Top 100: Which car brands bear the most low-digit black-and-white plates in Delaware?

Ryan Cormier, Delaware News Journal
Updated ·4 min read

It was a question that piqued the interest of Delaware black-and-white, low-digit tag guru Jordan Irazabal.

A reader of his website (theDelaware3000.org) asked if he knew the breakdown of what makes of vehicles bear the lowest digit (and most valuable) tags in the state.

Irazabal, a tag collector on a quest to collect photographs of the lowest 3,000-digit plates, decided to raid his archives and examine his photographs of tags 4 to 100 to crunch some numbers and deliver an answer.

The top three tags are used by the state's top in-office officials ― No. 1 belongs to the Delaware governor, No. 2 to the lieutenant governor and No. 3 to the secretary of state ― so Irazabal focused on the 97 privately owned tags.

In Delaware, these rare low-digit tags often are passed down from family member to family member. They drip with prestige and are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars through private sale and auction.

You may assume the vehicles toting a black-and-white Nos. 100 and lower are all luxury cars, but that's not necessarily the case.

A Bentley bears the No. 9 Delaware black-and-white license plate.
A Bentley bears the No. 9 Delaware black-and-white license plate.

Top 10 vehicle makes with low-digit tags Nos. 100 and below

Here are the car brands for the most coveted low-digit tags in the state, based on the most recent photographs either taken by Irazabal or contributors to his website, which has a sister page on Facebook (@thedelaware3000).

TheDelaware3000.org's Jordan Irazabal of Wilmington has been collecting photos of Delaware's lowest number license plates since 2007.
TheDelaware3000.org's Jordan Irazabal of Wilmington has been collecting photos of Delaware's lowest number license plates since 2007.

  • 12: Mercedes-Benz

  • 12: Cadillac

  • 8: Chevrolet

  • 7: Range Rover

  • 6: Lincoln

  • 5: Bentley

  • 5: BMW

  • 5: Ford

  • 5: Porsche

  • 4: Jaguar

Bottom 19 vehicle makes with low-digit tags Nos. 100 and below

And here are the brands that round out the top 100.

Not every vehicle with an ultra low-digit Delaware license plate is a luxury vehicle. No. 19 is found on a Honda Accord.
Not every vehicle with an ultra low-digit Delaware license plate is a luxury vehicle. No. 19 is found on a Honda Accord.

  • 3: Audi

  • 3: GMC

  • 3: Toyota

  • 3: Volvo

  • 2: Jeep

  • 1: Buick

  • 1: Chrysler

  • 1: Dodge

  • 1: Genesis

  • 1: Honda

  • 1: International

  • 1: Kia

  • 1: Lexus

  • 1: Lucid

  • 1: Mini

  • 1: Plymouth

  • 1: Stanley

  • 1: Subaru

  • 1: Tesla

List of vehicle makes with low-digit tags Nos. 100 and below from 2018

If you're curious how the makes for the lowest-digit license plates in Delaware has changed over the years, here is the list from 2018 from Irazabal's archives.

One of the most unique vehicles with an ultra low-digit black-and-white Delaware tag can be found at Yorklyn's Marshall Steam Museum, appropriately attached to their 1913 Stanley Touring Model 76.
One of the most unique vehicles with an ultra low-digit black-and-white Delaware tag can be found at Yorklyn's Marshall Steam Museum, appropriately attached to their 1913 Stanley Touring Model 76.

  • 19: Mercedes-Benz

  • 12: Cadillac

  • 7: BMW

  • 7: Chevrolet

  • 5: Ford

  • 5: GMC

  • 5: Range Rover

  • 5: Jaguar

  • 3: Bentley

  • 3: Buick

  • 3: Lexus

  • 3: Lincoln

  • 3: Porsche

  • 2: Jeep

  • 2: Audi

  • 2: Honda

  • 2: Subaru

  • 2: Volvo

  • 1: Toyota

  • 1: Saturn

  • 1: Stanley

  • 1: Chrysler

  • 1: International

  • 1: Mini

  • 1: Plymouth

List of vehicle makes with low-digit tags Nos. 100 and below from 2013

And here is the list from a decade ago, also from Irazabal's archives.

Only one Tesla is currently known to have a Delaware black-and-white license plate in single or double digits: No. 77.
Only one Tesla is currently known to have a Delaware black-and-white license plate in single or double digits: No. 77.

  • 18: Mercedes-Benz

  • 13: Cadillac

  • 13: Chevrolet

  • 6: Buick

  • 6: Lincoln

  • 5: BMW

  • 4: Ford

  • 3: Honda

  • 3: Jaguar

  • 3: Jeep

  • 3: Lexus

  • 3: Volvo

  • 2: Audi

  • 2: Bentley

  • 2: Chrysler

  • 2: Toyota

  • 1: Mini

  • 1: Plymouth

  • 1: Porsche

  • 1: Range Rover

  • 1: Saturn

  • 1: Stanley

  • 1: Dodge

  • 1: Aston Martin

  • 1: GMC

The lowest-digit tags in Delaware, broken down by county

2023: New Castle County (45), Kent County (11) and Sussex County (41)

2018: New Castle County (49), Kent County (11) and Sussex County (37)

2013: New Castle County (50), Kent County (12) and Sussex County (35)

Big-dollar tags: One could be worth $1.5 million

When it comes to sales of the much-wanted low-digit Delaware tags, the highest recent sale was No. 20 for $410,000 in 2018.

Delaware tag No. 20, sold for $410,000 in 2018.
Delaware tag No. 20, sold for $410,000 in 2018.

Among the sales of Nos. 4 through 100 from the past 15 years:

  • $675,000: No. 6 in 2008

  • $325,000: No. 14 in 2016

  • $282,000: No. 37 in 2021

  • $112,000: No. 96 in 2016

So how much could No. 4 go for if it were put up for sale by its owner? Irazabal estimates a cool $1.5 million.

Big dollar: Delaware low-digit tag values

Irazabal's website hosts a regularly updated chart with estimates of low-digit tag valuations. Here are the most recent estimations of worth for Nos. 4 to 200000.

The most prized low-digit Delaware tag is No. 4 since the first three belong to the governor, lieutenant governor and secretary of state. It can be found on a cherry red Audi A3
The most prized low-digit Delaware tag is No. 4 since the first three belong to the governor, lieutenant governor and secretary of state. It can be found on a cherry red Audi A3

  • 4-9: $800,000-$1,500,000

  • 10-29: $500,000-$750,000

  • 30-99: $150,000-$500,000

  • 100-399: $75,000-$130,000

  • 400-999: $40,000-$75,000

  • 1000-1999: $15,000-$22,500

  • 2000-3999: $10,000-$14,000

  • 4000-9999: $5,000-$10,000

  • 10000-19999: $1,500-$2,500

  • 20000-29999: $1,000-$1,500

  • 30000-99999: $500-$1,000

  • 100000-200000: $150-$250

Not every vehicle with an ultra low-digit Delaware license plate is a luxury vehicle. No. 98 is found on a Kia Telluride.
Not every vehicle with an ultra low-digit Delaware license plate is a luxury vehicle. No. 98 is found on a Kia Telluride.

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Irazabal's wish list: Needs photos of only 20 more plates

Since 2007, Irazabal has been on a quest to photograph the 3,000 lowest-digit tags in Delaware and he needs only 20 more to complete his project.

Jordan Irazabal of Wilmington is an aficionado of Delaware's low number license plates and has been collecting photos of them for 17 years.
Jordan Irazabal of Wilmington is an aficionado of Delaware's low number license plates and has been collecting photos of them for 17 years.

His goal is to document Nos. 1-1000, C1-C1000 (commercial) and PC1-PC1000 (pleasure/commercial), and these are the ones he still needs.

  • 524

  • C122

  • C127

  • C250

  • C286

  • C388

  • C506

  • C656

  • C857

  • PC65

  • PC424

  • PC501

  • PC502

  • PC516

  • PC650

  • PC708

  • PC822

  • PC845

  • PC861

  • PC897

You can see photographs of the 2,980 plates he already has documented at thedelaware3000.org/tag-pics.

Have a story idea? Contact Ryan Cormier of Delaware Online/The News Journal at rcormier@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook (@ryancormier) and X (@ryancormier).

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Low-digit tag guru Jordan Irazabal digs into his archives for answers