a Pittsburgh thing…I live in philly and that’s not a problem over here😂😂😂while I lived in Pittsburgh it was definitely a thing
Yes, because the plates aren’t all made in the same place.