| MINT: | Has never been on a car and has no marks, scratches, or other signs of deterioration. Looks brand new. |
| EXCELLENT: | May or may not have scratches around the bolt holes, very slight scratches confined to area near bolt holes or corners. May have rub marks or a few light scratches on the raised lettering or face. Will have no rust or discoloration. Porcelain plates, in addition to the above, will have less than one square inch total chipping around bolt holes, edges and corners. |
| VERY GOOD: | Scratches around the bolt holes and minor scratches on the face. The paint may be mildly discolored and may have some slight rust along the edges. There may be some road residue on the face. For porcelain plates, in addition to the above, less than 2% background chipped and less than 1% foreground chipped. No single chip larger than one square inch. No retouching. |
| GOOD: | Scratches around the bolt holes and on the face. There may be road residue or pitting. May have some small holes or dents. Some fading or discoloration or slight rust on the face is acceptable. For porcelain plates, in addition to the above, up to 3% of the background may be chipped, but no more than 2% of the foreground. May have minor retouching. |
| FAIR: | Heavy scratching, moderate to severe fading or discoloration, damaged corners, torn bolt holes, light to moderate rust on the face, heavy rust on the edges and bolt holes. May have large holes or dents that cannot be easily repaired. For porcelain plates, in addition to the above, may have up to 20% porcelain missing. Seals may be missing. |
| POOR: | May have complete rust on the face, major dents, and have large holes or missing portions. These plates are usually not suitable for display. |
| REPAINT: | A plate that has been repainted to look like new. The condition may vary. |
| UNUSED: | Usually an excellent or mint plate. This designation is normally used in conjunction with other grades. |
The following states do not manufacture pairs, only single plates:
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
All other states and Washington DC manufacture pairs.