What Does PM Mean On A License Plate?

On the whole, license plates are a pretty mundane part of the modern world. They signify that a given vehicle is registered and traceable to a specific person, and it's required by law that they're applied to one or both ends of a given vehicle and visible. At the same time, there's a bit more to them than their basic purpose. Different states and countries have unique designs to their plates, thus making them quite collectible. In fact, one California license plate was valued at over $24 million. Not to mention, there are also personalized vanity plates, which have proven how faulty the traffic ticket system is for decades. 

There are even some infrequently seen identifiers one might happen to spot while on the road. A more recent deviation from the standard license plate is the seldomly-seen PM sticker on some Florida plates. It's the state's replacement for a traditional registration sticker, signifying that the label is permanent. It's not used by regular drivers and is rather intended for rental companies out of convenience. With that said, it doesn't ultimately bring along any special treatment. These companies and their vehicles are still subject to the same fees and renewal deadlines as they were previously.

Even though the introduction of the PM tag is said to make things easier for rental companies, some within the general public have criticized the move since it became official.

[Featured image by Joshashmore via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY SA 4.0]

Prior to the launch of Florida's PM-designated rental plates, in 2021, rental vehicles were identified in different ways. Decades ago, rental cars were identified by the plate number beginning with Y or Z — a practice that came with its share of problems. Back in 1993, the Tampa Bay Times reported that this identifier put a major target on tourists' backs, as criminals took these plates to mean they were viable options for robberies or general crime. Thus, the decision was ultimately made that year to end this practice altogether.

Almost a full 30 years later, the PM stickers came to fruition, prompting many to have flashbacks to the Y and Z license plate era and take to the Internet to voice their concerns over the new protocol. Recalling the dangers that came with that old system, Flyertalk forum member dhacker questioned, "How long until this change is common knowledge among criminals?" On a ClickOrlando news story about the change, one commenter also wondered why the PM tag was implemented given the perils that came with the previous similar system.

While the PM sticker might make registration a tad more convenient for car rental companies, it could serve a similar function for criminals in the end. Hopefully, these labels don't make Florida tourism a nightmare as some fear it could. The last thing anyone wants is for their belongings to be stolen on vacation, or the car itself to be taken and potentially contribute to statistics of which car brands are most commonly stolen in the United States.