Motion Picture Association (Rating Bumpers)

Feature Film Bumpers

Contents

1st Bumper (June 28, 1934-August 1, 1935)	2nd Bumper (November 1, 1968-May 5, 1975)	3rd Bumper (January 25, 1970-March 2, 1984)	4th Bumper (November 1973- )	5th Bumper (2013- )

Trailer Bumpers

Contents

1st Bumper (1967-1968)	2nd Bumper (November 1, 1968-February 1970)	3rd Bumper (1970-1971)	4th Bumper (1970-1984?)	5th Bumper (Spring 1977-1980)


6th Bumper (1979-2009)	7th Bumper (2009-2013)	8th Bumper (April 15, 2013-2018)	9th Bumper (2018- )

Feature Film Bumpers

1st Bumper (June 28, 1934-August 1, 1935)

Visuals: On a gray background, the seal of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA) is seen (in a large size and centered), depicted as a stylized "MPPDA" embedded inside an oval. Superimposed over the seal is the text "This picture approved by the Production Code Administration of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America.", all in uppercase. On the bottom of the screen, the text "Certificate No.", also in uppercase, is seen, with the film's certificate number to the right of that text.

Trivia:

The Production Code Administration required all films released from July 1, 1934 onwards to obtain a certificate of approval before being exhibited to theaters.
The first film to be approved under the 1934 Production Code rules is The World Moves On, released on June 28, 1934 and carrying certificate number 1.
As of April 3, 2024, the highest film certificate number is 54932, issued to Deer Camp '86
Films approved by the MPPDA's New York office until 1968 have a leading zero in the certificate number. Hits of Today (1934), a short subject by Universal Pictures, carried certificate number 01, while The World of Fashion (1968), a documentary by 20th Century Fox was issued certificate number 06854 (the last number with a leading zero).
A letter "R" is added as a suffix to the certificate number for a pre-Production Code film re-released for compliance.
From the beginning of the ratings system in 1968 to 1982, certificate numbers for X-rated films were issued sequentially from 101 in a separate sequence from other films. The first certificate number, 101, was issued to Sin With A Stranger (1968), while Auditions (1978) was issued certificate number 1803 in 1982 (the highest number given to an X-rated film before such films started to receive normal certificate numbers).
In 1935, the MPPDA allowed to just have its seal and the certificate number be incorporated into the titles of short subjects (beginning March 15) and feature films (beginning August 1).

Technique: A still, printed image.

Audio: None.

Availability:

It was seen on MPPDA-approved films released from 1934 to 1935 and pre-Code films re-released for compliance during that time period, including Of Human Bondage (1934, certificate number 53), which has been in the public domain since 1962.
It also appears on 1980s and 1990s videocassette and videodisc prints of Animal Crackers and most prints of Monkey Business.
This bumper usually appeared before the opening titles of the film.

2nd Bumper (November 1, 1968-May 5, 1975)

G rating
X rating

Visuals: Over a sky blue background is the following yellow text:

THE MOTION PICTURE CODE AND RATING ADMINISTRATION

Has Rated This Motion Picture

Below it is one of four ratings, all inside an outlined square unless otherwise noted:

Symbol	Description	Notes
G	Suggested for General Audiences
M	Suggested for Mature Audiences - Parental Discretion Advised
R	Restricted - Persons Under 16 Not Admitted Unless Accompanied by a Parent or Adult Guardian
X	Persons Under 16 Not Admitted - Higher Age Restriction May be Posted in Theatre Lobby	The X is inside an outlined circle instead of being inside an outlined square

The MPAA logo appears below the rating's description. Most of the text is in the Alternate Gothic No. 1 font, while the text "HAS RATED THIS MOTION PICTURE" is in Alternate Gothic No. 3 and the rating letter is in Folio Extra Bold. On the X bumper, "16" is taller than the rest of the text.

Trivia:

The first film to be given an MPAA rating was Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, which was rated G.
The G rating is the only one of the original four ratings that still exists in its original form today.
As X-rated features were disqualified from MPAA approval, the MPAA logo does not appear on any of the X bumpers.
The MPAA released an advertisement for film theaters called GMRX (pronounced as "gym-rex" and named after the original ratings of G, M, R, and X), introducing their then-brand new film rating system.
- Another version of this bumper has the minimum age limit for the X rating raised to 18.

Variant: On Cinema Center Films releases, such as A Boy Named Charlie Brown, the yellow parts are desaturated to match the Cinema Center logo.

Technique: A still, printed image.

Audio: None.

Audio Variants:

On Warner Bros. cartoons such as the 1969 Merrie Melodies short Shamrock and Roll, a fanfare composed by William Lava (which will later become the theme song of The Merrie Melodies Show) plays over the G rating card.
On the Italian Super 8 printing of One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), the audio from the 1985 Walt Disney Pictures logo is heard. This was due to the audio being recorded from the Italian DVD itself.

Availability: It can be seen on MPAA-rated films in the rating system's infancy.

The G bumper appears at the start of the Magnetic Video Corporation releases of Hello, Dolly! (1969) and Don't Drink the Water (1969), the 20th Century-Fox Video release of The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), and the original two-tape Paramount Home Video VHS of True Grit (1969), and is also retained on the DVD and VHS releases of Change of Habit (1969). Its last appearance was at the end of Airport (1970), though it continued to appear at the end of DePatie-Freleng Enterprises short subjects (such as The DogFather) until 1975.
The M bumper appears at the end of the Magnetic Video release of The Only Game in Town (1970) and a 16mm print of On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969). It's also known to have appeared at the start of the 1969 reissues of A Fistful of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More (1965), The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), and Hang 'Em High (1968).
- An in-credit variant appeared on the New York premiere print of Patton (1970), which was used for initial DVD releases (later releases, including the Blu-ray one, use the 1970 bumper as seen in the general release).
The R bumper appears at the start of the Media Home Entertainment release of Rebel Rousers (1970).
The only evidence of the standard X bumper is on an old video print of the original trailer for The Damned (1969). It surprisingly resurfaced at the end of the Amazon Prime print of Fritz the Cat (1972).
The yellow-on-blue color variant is the only one, apart from the odd in-credit variants, to have been used outside of trailers, so don't look for any of the other color variants on feature film prints.

3rd Bumper (January 25, 1970-March 2, 1984)

G rating
GP rating
GP* Rating
Part 1
GP* Rating
Part 2
PG rating
R rating
Blank R rating
X rating

Visuals: On a blue background, a white horizontal stripe is positioned in the middle of the screen, with the following white text centered above it in News Gothic:

THE

MOTION PICTURE
CODE AND RATING
ADMINISTRATION
HAS RATED

THIS MOTION PICTURE

On the stripe is the rating symbol in black, and below the stripe is the rating description, in the same font as the above disclaimer. Below the rating description is the MPAA logo (showing only the globe-and-reel emblem and the organization's name, the latter now being on two rows instead of one). All text, the rating symbol, and the MPAA logo are positioned to the right side of the screen.

Rating Symbols and their Descriptions:

Symbol	Description	Notes
G	All ages admitted - General audiences (1970-1972) General audiences - All ages admitted (1972-1984)
GP 1970-1972	All ages admitted - Parental guidance suggested	Sometimes a disclaimer would say "This film contains material which may not be suitable for pre-teenagers"
PG 1972-1984	Parental guidance suggested - Some material may not be suitable for pre-teenagers
R	Restricted - Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian
X	No one under 17 admitted	The X is inside an outlined circle and the text below reads "NO ONE UNDER 17 ADMITTED" and below that "AGE LIMIT MAY VARY IN CERTAIN AREAS"; the MPAA logo and text are omitted, and, sometimes, if the rating is self-applied, the phrase "THE MOTION PICTURE CODE AND RATING ADMINISTRATION HAS RATED THIS MOTION PICTURE" is replaced with "THIS MOTION PICTURE HAS BEEN RATED"

Trivia:

The GP rating replaced the M rating in 1970, and was in turn replaced by the PG rating on February 11, 1972.
The minimum age limits for the R and X bumpers were raised to 17 in 1970.
MPAA released two film theater advertisements during this time period that each presented the then-current set of film ratings: the first was titled Symbols (1970), which was an update to GMRX, and the second one from 1972 featured Charlton Heston.
- Another version of Symbols had the X rating's minimum age limit raised to 18.
The cover of the Queens of the Stone Age album Rated R (released in 2000) is inspired by the 1970 R rating bumper, the design of which appears at the end of the music video for "Monsters in the Parasol".
The 1970 R rating bumper makes a cameo appearance in the middle of the 1981 film Student Bodies (rather than at the end).

Variants:

On some trailers, the rating/initials, text and MPAA logo may appear in the center rather than to the right.
On The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again, the text is in a different font.
Some PG-rated films have the text "Some material may not be suitable for pre-teenagers" appearing on a single line.
On the 4K Blu-ray release of Halloween, the rating description disappears on one frame.

Technique: A still, printed image.

Audio: None.

Audio Variant: On Brother of the Wind, the second half of the Sun International fanfare is heard.

Availability:

One of the first films to use this bumper was M*A*S*H, which went into wide release in March 1970.
It also appeared at the end of the 2012 IMAX version of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).
This bumper can be seen on some Disney videos, most notably during the Neon Mickey era, and also at the end of the film itself on the 1998 VHS of Taxi Driver (1976) and at the start of some prints of the theatrical version of Angel Heart (1987), including early VHS releases.
It can appear on DVD on many pre-1984 films released by Universal Pictures (restored on most releases). It was also shown in theatres during this era.
- An MCA/Universal Home Video VHS of Dead Reckoning (1990) shows this screen after the MTE logo. This bumper can also be seen at the end of MCA/Universal's promo tape of At Play in the Fields of the Lord (1991).
- Current releases of Jaws (1975) have this bumper plastered with the next bumper, but its sequel kept this bumper.
- It is also intact at the end of the 2002 VHS of E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (1982) with the next bumper proceeding it. (It is possible that Universal forgot to delete this bumper when putting together the VHS release).
The G bumper appears at the end of the 1977 reissue of The War of the Worlds (1953), a print of which was used for the 1979 Paramount Home Video release.
The GP bumper appears on the Blu-ray release of Patton (1970).
The R bumper appears on the 1994 Live Home Video laser videodisc release of First Blood (1982), and was also seen at the end of the Fotomat Video release of The Psychic (1977); it is unknown whether it's also preserved on the Catalina Home Video and/or Lightning Video releases of the same.
The X bumper appeared on the Magnetic Video release of Last Tango in Paris (1972), but not the 20th Century-Fox Video laser videodisc, and was also seen on the trailer of The Telephone Book (under the title Hot Number) (1971).
In Australia, this has been spotted at the end of a early 1990s CIC VIdeo release of The Blues Brothers (1980).

4th Bumper (November 1973- )

1973-1983

G rating (standard)
G rating
One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961, reissued 1979)
PG rating (standard)
PG rating
Die, Sister, Die! (1978)
R rating (standard)
R rating
Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979)
X rating

1983-present

G rating
PG rating
Shrek (2001, 35mm theatrical print)
PG rating
Coraline (2009)

Visuals: On a blue background, the text "THIS MOTION PICTURE HAS BEEN RATED" is seen, with one of the following ratings below it (inside a box with the rating symbol and its name on one row, and the rating's description on another row below):

Symbol	Description	Notes
	General audiences - All ages admitted
	Parental guidance suggested - Some material may not be suitable for pre-teenagers (1973-1984) Parental guidance suggested - Some material may not be suitable for children (1984- )
	Parents are strongly cautioned to give special guidance for attendance of children under 13 - Some material may be inappropriate for young children (1984-1986) Parents strongly cautioned - Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13 (1986- )	Introduced on July 1, 1984
	Restricted - Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian
X 1973-1990	No one under 17 admitted	The phrase "THIS MOTION PICTURE HAS BEEN RATED" is bigger and now on two lines, the rating box is replaced by the letter X inside an outlined circle with a thicker border, the phrase "NO ONE UNDER 17 ADMITTED" to the right of the symbol in a bold Helvetica-like font, and below is "AGE LIMIT MAY VARY IN CERTAIN AREAS" in two lines and in a Helvetica-like font. Both the phrase mentioning the Code/Classification and Rating Administration and the MPAA logo are omitted.
1990-	No children under 17 admitted (1990-1996) Adults Only - No one 17 and under admitted (1996- )	Introduced on September 27, 1990

On the bottom of the rating box are the words "BY THE CODE AND RATING ADMINISTRATION", and below that phrase is the MPAA logo. The phrase "BY THE CODE AND RATING ADMINISTRATION" was changed to "BY THE CLASSIFICATION AND RATING ADMINISTRATION" beginning on October 7, 1983, with Never Say Never Again. The PG rating card was the first to undergo this makeover; the R rating card followed a couple of months later on Gorky Park, while the G rating card continued in its original form as late as January 17, 1986.

Trivia:

On July 1, 1984, the PG-13 rating was introduced as a response to complaints about violence and gore in PG-rated films. The first film to be released with this rating was Red Dawn.
On September 27, 1990, the X rating was replaced by the NC-17 rating, and in 1996, the minimum age limit for said rating was raised to 18. The first film released in theaters with an NC-17 rating was Henry & June.

Variants:

On at least one red band movie trailer from 1973-1983, the bumper was on a red background.
Starting in 2004, the bumpers feature the URLs "www.filmratings.com" and "www.mpaa.org".
The fonts used for the text and rating symbols varied from 1973 to 1983; normally the rating itself was set in Clarendon Bold, but sometimes it would appear in its original font. The text "THIS MOTION PICTURE HAS BEEN RATED" was usually seen with the words "MOTION PICTURE" in Helvetica Black and the rest of the text in Cheltenham Bold Condensed. Also, the earlier PG rating variant reads "PRE-TEENAGERS" instead of "CHILDREN", and the earlier PG-13 bumper reads "Parents Are Strongly Cautioned to Give Special Guidance for Attendance of Children Under 13/Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Young Children" instead of "PARENTS STRONGLY CAUTIONED/SOME MATERIAL MAY BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN UNDER 13." The original variant was mainly seen on trailers, but also appeared on some films including the 1977 re-release of THX-1138 (1971), as well as The Evictors (1979), Stardust Memories (1980), Raging Bull (1980), Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982), and The Adventures of the American Rabbit (1986). Its earliest known appearance was on Little Miss Innocence (1973).
On black and white features such as Raging Bull and Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, the background is black.
Beginning around 1991, the PG bumper has the MPAA logo appear beside "Parental Guidance Suggested".
On the 1994 reissue of Woodstock (1970), "THIS MOTION PICTURE HAS BEEN RATED" is replaced with "WOODSTOCK, 3 DAYS OF PEACE & MUSIC", with "HAS BEEN RATED" directly below, and "BY THE" and the MPAA name below its logo are omitted for some reason. Additionally, the whole screen burns up several seconds in, with the R rating itself being the first to catch fire, and after the flames dissipate, only the top line of text remains.
20th Century Fox used a variation only on their VHS tapes from 2002 to December 2005, where it showed a bigger version of the bumper. However, the PG-13 version contains an error with the rectangle saying "RESTRICTED" instead of "PARENTS STRONGLY CAUTIONED". On their DVD counterparts, it is the normal versions.
Paramount also used their own variation from 2000 to 2017. It's the same as the normal bumper, but on a black background instead of the usual blue. The words "This motion picture has been rated" are in lowercase, and the additional text "For more information on the film ratings go to www.filmratings.com." appears at the bottom of the screen. The Paramount variation is not used on Paramount releases of movies from CBS as it used the CBS Video logo.
Sony Pictures also used their own version of the bumper from 2002 to 2013; similar to Paramount's, it was originally on a black background, but in 2004 it was put on a blue background, and there's no text on the top or bottom. However, the PG-13 version contains an error with the rectangle saying "PARENTAL GUIDANCE SUGGESTED" instead of "PARENTS STRONGLY CAUTIONED".
Some home video releases from New Line Cinema (2001-2006 for VHS and 2007-2008 for DVD) have an additional row added below the rating box to display the content descriptor. This variant is still in use as of 2021, even after the introduction of the redesigned rating box in 2013, the theatrical version of this bumper being phased out in 2017, and MPAA's renaming to Motion Picture Association in 2019.
- For some films rated PG and higher, the space for the content descriptor is left blank, and below the MPAA logo is the following text, all in uppercase and in the same font as the rest of the text: "[Name of film] has been rated [rating of film] for [reason for rating]", with the font for the film's name (and sometimes the rating) in a slightly larger size. The bumper content from "This motion picture has been rated" up to the MPAA logo is moved upwards to give way for the content descriptor text.
- At the bottom of the screen, the URL "www.filmratings.com" is always shown, either aligned to the left (in the case of the G rating box or if the rating box for a film rated PG or higher has a content descriptor space already in use) or centered (if the content descriptor space for the rating box is left blank and the text of the content descriptor instead appears below the MPAA logo).
On Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (2002), the PG rating is integrated into the closing credits, with the text "This film is rated" above it.
English-dubbed prints of X: The Destiny War (1996, released in 2000 in North America) had the R rating fade in austerely against a black screen, with no text above or below.

Technique: A still, printed image.

Audio: None. The X: The Destiny War variant of the R rating had the closing notes of "Forever Love" by X Japan playing over it.

Availability: The 1973-1983 versions were used in tandem with the 1970 "White Stripe" bumper, with the G bumper lasting until at least The Adventures of the American Rabbit. Even after the 2013 bumper was introduced, this one still appears in theaters at the end of newer releases, and on some post-2017 Warner Bros. titles.

The 1973 variant can be seen on early home video releases of films like the initial releases of Stardust Memories and The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie; later releases of these films typically remove these bumpers, sometimes plastering them with other MPAA bumpers.
Seen on many post-1984 Universal films on their DVDs, as well as at the end of some New Line DVDs, the 2001 20th Century Fox DVD of White Men Can't Jump, the 2004 Walt Disney DVD of The Haunted Mansion, the Artisan DVD of Novocaine, the 2003 Warner Bros./Morgan Creek Extended Version DVD of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, the 1993-95 Columbia TriStar VHS releases of A Few Good Men and Bad Boys, and the 2005 Lions Gate Home Entertainment DVD of Wooly Boys.
Only pre-2013 Disney DVD/Blu-ray/VHS releases don't use this screen (perhaps because the rating symbol and the box already appear on the back of the cover). However, there are two exceptions: the PG-13 bumper oddly appears at the end of the Blu-ray release of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), and the PG bumper appears at the end of the Blu-ray release of The Incredibles (2004).
This plasters older MPAA bumpers on some current releases from Universal on DVD and Blu-ray, including Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969, titled Doppelgänger in Europe) and The Thing (1982).
The PG variant appeared at the end of the UK and Australian DVD releases of Ice Age (2002). It also popped up at the end of Fathom Events' 2017 screening of An Affair to Remember (1957), even though it appears that the film (or any alternate version of it) was never rated by the MPAA.
The 1983 variant of the PG bumper additionally appeared at the end of IMAX 3D presentations of Michael Jackson's Thriller, which was presented as the short subject before The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018) in its first week at the IMAX.
The PG version was strangely spotted on VHS releases of Swimfan and The Rundown instead of the PG-13 version, while the DVD of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas features the PG-13 version instead of the PG one, and the VHS of Mona Lisa Smile mistakenly includes the R version.
The X: The Destiny War variant can be seen on the dubbed version on VHS; it is unknown if it appears on the DVD release.
The alternate variant of the 1973 bumper can be seen on the trailer for the 1979 re-release of One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), which is included on most DVD and Blu-ray releases of the film as a bonus feature.
This is usually seen on the start and end of Amazon Freevee (formerly IMDb TV) prints of films, often preceding an FBI warning screen.
The X bumper is known to have appeared in its 1973-1983 variant (the source of the known existing capture is unknown); if a 1983 variant was ever created, it would've been used on features that were rated X by the MPAA.
The G bumper appears at the end of the Shout! Factory Blu-ray of FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992).

5th Bumper (2013- )

PG rating
Turbo (2013)

PG-13 rating
Dune (2021)
R rating
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)

Visuals: Same as the previous bumper, but the rating box has been redesigned and now shows the rating reason on the right side of the rating box instead of on the bottom. The font used for the rating has been changed to Franklin Gothic (except for the rating symbol itself), with all other onscreen text set in Gotham.

For the G rating card, "GENERAL AUDIENCES" is instead displayed on the content descriptor space.
For the PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17 rating cards, the first part of the rating description (e.g. "ADULTS ONLY" for a film rated NC-17) is displayed as a heading (in inverted colors) at the top of the box containing the rating symbol.
The bottom row of the rating box contains the second part of the rating description (e.g. "All Ages Admitted" for a G-rated film).

Rating Boxes and Their Descriptions:

Rating Box	Description
	General Audiences - All Ages Admitted
	Parental Guidance Suggested - Some Material May Not Be Suitable for Children
	Parents Strongly Cautioned - Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Children Under 13
	Restricted - Under 17 Requires Accompanying Parent or Adult Guardian
	Adults Only - No One 17 and Under Admitted

Trivia:

As part of its "Check the Box" rating awareness campaign, MPAA released a PSA that explains the content descriptor panel on the right side of the redesigned rating box.

Variants:

On pre-2019 Universal Studios Home Entertainment releases, such as Despicable Me 2, Jobs, Jurassic World, Minions, both The Secret Life of Pets films, Sing, Despicable Me 3, The Grinch (2018), and Abominable, the rating symbol, the MPAA logo, and all the text have a drop shadow effect. The word "for" is removed and the text is in Helvetica.
Starting in November 2019, after the Motion Picture Association of America's renaming to the Motion Picture Association, the organization's name and the line below it in the MPAA logo are replaced by the letters "MPA", and the URL "www.mpaa.org" was changed to "www.motionpictures.org". However, some films such as Spies in Disguise used the previous bumper instead.
Since 2021, Paramount has used a variation of this bumper where the text "THIS MOTION PICTURE HAS BEEN RATED" and the URLs are in Helvetica, the MPA globe's outlines are thicker, and the "MPA" wordmark is in a different font.

Technique: A still, digital graphic.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen on Sony Pictures Home Entertainment releases, 20th Century Fox/Studios Home Entertainment releases until April 14, 2020, Universal Studios Home Entertainment releases on DVD and Blu-ray, and most post-2017 Warner Bros. DVD and Blu-ray releases. This also appears at the end of a few odd theatrical releases, such as Pompeii (2014, from TriStar Pictures), The F Word (2013, from Entertainment One, also titled What If), and Step Up: All In (2014, from Summit Entertainment). Again, this doesn't appear on post-2013 Disney DVD/Blu-ray releases, nor on 20th Century Studios releases since May 12, 2020. This began appearing on Paramount releases in 2017, starting with Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. Some Warner Bros. titles like Scoob! use the previous bumper instead.

Trailer Bumpers

1st Bumper (1967-1968)

Visuals: At the end of a film trailer, on various backgrounds (which vary depending on the trailer; see the Variants section below) is the phrase "Suggested for Mature Audiences".

Variants:

Valley of the Dolls: The bumper has the phrase in a white sans-serif font inside a white-outlined box on a red background.
Barbarella: The bumper has the phrase in a white Peignot font and slightly aligned to the right on a blue background.
Wild in the Streets (1968): Same as in Valley of the Dolls, but with the addition of the MPAA globe insignia (in white and horizontally center-aligned) along the bottom border of the box.
The Anniversary (1968): Similar to Wild in the Streets, but with the MPAA globe insignia positioned along the top border of the box instead. The phrase, box border, and the MPAA insignia are colored yellow and the background color is black.

Technique: A still, printed image.

Audio: None.

Availability: It was seen on trailers of movies from 1967 to 1968, such as Rosemary's Baby, Barbarella, and Valley of the Dolls.

2nd Bumper (November 1, 1968-February 1970)

G rating (white-on-black variant with blue rating symbol)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
X rating (white-on-blue variant)
Medium Cool (1969)

Visuals: Same as the feature film bumper of the era.

Rating Symbols and Their Descriptions:

Symbol	Description	Notes
G	Suggested for General Audiences
M	Suggested for Mature Audiences - Parental Discretion Advised
R	Restricted - Persons Under 16 Not Admitted Unless Accompanied by a Parent or Adult Guardian
X	Persons Under 16 Not Admitted - Higher Age Restriction May be Posted in Theatre Lobby	The X is inside an outlined circle instead of being inside an outlined square

Variants:

Some trailers have the bumper appear in different colors. Among them were white-on-blue, white-on-green, white-on-red, red-on-black, yellow-on-black, and white-on-black.
For X-rated movies, "16" is at the same height as the rest of the text in its line on these variants, unlike the feature film bumper.
Trailers for most United Artists films from this era used the white-on-black variant, but with the rating symbol in blue, to match the Transamerica T motif. Also, there is no "MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA" text under the MPAA logo.
A unique bumper has the background a darker blue and the text and rating symbol a slightly darker shade of yellow. This is only known to have appeared on a trailer for The Girl on a Motorcycle (1968).
Most X bumpers on trailers had the text and rating symbol wipe in from left to right. This was seen on trailers for Medium Cool and Can Hieronymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? (both released in 1969), both of which used the white-on-blue variant.

Technique: None usually, but most X bumpers have the text and rating symbol wipe in from left to right.

Audio: None.

Audio Variants:

Some bumpers feature an announcer which says the film's rating aloud.
- On a trailer for The Girl on a Motorcycle, a male announcer says "This picture has been rated X".

Availability: It can be seen on trailers for MPAA-rated films of the time like True Grit (1969), The Wild Bunch, and The Girl on a Motorcycle.

The G bumper appears at the end of the 1969 reissue trailer for One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), which is seen on the 2008 DVD release.

3rd Bumper (1970-1971)

Visuals: Same as the United Artists variant of the previous bumper, except one of the following ratings are shown (and in different fonts, namely for the rating initials, i.e. GP):

Symbol	Description	Notes
G	All ages admitted - General audiences
GP	All ages admitted - Parental guidance suggested
R	Restricted - Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian
X	No one under 17 admitted	The X is inside an outlined circle and the text below reads "NO ONE UNDER 17 ADMITTED" and below that "AGE LIMIT MAY VARY IN CERTAIN AREAS"; the MPAA logo and text are omitted and, sometimes, if the rating is self-applied, the phrase "THE MOTION PICTURE CODE AND RATING ADMINISTRATION HAS RATED THIS MOTION PICTURE" is replaced with "THIS MOTION PICTURE HAS BEEN RATED"

The text "THE MOTION PICTURE CODE AND RATING ADMINISTRATION" appears to be set in Helvetica Compressed, while the rest of the text (sans the rating symbol, which is in an unidentified serif typeface) is set in Akzidenz-Grotesk. Also, the background color is black and the "Motion Picture Association of America" text with underline do not appear under the MPAA logo. The rating box and symbol are in color as well, usually the result of a tint (exceptions include Love Story and most anything United Artists advertised, the latter where the rating symbol is once again deliberately blue to match the Transamerica "T").

Variants:

This appeared with a blue background on a trailer for Love Story (1970).
One variant of the GP bumper has the background in dark blue and the text above the rating symbol formatted in the same way as the upper text from the "White Stripe" bumper.
One variant of the X bumper had the rating symbol in red appear in an outlined square instead of a circle. The text at the top instead reads "THIS MOTION PICTURE HAS BEEN RATED", and the text below it reads "Due to the extremely graphic nature of this motion picture, no one under 17 will be admitted." This is presumed to have appeared on an early trailer for Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (which was initially released with an X rating but was later reissued with its current R rating), but the only confirmed sighting thus far is at the end of a trailer for Machete as seen on the 2007 film Grindhouse.

Technique: A still, printed image.

Audio: None.

Availability:

Films which have this on their trailers include The Boys in the Band, THX-1138, Love Story, The Hawaiians, I Drink Your Blood, and End of the Road (all 1970).
The GP variant with the dark blue background and the upper text being in the same layout and font as the one in the "White Stripe" bumper can be seen on a trailer for The Walking Stick.

4th Bumper (1970-1984?)

R rating variant
The Steagle (1971)

Visuals: Same as the feature film bumper of the era.

Rating Symbols and Their Descriptions:

Symbol	Description	Notes
G	All ages admitted - General audiences (1970-1972) General audiences - All ages admitted (1972-1984)
GP 1970-1972	All ages admitted - Parental guidance suggested	Sometimes a disclaimer would say "This film contains material which may not be suitable for pre-teenagers"
PG 1972-1984	Parental guidance suggested - Some material may not be suitable for pre-teenagers
R	Restricted - Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian
X	No one under 17 admitted	The X is inside an outlined circle and the text below reads "NO ONE UNDER 17 ADMITTED" and below that "AGE LIMIT MAY VARY IN CERTAIN AREAS"; the MPAA logo and text are omitted, and sometimes, if the rating is self-applied, the phrase "THE MOTION PICTURE CODE AND RATING ADMINISTRATION HAS RATED THIS MOTION PICTURE" is replaced with "THIS MOTION PICTURE HAS BEEN RATED"

Variants:

On some R-rated trailers, the words "This Preview has been Approved by the Motion Picture Association of America for General Audiences." is shown on top of the bumper, and all text except for the rating symbol is in Helvetica.
- Sometimes, the word "Preview" is entirely in uppercase.
On some GP-rated trailers, an asterisk appears beside the GP symbol, then moves to the left side of the screen a few seconds later, with text appearing beside it that reads "THIS FILM CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR PRE-TEENAGERS".
On some PG-rated trailers, the text above the white stripe is in a Helvetica-like font and the words "PARENTAL GUIDANCE SUGGESTED" are in a bold Futura-like font. Sometimes, the MPAA logo may not appear.
On the trailer for Infra-Man (1975), the stripe background and rating symbol are in white, while the stripe, text, and MPAA logo are in green.

Technique: A still, printed image.

Audio: None, or the music that comes with the trailer. Some trailers have the film's rating (with or without its corresponding description) being said aloud.

Availability:

Can be seen at the end of a 1966 trailer (which was most likely reused for the 1972 reissue) for The Ten Commandments (1956) on its 2004 DVD.
The GP* variant can be seen on a re-release trailer for Targets (1968).
The PG variant with the "PARENTAL GUIDANCE SUGGESTED" in the bold Futura font and without the MPAA logo can be seen on a trailer for Billy Two Hats.

5th Bumper (Spring 1977-1980)

"All Audiences" variant
"All Audiences" variant
One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961, reissued 1979)
"Restricted Audiences" variant

Visuals: Over a blue background is the following text:

THIS SPECIAL PREVIEW

HAS BEEN APPROVED

FOR

ALL AUDIENCES

BY THE

MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION

OF AMERICA

The words in bold are set in Twentieth Century Bold, while the rest of the text is set in Cheltenham Bold Condensed.

Trivia:

The bumpers are known to have been in use beginning as late as April 12, 1977.
Usually, the 1973-1983 film rating bumper (the one that always begins with "THIS MOTION PICTURE HAS BEEN RATED") appears at the end of trailers carrying this bumper.

Variants:

Some R-rated trailers display this text:

THIS PREVIEW

HAS BEEN APPROVED

FOR

RESTRICTED AUDIENCES ONLY

BY THE

MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION

OF AMERICA

Sometimes, a red background may be used for the restricted trailer.
The blue background color may be losing color or in a shade of a different one.
The font may be a little spaced out or narrow depending on the trailer.
One trailer for Monty Python's Life of Brian has all text above and below the rating box in the Franklin Gothic font (the "MOTION PICTURE" part of the upper text is also bolded); the word "RESTRICTED" inside the rating box being in a bold Futura-like font, and the MPAA logo showing only the globe-and-reel emblem with "MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA" below on one line in the same font as the text above and below the rating box.

Technique: A still, printed image.

Audio: None.

Availability: It was seen on American and Canadian prints of trailers of films released from 1977-1980. Some of the first trailers to use it were those of Star Wars, Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown,, Rolling Thunder, and The Rescuers (all 1977). Some of the last trailers to use it were Alien, Phantasm, The Champ, and Rock 'n' Roll High School (all 1979). Early teaser trailers of 1941, The Black Hole, and Star Trek: The Motion Picture (all 1979) have this bumper, but later trailers for each had the next bumper. Most of these trailers pair it with the 1973-1983 variation of the 4th feature film bumper at the end, with this one at the beginning, though some trailers, such as those for Audrey Rose (1977) and The Rose (1979), have the 3rd feature film bumper at the end instead.

6th Bumper (1979-2009)

Green band variant
The Mask (1994)
Red band variant
Shoot 'Em Up (2007)

Visuals: On a green background is the following text, set in Helvetica:

THE FOLLOWING PREVIEW HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR

ALL AUDIENCES

BY THE MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

In a white square, one of the following ratings is seen (inside a box with the rating symbol and its name on one row, and the rating's description on another row below), along with the MPAA logo:

Symbol	Description
	General audiences - All ages admitted
	Parental guidance suggested - Some material may not be suitable for children
	Parents are strongly cautioned to give special guidance for attendance of children under 13 - Some material may be inappropriate for young children (1984-1985) Parents strongly cautioned - Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13 (1985-2009)
	Restricted - Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian
X 1979-1990	No one under 17 admitted
1990-2009	No children under 17 admitted (1990-1996) Adults Only - No one 17 and under admitted (1996-2009)

The text "THE FILM ADVERTISED HAS BEEN RATED" appears above the rating box.

Variants:

A version with a red background is used on certain trailers for R-rated and NC-17-rated films, in which the following text is seen:

THE FOLLOWING PREVIEW HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR

RESTRICTED AUDIENCES ONLY

BY THE MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

A version with a yellow background is used for internet trailers such as that of Burn After Reading (2008), in which the following black text is shown:

THE FOLLOWING PREVIEW HAS BEEN APPROVED

ONLY FOR AGE-APPROPRIATE

INTERNET USERS

BY THE MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, INC.

The rating and the text "THE FILM ADVERTISED HAS BEEN RATED" only appear on trailers for films that have already been rated by the MPAA.
On certain trailers for films released in the 1980s, the text uses lighter weights of Helvetica.
Around 1982, a drop shadow was added to the text and the rating. This was initially used in tandem with the two main variations before replacing them as the main variant sometime in the late 1980s or early 1990s.
In the early 2000s, when the MPAA began providing specific content descriptors underneath film ratings (except for G), certain trailers added such descriptors to the bottom of the rating. This became the case with the majority of trailers released during the latter part of the decade.
Starting in February 2001, the text "For information on film ratings, go to www.filmratings.com" appeared below the rating on some trailers, with the URL underlined.
Starting in 2005, most versions of this bumper began using a variant with the URLs "www.filmratings.com" and "www.mpaa.org" in two corners at the bottom of the screen. In 2006, the last line of the main text was changed to "BY THE MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, INC."
- This was used for The Miz's entrance video from 2017 to 2020, which is shown on WWE's official YouTube channel, as well as his Superstar info page, here. It only fades in and out. However, on some WWE PLEs (Premium Live Events) (formerly known as PPV (Pay Per View) events), like WrestleMania for example, it may stretch to fit some screens, including the stage's Titantron. However, on Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown from 2019 to 2020, it was cropped to fit the stage's Titantron and other video screen elements. The latter show didn't show the URLs at all.
  - During his entrance at WrestleMania 34, it was adjusted with the URLs being placed on the left and right sides of the stage's Titantron, respectively, in order to fit the screen ratio.
On the trailers for The Elephant Man (1980), Schindler's List (1993) and Ed Wood (1994), the background is gray. On another trailer for Ed Wood, the background is black.
On a trailer for Commando (1985) and a home video trailer for Monsters, Inc. (2001), the background is blue.
Many VHS tapes from the 1990s released by Columbia TriStar Home Video (and subsequent incarnations of the company until they ceased VHS releases in the mid-2000s) have the words in a different font, and only "PREVIEW" and "ALL AUDIENCES" are capitalized, all with and without the rating cards. A version exists with the "The Film Advertised Has Been Rated" text but no rating card. These versions appear to be videotaped (possibly created by a character generator) and consequently always fade in and out.

Technique: A still, digital graphic.

Audio: None.

Audio Variant: The Miz's entrance video, it featured the sound of a film reel, followed by a woman saying "Quiet on the set. Can we please have quiet on the set?".

Availability: Can be seen on trailers for films (many of which are available on their Blu-rays, DVDs and VHS tapes).

Some of the first films to have this on its trailers were 1941, All That Jazz, Roller Boogie, Penitentiary (all 1979), and American Gigolo (1980).
Starting in 2002, DVDs started using trailers for upcoming films at the beginning, and the ones coded Region 1 have this band.

7th Bumper (2009-2013)

Visuals: Same as before, except the words "APPROPRIATE AUDIENCES" replace "ALL AUDIENCES", and the rating box/initials/symbols and text have a drop shadow. In a white square, either one of their ratings will be seen, along with the MPAA logo:

Symbol	Description
	General Audiences - All Ages Admitted
	Parental Guidance Suggested - Some Material May Not Be Suitable for Children
	Parents Strongly Cautioned - Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Children Under 13
	Restricted - Under 17 Requires Accompanying Parent or Adult Guardian
	Adults Only - No One 17 and Under Admitted

Variants:

Some trailers do not feature a rating box and the above "THE FILM ADVERTISED HAS BEEN RATED" at all.
A version with a red background is used on certain trailers for R-rated and NC-17-rated films, in which the following text is seen:

THE FOLLOWING PREVIEW HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR

RESTRICTED AUDIENCES ONLY

BY THE MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, INC.

("RESTRICTED" may be sometimes replaced with "MATURE".)

Technique: A still, digital graphic.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen at the beginning of Region 1 DVDs during this era and in theatres. See the sixth bumper for information regarding international releases.

8th Bumper (April 15, 2013-2018)

Standard variants

No rating box

Visuals: On a green background, the text "THE FOLLOWING PREVIEW HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR APPROPRIATE AUDIENCES BY THE MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, INC." ("TO ACCOMPANY THIS FEATURE" instead of "FOR APPROPRIATE AUDIENCES" is for trailers shown in theatres) is seen in the Gotham font. Below it is the MPAA rating box in its new design.

Rating Boxes and Their Descriptions:

Rating Box	Description
	General Audiences - All Ages Admitted
	Parental Guidance Suggested - Some Material May Not Be Suitable for Children
	Parents Strongly Cautioned - Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Children Under 13
	Restricted - Under 17 Requires Accompanying Parent or Adult Guardian
	Adults Only - No One 17 and Under Admitted

The text "THE FILM ADVERTISED HAS BEEN RATED" appears above the rating box.

For the G rating card, "GENERAL AUDIENCES" is instead displayed on the content descriptor space.
For the PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17 rating cards, the first part of the rating description is displayed as a heading (in inverted colors) at the top of the box containing the rating symbol.
The bottom row of the rating box contains the second part of the rating description.

Variants:

Just as before, the above ratings are only shown with the "THE FILM ADVERTISED HAS BEEN RATED" text on trailers for films that have already been rated by the MPAA.
The rating box/initial/symbols and text sometimes have a drop shadow.
On trailers shown before theatrical movies in a 3D format (such as films in RealD 3D), the text "APPROPRIATE AUDIENCES" or "ACCOMPANY THIS FEATURE" slowly and subtly zooms out towards the viewer.
A version with a red background is used on certain trailers for R-rated and NC-17 films, in which the following text is seen:

THE FOLLOWING RESTRICTED PREVIEW HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR

APPROPRIATE AUDIENCES

BY THE MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, INC.

Similarly to the green band version, the theatrical version of the red band version replaces "FOR APPROPRIATE AUDIENCES" with "TO ACCOMPANY THIS FEATURE ONLY".

Technique: A still, digital graphic.

Audio: None.

Availability: Can be seen on trailers for current theatrical releases on Blu-ray, on DVD, on YouTube, and in theatres. See the sixth bumper for information regarding international releases. It is not known whether the theatrical red band variant was ever used for its intended purpose (the showing of red band trailers in theatres has been scarce in the 21st century); however, it has appeared before a trailer for Sausage Party on the Blu-ray release of The Bronze.

9th Bumper (2018- )

Standard variants

No rating box
2018-2019
No rating box
2019-

Restricted variants

No rating box
2018-2019
2019-
2019- green band variant
No rating box
2019-

Visuals: Same as the last bumper, but now a large, lighter green MPAA logo is seen in the background, and the words "MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, INC." are slightly larger than the rest of the last line of text (and somewhat vertically stretched). Also, the URLs "www.mpaa.org" and "www.filmratings.com" are now stacked on top of each other and in the bottom-left corner of the screen, while a smaller MPAA logo with a registered trademark is in the bottom-right corner.

Variants:

Again, the above ratings and the "THE FILM ADVERTISED HAS BEEN RATED" text only appear on trailers for films that have already been rated by the MPA.
A version with a red background is used on certain trailers for R-rated and NC-17-rated films, in which the giant globe is reddish-pink and the following text is seen:

THE FOLLOWING RESTRICTED PREVIEW HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR

APPROPRIATE AUDIENCES

BY THE MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, INC.

- On the US trailer for Resident Evil: Death Island, the R-rated variant is seen with the green background seen on the G, PG and PG-13-rated variants.
Starting in November 2019, after the Motion Picture Association of America's renaming to the Motion Picture Association, the words "OF AMERICA" in the main text were removed, the small MPAA logo on the bottom right of the screen has the organization's name and the line below it being replaced by the letters "MPA" (without a registered trademark symbol), and both URLs are in a different font, with the first URL changed to "www.motionpictures.org". These changes also apply to the red band variant.

Technique: A still, digital graphic.

Audio: None.

Availability:

This bumper debuted in summer 2018 on trailers for films like Night School (2018), Peppermint (2018), Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), and Toy Story 4 (2019). A few trailers that use the November 2019 variant are Bombshell (2019), Onward, Scoob!, Soul (all 2020), Raya and the Last Dragon, Luca, Ron's Gone Wrong, Encanto (all 2021), and Turning Red (2022).
The variant with a PG rating box can be seen on The Water Man.
The red band variant can be seen on trailers for Mortal Kombat (2021) and The Machine (2023).
The theatrical red band variant can be seen on a trailer for The Green Knight (2021) on the Lionsgate Blu-ray release of Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022).
Films that feature the variant without a rating box on their respective trailers include Come to Daddy and Mortal Kombat (2021).