[1] Plates are issued by the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV).

In 1956, the United States, Canada, and Mexico came to an agreement with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Automobile Manufacturers Association and the National Safety Council that standardized the size for license plates for vehicles (except those for motorcycles) at 6 inches (15 cm) in height by 12 inches (30 cm) in width, with standardized mounting holes.

[2] The first Washington, D.C. license plate that complied with these standards was issued three years beforehand, in 1953 (dated March 31, 1954).

Since November 2000, the standard Washington, D.C. license plate design has featured some form of the slogan "Taxation Without Representation", referring to the circumstance that the district's residents face, in common with U.S. territories, in which they must pay federal income tax but cannot elect a voting member of the United States Congress.

[5] also all-numeric remakes (000-000 format) from the 1984 A Capital City & 1991 Celebrate & Discover bases