Despite the club's name, many members also collect and exchange license plates from vehicles other than automobiles.
ALPCA currently has 3,150 registered members and more than 10,894 registered member numbers, although many of the earlier—and therefore lower-numbered—members are now deceased or are no longer members. The club hosts an annual convention each June or July that attracts several hundred members, and regional meets take place in a number of countries throughout the year.
ALPCA members often consult the media for stories on issues in automobilia.
| ALPCA Plates of the Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Jurisdiction | Times won | Design | Type | Image |
| 1970 | Northwest Territories | 1 | "Centennial" | general | |
| 1971 | Pennsylvania | 1 | "Bicentennial State" | general | |
| 1972 | Wyoming | 1 | bucking bronco | general | |
| 1973 | Prince Edward Island | 1 | "The Place To Be ... In 73" | general | |
| 1974 | South Dakota | 1 | Mount Rushmore | general | |
| 1975 | Colorado | 1 | "Centennial" | general | |
| 1976 | Michigan | 1 | Bicentennial | general | |
| 1977 | Mississippi | 1 | "The Hospitality State" | general | |
| 1978 | Wyoming | 2 | wooden fence | general | |
| 1979 | Indiana | 1 | "1779 George Rogers Clark" | general | |
| 1980 | Kansas | 1 | wheat | general | |
| 1981 | South Dakota | 2 | Mount Rushmore | general | |
| 1982 | North Carolina | 1 | "First in Flight" | general | |
| 1983 | California | 1 | "The Golden State" | optional | |
| 1984 | Maryland | 1 | "350th Anniversary" | optional | |
| 1985 | Nevada | 1 | Bighorn Sheep | general | |
| North Dakota | 1 | Theodore Roosevelt | optional | ||
| 1986 | Utah | 1 | "Greatest Snow on Earth" | general | |
| 1987 | Idaho | 1 | "Centennial" | optional | |
| 1988 | Oregon | 1 | fir tree | general | |
| 1989 | Nova Scotia | 1 | "Canada's Ocean Playground" | general | |
| Oklahoma | 1 | "OK!" | general | ||
| 1990 | South Carolina | 1 | wren | general | |
| 1991 | Idaho | 2 | "Famous Potatoes" | general | |
| 1992 | Mississippi | 2 | blue gradient | general | |
| 1993 | North Dakota | 2 | "Discover the Spirit" | general | |
| 1994 | Kansas | 2 | wheat | general | |
| 1995 | Texas | 1 | "150 Years of Statehood" | general | |
| Pennsylvania | 2 | "Flagship Niagara" | optional | ||
| 1996 | Arizona | 1 | "Grand Canyon State" | general | |
| 1997 | Manitoba | 1 | "Friendly" | general | |
| Wisconsin | 1 | "Sesquicentennial" | optional | ||
| 1998 | Alaska | 1 | "Gold Rush Centennial" | general | |
| Idaho | 3 | "Wildlife"—elk | optional | ||
| 1999 | Virginia | 1 | "George Washington Bicentennial" | optional | |
| 2000 | Wyoming | 3 | Devil's Tower | general | |
| 2001 | Arkansas | 1 | "The Natural State"—hummingbird | optional | |
| 2002 | Oregon | 2 | "Crater Lake Centennial" | optional | |
| 2003 | Kentucky | 1 | "It's That Friendly" | general | |
| 2004 | Oklahoma | 2 | "State Parks"—pavilion | optional | |
| 2005 | Kansas | 3 | "Home on the Range" | optional | |
| 2006 | South Dakota | 3 | "Great Faces. Great Places." | general | |
| 2007 | Mississippi | 3 | Biloxi Light | general | |