Pennsylvania License Plate Slogan: Let Freedom Ring

Pennsylvania's current standard design uses a Liberty Bell background, red state name, and the slogan "LET FREEDOM RING." PennDOT announced the plates as available to order on June 17, 2025.

The state introduced the design ahead of the 2026 commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The slogan frames Pennsylvania through Philadelphia, the Liberty Bell, and the commonwealth's role in early American democracy.

PennDOT says existing standard plate inventory will be used before partners fully transition to the new plate. Current plates remain valid, so the 2017 `visitPA.com` base and the new Let Freedom Ring base overlap on the road.

"Keystone State" first appeared on the 1977 reflective yellow base. It remained through the 1979-1983 serial period, returned in 1987, and continued on the smaller-keystone ABC-1234 base until September 1999.

"You've Got a Friend in Pennsylvania" was a shorter-lived but highly memorable slogan. It ran on the 1983-1987 blue base with yellow lettering, then Pennsylvania returned to "Keystone State."

The old file made "Friend" feel like the central current identity. Historically it is important, but it was a four-year slogan, while Keystone State and the web-address era lasted much longer.

Pennsylvania moved from traditional slogan text to URLs in 1999. The first graphic base used "WWW.STATE.PA.US" from September 1999 through December 2004.

The second graphic base changed the plate line to "visitPA.com" from December 2004 through June 2017. In June 2017, the state kept the same slogan but added a small state outline at the top left.

That 2017 `visitPA.com` design remained the active standard issue until the Let Freedom Ring transition in 2025, with old inventory still being issued while supplies last.

Pennsylvania's slogan history is more precise than a simple "Friend" to "Keystone" story. It includes a Bicentennial base, two Keystone periods, a short tourism-friendliness slogan, two URL bases, and the current Liberty Bell design.

The current plate change is not an instant replacement of every Pennsylvania plate. PennDOT says the new design is optional for drivers with current plates.

Dealers and online messengers are using existing standard plate inventory before moving fully to the new design.

For content accuracy, `Let Freedom Ring` should be the current slogan, while `visitPA.com` should be described as the previous/current-overlap inventory base.