New PA License Plate: Liberty Bell Design

New PA license plate orders now arrive on the Liberty Bell design, introduced in June 2025 and timed to the country’s 250th anniversary. The plate reads “Let Freedom Ring” and replaced the previous base that had been in service for years. PennDOT issues every standard plate on the new design, and an older plate can be swapped on request. This page covers what the plate looks like, who receives it without asking, the form that swaps an existing plate, and the fee attached to that request.

New Pennsylvania license plate questions usually come from two drivers: someone registering a vehicle for the first time and someone holding an older plate that no longer matches the current look. The first group receives the design automatically with the registration. The second group has to file a request, and the cost depends on whether the plate is standard or personalized. The sections below separate those two paths so the right form is used the first time.

What the new plate looks like

The design carries the Liberty Bell against a light background with the state name across the top, and the phrase “Let Freedom Ring” sits below the bell. PennDOT introduced it in June 2025 as the state’s standard issue plate, and the this year anniversary supplied the theme.

Design and timing

The rollout began in June 2025, and every standard plate issued since then uses the new artwork. The change applies to passenger vehicles and trucks, and the same base is used for personalized plates once the characters are approved. A vehicle that transfers an old plate keeps the old design until the plate itself is replaced. A replacement plate request uses a different form when the plate is illegible.

What changed from the previous base

The new plate replaced the previous design rather than running alongside it. PennDOT states that all plates are now issued in the new style, which means a standard order placed today should arrive on the Liberty Bell base. Orders placed through third-party vendors can still deliver the older design, because those vendors may hold stock produced before the change. Ordering through PennDOT avoids that mismatch.

Why a new plate is required

The design is printed as part of the plate rather than applied as a sticker or a decal, so the change could not be handled with a marking added at renewal. That is why an owner who wants the new look exchanges the physical plate, and why a replacement arrives as a complete plate rather than as an overlay.

The rollout, in detail

The change reached the road through normal plate production rather than a separate mailing to every registered vehicle. PennDOT began issuing the new base in June 2025, and standard orders placed after that point were filled on the Liberty Bell design.

From introduction to standard issue

The design entered service in June 2025, and the bureau describes all plates as now issued in the new style. From that point a standard order came back on the new base whether it was a first registration, a replacement for a damaged plate, or a plate issued with a transfer. The older design did not continue as a parallel option through PennDOT. The Pennsylvania plate designs page covers the change to the Liberty Bell base.

Where the design appears

The new base covers passenger vehicles and trucks, and it carries personalized combinations once those characters are approved. A specialty design keeps its own artwork, because that plate is issued for a category rather than as the standard base. The artwork follows the plate order, so a car shows the design of the plate that is currently mounted on it.

Old stock and third-party sellers

Not every plate in circulation came from the bureau’s current production run. Third-party vendors may hold stock produced before the change, and an order placed through one of them can still deliver the older artwork. A driver who wants the current design should order through PennDOT rather than assume that every seller has moved to the new base.

Who receives the new plate

Two routes deliver the design: a first registration, and a replacement that PennDOT initiates on its own. Neither requires the owner to file anything.

New registrations and replacements

A first registration includes one standard plate, so a new passenger registration arrives on the new base without a separate order. A plate replaced for damage or illegibility also comes back in the current style, because the bureau no longer produces the older artwork. A plate that is replaced with the next configuration in the series follows the same rule. The PennDOT fee schedule lists each amount by vehicle class.

Reissuance by prefix

PennDOT replaces plates by series without a request. Passenger plates starting with D, E, or F are the oldest on the road and are being replaced through the mail, with a letter telling the owner when to expect the new plate. Passenger plates starting with G, H, J, or K, along with truck plates starting with Y, are replaced when the plate is transferred to another vehicle. No fee applies to either route.

What the letter means

The letter that precedes an automatic replacement tells the owner that a new plate is coming and when to expect it. No fee applies on the automatic routes, so the letter is an instruction rather than an invoice. The plate number on the letter should be checked against the plate on the vehicle before the exchange, because the mailing is tied to a series rather than to a single request.

Before the letter arrives

An owner in a scheduled series does not need to act. The plate will arrive, and the exchange carries no charge. The useful stages are to keep the registration card with the vehicle documents and to confirm that the mailing address on the registration is current, because the new plate goes to that address rather than to the address on an old envelope.

Who is affected, and when

Affected drivers fall into three groups: those who receive a plate without asking, those whose plate is exchanged at the next transfer, and those who are not scheduled for either route. The prefix on the current plate decides the group.

Passenger plates starting with D, E, or F

These are the oldest passenger series still on the road, and they are replaced through the mail. The owner files nothing and pays nothing for the exchange; the letter arrives first and the plate follows. Because the replacement is tied to the series, a plate in this group is exchanged even when it is still readable.

Passenger plates starting with G, H, J, or K

These series are replaced when the plate is transferred to another vehicle. A driver who keeps the plate on the same vehicle does not receive a new one through this route, and a driver who moves the plate to another vehicle receives the new design as part of that transfer. No fee applies to the replacement itself.

Truck plates starting with Y

Truck plates beginning with Y follow the transfer rule that applies to the G, H, J, and K passenger series. The exchange happens when the plate moves to another vehicle, not on a fixed date. A truck owner who never transfers the plate stays on the current design until another event replaces it.

Specialty and personalized plates

A specialty plate is not converted by the series rules, because its design belongs to the category it was issued for. A personalized plate moves to the new base when the design changes, and the characters carry over without a new personalization charge. The request still has to repeat the configuration exactly.

Confirming which plate you have

Three checks settle the question: the first character of the plate number, the description on the registration card, and the condition of the plate itself. The prefix decides whether a replacement is automatic, and the card confirms the number the bureau holds.

Reading the prefix

The first character places a passenger plate in a series. A plate beginning with D, E, or F is in the group that is mailed a replacement, while one beginning with G, H, J, or K is exchanged at transfer. A truck plate beginning with Y follows the transfer rule. Any other prefix falls outside the scheduled routes.

Checking the registration card

The card lists the plate number exactly as the bureau holds it, including any dash or space on a personalized plate. Comparing that number with the plate on the vehicle confirms the series and shows whether the card has already been updated for a replacement. A card that shows a different number from the plate means one of the two is out of date.

Judging the condition of the plate

A plate has to be legible at 50 feet. Blistering, peeling, discoloration, or a loss of reflectivity can push a plate past that limit even when the characters are still readable up close. A plate in that condition qualifies for replacement on illegibility grounds, and that request runs through Form MV-46 with verification by law enforcement or a certified inspection station.

How to request the new design

An owner holding the older base can ask for the new design before the plate wears out. The request uses a dedicated form and carries a fee that depends on the plate type.

Form MV-44LB

Form MV-44LB is the application for a new style registration plate. The owner checks the box for the Liberty Bell plate, enters the information as it appears on the current registration card, and attaches a photograph of the plate being replaced. A personalized plate request must repeat the configuration exactly, including any dash or space, so the characters carry over.

Replacement fees

The charge depends on the plate being replaced, and a personalized plate is exempt when the design changes.

Payment goes to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by check or money order, and cash is not accepted with the mailed application.

Before mailing the form

The form works best with the registration card in hand. The owner needs the plate number, the vehicle identification number, and the name and address exactly as the bureau records them. A photograph of the current plate should show the whole plate, including the border and every character, because the bureau uses it to confirm what is being replaced.

Form MV-44LB, field by field

The form is short, and most of its length is the certification and the payment block. The parts that cause returns are the plate selection and the personalized characters, because both have to match the record exactly.

Owner and vehicle details

The first section identifies the registrant and the vehicle. The name and address must match the registration card, and the vehicle identification number has to be the one on the Pennsylvania record. A middle initial or a suffix that appears on the card should appear on the form as well, since a mismatch can hold the request at intake.

Plate selection

The form asks which style is being requested, and the Liberty Bell option produces the new base. The current plate number goes in the same section, so the bureau can tie the request to the registration being replaced. Selecting a style the owner did not intend sends the application back rather than producing a different plate.

Personalized characters

A personalized request repeats the configuration exactly, including the dash or the space. The characters are checked against the record for the plate being replaced, and a request that adds, drops, or moves a character is treated as a new personalization rather than a design change. That distinction matters, because the design-change replacement does not carry a personalization charge.

Photograph, signature, and payment

The photograph supports the replacement request, and the signature certifies that the information is accurate. An unsigned form is returned, and a photograph that does not show the full plate can delay the request. A check or money order payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania belongs with the signed form, and cash should not be placed in the envelope.

Standard versus personalized replacement

The two paths differ in charge and in what has to be proved. A standard plate is replaced on the new base for a set charge, while a personalized plate moves to the new base without a charge when the design is the reason for the replacement.

The standard path

A standard request uses Form MV-44LB and carries the standard replacement charge listed in the fee table. The plate number stays the same, and the registration card is updated to show the new design. The old plate comes off the vehicle when the new one arrives and goes back to the bureau.

The personalized path

A personalized plate keeps its characters and moves to the new base without a personalization charge. The request repeats the configuration exactly, and it is processed as a design change rather than as a new order. The registration behind the plate does not change, and the expiration date stays where it was.

Why the charge differs

The standard charge covers production of a new plate. A personalized plate already carries a personalization fee from its original issuance, and a design change does not repeat that charge. The amount appears in the fee table rather than on the application itself.

Returning the old plate

The plate that comes off the vehicle is returned to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles Return Tag Unit, PO Box 68597, Harrisburg PA 17106-8597. The bureau marks it as a dead tag when it arrives, which closes the record on that plate. A plate kept in a garage after replacement sits outside that record and can be mistaken for a current plate.

Switching from a specialty plate

A driver who moves from a specialty design to the standard plate receives the new base rather than the specialty artwork. That rule applies to military, organization, and special fund plates.

What carries over

The registration itself does not change, and the expiration date stays the same. What is lost is the specialty design and any personalization attached to that design unless the owner reapplies for it. PennDOT replaces the specialty plate with a standard plate in the new style, and the specialty fee already paid is not refunded.

Order of operations

The switch starts with a decision about the base. An owner who wants the standard design files the request and receives the new base; an owner who wants to keep a specialty design stays on that plate. The two cannot be combined in one request, so the choice has to be made before the form is mailed.

Personalization on a specialty base

A specialty plate can carry personalized characters, and that personalization is ordered on the specialty base rather than on the standard one. Moving from that plate to the standard base means giving up the specialty artwork, and the characters can be carried over only by repeating them on the new request.

Frequent mistakes with the new plate request

Most delays come from a handful of errors, and each one is visible before the envelope is sealed.

Using the wrong form

Form MV-44LB is for a new-style standard plate. A request that changes personalized characters is a different transaction, and a plate being replaced for damage follows the replacement rules rather than the design-change route. Filing the wrong form returns the packet without a plate.

Mismatched plate numbers

The plate number on the form has to match the registration card, including any dash or space. A number typed from memory, or copied from a renewal notice that predates a replacement, can be wrong. Checking the card against the plate before writing anything down prevents the most frequent return.

Missing photograph or payment

The photograph and the payment are part of the application rather than optional extras. A packet missing either one is held, and the delay is measured from the day the missing item arrives. Both should be checked before the envelope goes out.

Official sources

The standard issue page and the fee schedule below are the documents behind this page.

Frequently Asked Questions

These are the questions readers send most often about the new Pennsylvania plate, answered with the current rules and forms.

Is the new Pennsylvania plate available now?

Yes. PennDOT introduced the Liberty Bell design in June 2025 and issues every standard plate on that base. A first registration arrives with the new design, and an older plate can be swapped with Form MV-44LB.

Can I keep my old plate instead?

A plate that is still readable and properly registered can stay on the vehicle until it needs replacement. PennDOT replaces certain series automatically, and those plates must be exchanged when the letter arrives.

How much does it cost to get the new design?

A standard plate is replaced at the standard replacement fee, and a personalized plate is replaced at no charge when the design changes. Payment goes by check or money order with the mailed application, and cash is not accepted.

Will my personalized characters carry over?

Yes, when the request repeats the configuration exactly, including any dash or space. A personalized plate keeps its characters through the design change, and the replacement does not require a new personalization fee.

Why did PennDOT mail me a new plate without a request?

Certain plate series are being replaced in order. Passenger plates starting with D, E, or F are mailed to owners, while plates starting with G, H, J, or K and truck plates starting with Y are replaced at transfer. No fee applies to those replacements.