United States license plate designs and serial formats

Last updated

In the United States, the appearance of license plates is frequently chosen to contain symbols, colors, or slogans associated with the issuing jurisdiction, which are the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, the five inhabited U.S. territories, and Native American tribes, each of which independently registers motor vehicles. Regular-issue license plates for passenger vehicles typically have six or seven characters, with vanity plates having up to eight characters in a few states.

Contents

Visualization of the number of characters in license plate serial formats in the United States, based on current serial formats for passenger plates as of May 2021. The arrangement of the characters may vary.
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Random coding: Plates issued based on available numbers in non-sequential order.
Coded issuance: Plates coded by month of expiration
Coded issuance: Plates coded by county of issuance
Sequential issuance: 6-character plate (1 letter, 5 digits)
Sequential issuance: 6-character plate (2 letters, 4 digits)
Sequential issuance: 6-character plate (3 letters, 3 digits)
Sequential issuance: 6-character plate (4 letters, 2 digits)
Sequential issuance: 6-character plate (based on blocks of alphanumeric combinations)
Sequential issuance: 7-character plate (7 digits)
Sequential issuance: 7-character plate (2 letters, 5 digits)
Sequential issuance: 7-character plate (3 letters, 4 digits)
Notes:
Only the current passenger standard-issue serial format is depicted. Previous serial formats and optional issues are not depicted.
Florida uses six-character serial numbers, but the combinations vary. The most common issue consists of four letters and two digits, but alternate standard issues contain four digits and two letters.
Nebraska uses sequential-issuance three-letter, three-number plates for its most populous counties and county-coded plates for the rest of the counties consisting of 1 or 2 letters and up to 5 numbers.
Nevada issues three letter and three number plates vehicles sold through dealers that require a new plate.
Tennessee issues three number and four letter plates for the "In God We Trust" plate.
Indiana plates are randomly issued with combinations of 3 numbers and either 1, 2, or 3 letters, while all "In God We Trust" plates have 3 letters and 3 numbers. US License Plate Serial Formats.svg
Visualization of the number of characters in license plate serial formats in the United States, based on current serial formats for passenger plates as of May 2021. The arrangement of the characters may vary.
  Random coding: Plates issued based on available numbers in non-sequential order.
  Coded issuance: Plates coded by month of expiration
  Coded issuance: Plates coded by county of issuance
  Sequential issuance: 6-character plate (1 letter, 5 digits)
  Sequential issuance: 6-character plate (2 letters, 4 digits)
  Sequential issuance: 6-character plate (3 letters, 3 digits)
  Sequential issuance: 6-character plate (4 letters, 2 digits)
  Sequential issuance: 6-character plate (based on blocks of alphanumeric combinations)
  Sequential issuance: 7-character plate (7 digits)
  Sequential issuance: 7-character plate (2 letters, 5 digits)
  Sequential issuance: 7-character plate (3 letters, 4 digits)

Notes:
  • Only the current passenger standard-issue serial format is depicted. Previous serial formats and optional issues are not depicted.
  • Florida uses six-character serial numbers, but the combinations vary. The most common issue consists of four letters and two digits, but alternate standard issues contain four digits and two letters.
  • Nebraska uses sequential-issuance three-letter, three-number plates for its most populous counties and county-coded plates for the rest of the counties consisting of 1 or 2 letters and up to 5 numbers.
  • Nevada issues three letter and three number plates vehicles sold through dealers that require a new plate.
  • Tennessee issues three number and four letter plates for the "In God We Trust" plate.
  • Indiana plates are randomly issued with combinations of 3 numbers and either 1, 2, or 3 letters, while all "In God We Trust" plates have 3 letters and 3 numbers.

Formats for license plate numbers are consistent within the state. For example, Delaware is able to use six-digit all-numeric serials because of its low population. Several states, particularly those with higher populations, use seven-character formats of three letters and four digits, including 1ABC234 in California, 1234ABC in Kansas and ABC-1234 (with or without a space or dash) in Georgia, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Other seven-character formats include Connecticut and Illinois, which use AB-12345, and Maryland, which uses 1AB2345.

Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, and New Jersey use four letters and two numbers: Arkansas uses an ABC-12D format, Colorado and Florida an ABC-D12 format, and New Jersey an A12-BCD format. Several less-populous states—Alaska, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, and Vermont—use a three-letter, three-number format, namely ABC-123 or 123-ABC.

Arizona uses a distinctive format with six characters. Except for the fourth character in each serial, which is always a number, the characters in a serial can be either letters or numbers. [1]

Serial coding

License plate numbers are usually assigned in ascending order, beginning with a starting point such as AAA-001. Thus, an observer familiar with the sequence can determine roughly when the plate was issued. In a few cases, numbers have been assigned in descending order. For example, when Virginia switched to seven characters for its standard issue in 1993, numbers beginning with AAA-1000 were already in use for extra-cost, optional-issue plates; therefore, the new standard license plates were issued in descending order from ZZZ-9999. [2]

Expiration date

In some states, the month of expiration or the county of registration is incorporated into the plate's serial. The last number on a Massachusetts license plate indicates the month the vehicle's registration expires (for example, 1234 AB would expire in April, the fourth month; 0 indicates October expirations; and X and Y were used for November and December expirations, respectively, on commercial plates and pre-1978 passenger plates). The same applies to the first number or letter on West Virginia plates (1 to 9 for January through September, and O, N, and D for October, November, and December expirations, respectively). Additionally, the first letter of Missouri passenger plates denotes the month of expiration. The month's position within the calendar year corresponds to the letter's position within the alphabet; i.e. the letters progress from "A" and "B" for January to "Y" and "Z" for December.

County of issuance

In Alabama, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming, a one- or two-digit number representing the county of issue begins a license plate number. Standard-issue Idaho license plate numbers begin with a single-letter or a number-letter code representing the county of issue; for example, vehicles registered in Ada County start with 1A, vehicles in Twin Falls County start with 2T, and vehicles in Valley County start with V (as there is only one county that starts with the letter V). County codes have been based on historical population figures, the county names in alphabetical order, or some combination thereof. In Montana, for example, the county codes were assigned around 1930 and have not changed since. [3] Other states like Indiana and Tennessee also once used the practice, with Tennessee discontinuing in the 1980s and Indiana in 2008.

Four jurisdictions in the United States use letters to designate a residence where a vehicle was registered. In Hawaii, the license plates have a unique letter designation based on the island counties that residents purchased or registered the vehicles from; a vehicle with a registration number beginning with H or Z is registered in Hawai‘i County, one beginning with K is registered in Kaua‘i County, one beginning with M or L is registered in Maui County, and one beginning with any other letter (and not containing H, K, L, M, or Z) is registered in the City and County of Honolulu. In the U.S. territory of Guam, the license plates use the first two letters that are coded by village of issuance, for example, "TM-1234" refers to a vehicle that was registered by a person who lives the village of Tamuning. In the U.S. Virgin Islands, a vehicle with a registration number beginning with C is registered in St. Croix, J in St. John, and T in St. Thomas.

Several states do require vehicles to display county codes, but these codes are not part of the serial. Indiana and Ohio display two-number county codes, while Kansas plates display two-letter county codes, but these codes are placed on a sticker or are printed in the corner of the plate in a smaller font size. Texas places the county name only on the windshield registration sticker, where the car's license plate number is also printed. Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee place the full name of the county of registration explicitly on their standard-issue plates, although not as part of the serial. However, Florida allows its residents to choose either "Sunshine State" or "In God We Trust" in place of the county name, and Georgia allows drivers to choose the slogan "In God We Trust" in place of the county name.

Skipping characters

For various reasons related to visibility and readability, some states and territories exclude certain letters from use in their license plate serial formats. The most commonly skipped characters are I, O, and Q[ citation needed ], with some states using only one or two of the three while others will skip all three of these letters[ citation needed ]. Other states, such as Colorado, Georgia, and South Carolina have gradually adopted one or more of these letters over a course of years after previously skipping them in order to accommodate the demands of population growth and depletion of available serial combinations. The most common argument behind skipping I, O, and Q is that they can be too easily confused with 0, 1, and other characters, particularly when there isn't adequate spacing or divider between numbers and letters[ citation needed ].

California only uses I, O, and Q in between two other letters, for example "1AQA000".[ citation needed ] A unique example of character use is Texas, which skips all vowels along with the letter Q on passenger plates.

In amateur radio license plate issues, some states use a unique slashed zero character in place of the standard "0" character due to lack of spacing between letters and numbers. Iowa is a unique example in the use of this character, which began using the slashed zero beginning in 2012 on all standard passenger plates as opposed to the traditional symbol for zero to differentiate it from the letter "O" which is also used. In Pennsylvania, the die used for the number "0" is different than the one used for the letter "O" since the state's number dies are taller and narrower than its letter dies.

Persons with disabilities

In the states, special plates displaying the International Symbol of Accessibility are issued to persons with disabilities that entitle them to special parking privileges. Alternately, a placard, which in some jurisdictions can be hung from the rear view mirror, may be issued; the placard has the advantage of being transferred from vehicle to vehicle.

Current standard-issue passenger plate designs and serial formats

The following tables give information on license plates currently being issued, with 2014 or later expiration dates, for private (non-commercial) use on passenger vehicles by the governments of the fifty U.S. states, the District of Columbia, the five inhabited U.S. territories, and Native American tribes. Information on serial numbering patterns is also given. Older designs and serial formats previously issued may still be valid for continued usage in certain jurisdictions; these are noted in a separate table below.

In addition to "regular" passenger plates, all jurisdictions also provide plates for other types of vehicles that may only be roughly similar in design and layout. Additionally, there has been an increasing trend in the field of "specialty" plates to promote specific causes or interests. To keep this table as simple as possible, most of these alternate types of plates will not be noted. More information may also be found within the individual articles for each state, as linked within the table. Exceptions to this guideline may be made for specialty plates that are available at no extra cost to the motorist, as these tend to be seen more commonly on the roads.

Current Table Format
JurisdictionImageFirst issuedType & sloganDesignPlate styleSerial format
Alabama AL2022.png January 3, 2022Standard issue
Heart of Dixie (in small print)
Bay and sky graphic with www.alabama.travel at the bottomScreened serial;
Reflective sheeting
Numerically coded by county: [4]
  • 0AB1234 (single-digit counties)
  • 00AB123 (double-digit counties) [5]
Alaska 2007 Alaska License Plate.jpg January 2010 [6] Standard issue
The Last Frontier
blue on gold with state flag Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC 123
American Samoa American Samoa license plate 2011 5504.png 2011Standard issue
Motu O Fiafiaga
black on reflective graphic featuring Fatu Rock Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
1234
Arizona Arizona1.png 1996 (embossed)
2008 (screened)
Standard issue
Grand Canyon State
dark green on desert landscapeScreened serial;
Reflective sheeting
CEA 1DB [lower-alpha 1]
Arkansas ArkNewPlate.jpg 2006Standard issue
The Natural State
black on a diamond background, representing Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro [8] Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC 12D [9]
California California license plate, August 2012.png Mid 2012Standard issue
dmv.ca.gov
dark blue on white with red state name graphic and slogan printed in red at the bottomEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
1ABC234 [10]
Colorado ADLD-21 Colorado License Plate.jpg 2000Standard issue
Dark green on reflective white gray and green Rocky Mountains scene graphic. Some versions have full colorEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC-D12
Connecticut 2015 to Present Connecticut license plate.jpg 2000Standard issue
Constitution State
dark blue on blue and white gradient fadeEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
AB•12345 (2015–present)
1AB•CD2 (2013–2015)
1ABCD2 (2013)
123•ABC (2000–2013) [11]
Delaware 1969 Delaware license plate 532484.jpg 1969Standard issue
The First State
gold on navy blueScreened serial;
Reflective sheeting
123456 (variable number of digits)
District of Columbia Washington, D.C. license plate, 2017.png April 2017Standard issue
End Taxation without Representation; jurisdiction name displayed as "Washington, DC"
blue on reflective white with red flag separatorScreened serial;
Reflective sheeting
AB-1234
Florida 2018 Florida license plate IYT E32.jpg December 2003Standard issue
myFLORIDA.com with county name [12] or "Sunshine State"
green on reflective white with state map and citrus orange graphicEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC D12 (2009–2021, 2024–present)
123 ABC (2006 to 2009)
A12 3BC (2003 to 2009)
Florida license plate In God We Trust.jpg October 1, 2008Optional issue
myFLORIDA.com with "In God We Trust" slogan
123 4AB
Georgia 2019 Georgia license plate CGL 1288.jpg May 2012Standard Alternate issue
Peach State with county name or "In God We Trust" sticker
black on reflective white peach graphic in centerScreened serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC1234
Georgia 2017 License Plate.jpg May 2012Standard issue
GEORGIA with county name or "In God We Trust" sticker
black on reflective white
Guam Guam license plate 2012 TU 250.png February 27, 2009Standard issue
Tano Y Chamorro
black on reflective white with gray latte stone and three red bougainvillea flowers at center [13] Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
Coded by municipality of issuance
AB 1234
Hawaii 1991 Hawaii license plate MNG 728.jpg 1991Standard issue
Aloha State
black on reflective white with rainbow graphicEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
Coded by county of issuance:
Idaho IdahoLicensePlate.jpg 2008Standard issue
Famous Potatoes
black on reflective white with red gradient and dark blue mountain sceneScreened serial;
Reflective sheeting
Coded by county of issuance:
  • A 123456 (variable number of digits following space)
  • 0A 12345 (variable number of digits following space)
  • 0A B1234 (following exhaustion of above format)
  • 0A BC123 (following exhaustion of above format)
  • 0A 1B234 (following exhaustion of above format)
  • 0A 1234B (following exhaustion of above format)
  • 00A 1234 (variable number of digits following space)
Illinois January 1, 2017Standard issue
Land of Lincoln
Reflective gradient blue-to-white with white Chicago and Springfield skyline and gray Abraham Lincoln graphic at far left; state name screened in black at topEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
AB 12345 (2017–present)
AB1 2345 (2017) [14]
Indiana January 2017Standard issue
Dark blue serial on reflective country scene graphic featuring a covered bridge; expiration date, year, county number and recycling symbol in corners clockwise from top left
Screened serial;
Reflective sheeting
123A
123AB
123ABC
Indiana InGodWeTrust plate.jpg Optional issue
In God We Trust
black on white with American flag graphicABC123
Iowa April 2018Standard issue
black numbers on reflective graphic plate with blue sky, white city skyline, farm and wind turbine, and green grass field; "IOWA" screened in white centered at top; county name screened in black centered at bottom
Screened serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC 123
Kansas Kansas License Plate Base 2007-2018 (045 BKR).jpg
(Embossed)

Kansas License Plate Standard Flat September 2019.jpg
(Flat)

April 2007 (Embossed)

August 15, 2018 (Flat)

Standard issue
Black characters on a light blue gradient with state seal graphic as the background, county code sticker on the top left and registration sticker on the top right.
Screened serial;
Reflective sheeting
123 ABC
1234ABC
Kentucky 2020Standard issueDark blue on light blue gradient with county name sticker below serial and state outline left of serialScreened serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC123
Blank License Plate Shape.svg 2020Optional issue
In God We Trust
Louisiana Louisiana License Plate - Sportsman's Paradise.jpg 2005 to 2010; 2013, and 2016Standard issue
"Sportsman's Paradise"; black on yellow-pink gradient with pelican graphic in center
Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC 123 (through 2016)
123 ABC (2016–present)
Maine Maine sample.png 1999Standard issue
Vacationland
black on reflective white with a chickadee and pine tassel graphic at leftEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
123•ABC
1234 AB (variable number of digits preceding space)
Maryland Maryland 2016 License Plate.jpg September 2016Standard issue
Maryland Proud
Black on reflective white with Maryland flag graphicEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
1AB2345
Massachusetts MA-Base-Plate.jpg 1988Standard issue
The Spirit of America
red on reflective whiteEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
Coded by month of expiration:
  • 12A 345
  • 1ABC 23
  • 1AB 234
  • 123 AB4
  • 12A B34
  • 1234 AB
  • 123 ABC
Michigan 2017 Michigan state license plate, DNJ-0955.jpg 2013Standard issue
Pure Michigan
blue on reflective white with blue wave at bottomEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC 1234
Green Water Winter Wonderland Michigan License Plate.png 2024Optional issue
Water Wonderland
White on green12ABC3
Michigan Wonderland Revival License Plate.jpg 2021Optional issue
Water-Winter Wonderland
Maize on dark blue1ABC23
2014Optional issue
The Mackinac Bridge
White to yellow fade and blue with stylized Mackinac Bridge in background with black charactersABC 123
Minnesota Minnesota 2014 License Plate.jpg June 2009Standard issue
Explore Minnesota.com, 10,000 Lakes
black on reflective white with lake scene graphicScreened serial;
Reflective sheeting
123-ABC
ABC-123
Numbers and letters switch sides
on a seven year cycle [15]
Mississippi 2024 Standard Passenger Plate 0.png January 2024dark blue on white with magnolia blossom against a blue circle as separatorEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC 123
Missouri Missouri Passenger Car License Plate 2020.png October 15, 2018Standard issue
Bicentennial
dark blue on white with red and dark blue waves, light gray state seal, and dark blue "1821 * 2021"Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
Coded by month of expiration
AA1 B2C
Montana Montana 2010-present standard plate (new font).jpg January 2010Standard issue
Treasure State
white on blue with white state outlineScreened serial;
Reflective sheeting
Coded by county of issuance:
  • 0-12345A (variable number of digits following divider)
  • 00-1234A (variable number of digits following divider)
Blank License Plate Shape.svg Optional issues: [16]
replica 1989 Centennial base
replica 1991 "Big Sky" base
replica 2000 base
replica 2006 "Big Sky Country" base
blue on white with gold and maroon graphicsABC123
Montana Plate 1992.jpg black on light blue gradient with multicolor state outlineCoded by county of issuance:
  • 0-12345A (variable number of digits following divider)
  • 00-1234A (variable number of digits following divider)
black on light blue with blue and tan graphics
black on light blue gradient with multicolor state outline
Native American tribes Quinault Indian Nation license plate.jpg VariesVariesVariesVariesVaries
Nebraska Nebraska Standard License Plate January 2023.jpg January 2023dark blue on reflective white with the "Genius of Creative Energy" mosaic from the Nebraska State Capitol in the background; state name in dark blue at topScreened serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC 123 [17]
Or coded by county of issuance: [18]
  • 0-A1234 (variable number of digits following letter)
  • 0-AB123 (following exhaustion of above format; variable number of digits following letter)
  • 00-A123 (variable number of digits following divider)
  • 00-AB12 (following exhaustion of above format; variable number of digits following divider)
Nevada November 1, 2016Standard issue
Home Means Nevada
black numbers and state-shaped separator on sky blue plate; stylized multi-colored mountain range at bottom; "NEVADA" screened in black serifed letters centered at topEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
345·A12
New Hampshire January 1999Standard issue
Live Free or Die
green on Old Man of the Mountain graphicEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
123 4567 (2000–present)
123 456 (1999) [19]
New Jersey New Jersey license plate 2014.jpg 2007Standard issue
Garden State
black on yellow gradient fadeScreened serial;
Reflective sheeting
D12-ABC (2010–present) [20]
ABC-12D (2007–2010)
New Mexico 1990 New Mexico license plate 466*KGC passenger stamped on trailer base.jpg 1989Standard issue
Land of Enchantment
red on yellow with turquoise yucca graphics and red Zia sun symbol Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
123-ABC
New Mexico License Plate Without Centennial Slogan.jpg 2010Standard issue
upper: Land of Enchantment
lower: New Mexico USA
yellow on turquoise with large yellow and red Zia sun symbol ABC-123
New York New York Excelsior Plate 2020-present LAV9002.png 2020Standard issue
Excelsior
dark blue on reflective white with Niagara Falls, Adirondack Mountains, the Statue of Liberty, Manhattan skyline, and the Montauk Point Light on the bottom.Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC-1234
North Carolina 2013 North Carolina license plate - BAC-5359.jpg 1982Standard issue
First in Flight
blue on reflective white with Wright Flyer graphicEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC-123 (1982–1985) [21]

ABC-1234

2018 North Carolina license plate PFT-7753.jpg January 2015Standard issue
First In Freedom [22]
blue on reflective whiteEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC-1234
Blank License Plate Shape.svg July 2019Standard issue
National/State Motto [23]
blue on reflective whiteEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC-1234
North Dakota November 2016Standard issue
Legendary; Peace Garden State
black on light blue gradient fade to sunrise with prairie scene and buffalo graphicScreened serial;
Reflective sheeting
123 ABC
Northern Mariana Islands Northern Marianas license plate 1989 ACN 374.png 1989Standard issue
Hafa Adai
dark blue on white with seal in centerEmbossed on screened serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC 123
Ohio 2021Standard issue
Sunrise in Ohio, county name sticker in black to be centered at bottom
Dark blue serial on sunrise scene featuring a skyline, hills, river, wheat, field and a child swinging from the tree, with Wright Flyer, state shape and read banner with "Birthplace of aviation" at top.Screened serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC 1234
Oklahoma January 2017Standard issue
TRAVELOK.COM
Screened black on reflective blue with state-shaped separator; scissor-tailed flycatcher in the middle, mountains on the left, oceans in the background and Explore above the state nameScreened serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC-123
Oregon Oregon License Plate3.jpg 1990Standard issue
dark blue on Douglas Fir tree and mountain graphic
Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
123 ABC (2004–present)
ABC 123 (1990–2004)
Pennsylvania 2012 Pennsylvania license plate.jpg 2006Standard issue
visitPA.com
blue on white with yellow and blue barsEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC-1234
Puerto Rico Blank License Plate Shape.svg 2011Standard issue
Puerto Rico Does It Better/Puerto Rico Lo Hace Mejor
black on white with green gradient at bottom and gray building in backgroundScreened serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC-123
Rhode Island Rhode Island License Plate AB-123 format.JPG 1996–2020Standard issue
Ocean State
dark blue on stylized gray and white ocean wave graphicEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
123456 (2007–present) [24] [25]
AB-123 and 12345 (1996–2007)

1AB-234 (2020–present)

Blank License Plate Shape.svg 2020Beautiful Rhode Island (top), Ocean State (Bottom)white on dark blue with the Reliance in the upper left cornerScreened serial;
Reflective sheeting
N/A
South Carolina 2020 South Carolina passenger car rear license plate.png January 2016Standard issue
While I Breathe, I Hope.
black on white and blue background with palmetto tree in centerScreened serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC 123
Blank License Plate Shape.svg January 2016Optional issue
In God We Trust
black on white with American and South Carolinian flags on the left.Screened serial;
Reflective sheeting
1234AB
South Dakota SouthDakotaPlate.png January 2023Standard issue
Great Faces. Great Places.
blue on Mount Rushmore graphicScreened serial;
Reflective sheeting
Coded by county of issuance:
  • 0A1 234
  • 0AB 123
  • 00A 123
Tennessee TennesseeAuto.jpg Late 2023blue with "The Volunteer State" on the left and the outline of the state around "Tennessee" with county name sticker and the Tri-Star logo in the centerScreened serial;
Reflective sheeting
  • ABC 1234
  • 123 ABCD alternate with 'In God We Trust' above county name
Texas Texas Passenger Car License Plate 2020.png July 2012Standard issue
The Lone Star State
black on white with 5-point star in the upper left corner.Screened serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC-1234
Utah Utah 2018 license plate (USA).jpg Late 2007Greatest Snow on Earth and Life Elevateddark blue on skier graphic [26] [27] Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
A12 3BC
2017 Utah License Plate.jpg Life Elevateddark blue on graphic of Delicate Arch A12 3BC [28]
Utah In God We Trust license plate.png 2017In God We Trust; United We Standdark blue on white1ABC2(2023–present)
1A2BC(2018–2023)
Vermont Vermont 2000 CGX 308.jpg 1985Standard issue
Green Mountain State
white on green with small white tree in top left cornerDebossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC 123 (1990–present)
12AB3 (1989)
1AB23 (1988)
123A4 (1986–1987)
1A234 (1985)
U.S. Virgin Islands Blank License Plate Shape.svg 2017Standard issue
Transfer Centennial
white on blue ocean background with orange island mapsScreened serial;
Reflective sheeting
Coded by island of issuance: [29]
ABC 123, ABC 123 (for St. John)
Virginia Virginia 2021 license plate.jpg March 1, 2014Standard issue
Virginia is for Lovers
blue on whiteEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC-1234 [30]
Washington Washington State License Plate 2019.jpg Washington 1998 plate.jpg July 1998Standard issue
Evergreen State
dark blue on white with light blue Mount Rainier graphicEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC1234 (2010–present)
123-ABC (1987–2010)
West Virginia WV 2023 plate.jpg July 2023Standard issue
Wild, Wonderful
blue on white with state name in dark blue bar with state outline as separatorScreened serial;
Reflective sheeting
Coded by month of expiration:
  • (1 through 9 for January through September, respectively)
  • (O, N, and D for October, November, and December, respectively)
Wisconsin WI 7digit 2017.jpg June 2000Standard issue
America's Dairyland
black on reflective white with stylized lake and farm graphicEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC-1234 (2017–present)
123-ABC (2000–2017)
Wyoming Wyoming 2020 plate.jpg January 2016Standard issue
Screened black numbers and Bucking Horse and Rider on graphic plate featuring the Green River Lakes and Squaretop Mountain against a cloudy blue sky; golden yellow rope border around plate
Screened serial;
Reflective sheeting
Coded by county of issuance:
  • 0-12345 (variable number of digits following divider)
  • 0-1234A (following exhaustion of above format; variable number of digits following divider)
  • 00-12345 (variable number of digits following divider)

Plate types no longer issued but still valid

Plates with the following designs and serial formats are no longer being issued but may still be valid for use in certain instances. This table does not include year of manufacture registrations.

JurisdictionImageDates issuedTypePlate styleSerial formatStatus
Alabama Blank License Plate Shape.svg early 2007 – October 2013Optional issue
God Bless America
dark blue on American flag backgroundAB12345
12345AB [5]
Being replaced upon expiration, October 2013 to October 2014.
Alaska Blank License Plate Shape.svg 1981 – late 2004"The Last Frontier"; blue on gold with state flag Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC 123Valid.
Blank License Plate Shape.svg late 1997 – late 2004"Gold Rush Centennial"Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC 123
Blank License Plate Shape.svg January 2, 2008 – December 31, 2009"Celebrating Statehood 1959–2009"; dark blue on mountain landscape backgroundEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC123 [31]
American Samoa none
Arizona Arizona license plate, 1980-1996 series with March 1998 sticker.png 1980–1996white on maroonEmbossed serial;
Reflective characters on nonreflective background
ABC-123Valid.
Blank License Plate Shape.svg 1996 – late 2007 desert scene with embossed serialsEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
123•ABC
2008–2020 desert scene with screened serialsScreened serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC1234
Arkansas none
California 1963 California license plate SAM-123.jpg 1963–1969yellow on blackEmbossed serial;
Non-reflective background
ABC 123Valid.
1980 California license plate 002 ZZZ.jpg 1969–1980yellow on blueEmbossed serial;
Non-reflective background
123 ABC
California 1SAM123 1980 Sample License Plate.jpg 1980 – January 19871ABC234
California Golden State license plate 1982-1987 2GAT123.png January 1983 – October 1987"The Golden State"Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
California license plate, 1990.png October 1987 – 1995blue on white with red embossed state name
California license plate.jpg 1995–1998; 2000–2011blue on white with red screened state nameEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
1998 California license plate 4SAM123.jpg 1998–2000"Sesquicentennial – 150 Years"Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
Colorado Colorado license plate, 1982-1992.png
1978–2000embossed mountain sceneReflective embossed serial;
Non-reflective background
Coded by county of issuance: AB-1234, ABC-123, ABC1234Valid.
Connecticut none
Delaware Blank License Plate Shape.svg white on blackup to 12–345Valid.
1954 Delaware license plate.jpg silver on blackup to 123456
Blank License Plate Shape.svg yellow on blue without sloganup to 123456
District of Columbia Blank License Plate Shape.svg "A Capital City"123–456Valid.
Blank License Plate Shape.svg "Celebrate & Discover"1991 – November 2000AB-1234 (1997–2000)
123–456 (1991–1997)
Blank License Plate Shape.svg 2001blue on reflective white with red flag separator and "WWW.Washingtondc.gov"Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
BB-1234
DC 2011.jpg 2001 – July 2013blue on reflective white with red flag separator and "Taxation without Representation" with jurisdiction name displayed as "Washington, D.C."Screened serial;
Reflective sheeting
AB-1234
Florida Blank License Plate Shape.svg December 2003 – early 2009green on reflective white with state map, citrus orange graphic, and myFLORIDA.com with county name Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
A12 3BCBeing replaced on a ten-year rolling basis.
Blank License Plate Shape.svg December 2003 – 2006green on reflective white with state map, citrus orange graphic, and myFLORIDA.com with "Sunshine State" slogan
Georgia 1998 Georgia license plate 3343 ALG.jpg 1997 – December 2003"...on my mind"123 ABC
12345 QA
1234 AB
1234 ABC
Valid.
2005 Georgia license plate AAQ 7166.jpg December 2003 – May 2007www.GEORGIA.govABC 1234
Blank License Plate Shape.svg May 2007 – May 2012GEORGIA.govABC 1234
Guam GUAM 1999 COMMERCIAL TRUCK license plate Flickr - woody1778a.jpg black on reflective white with map graphic in center, "Tano Y Chamorro"Coded by municipality of issuance:
  • ABC1234 (variable number of digits following space)
  • ABC123A (following exhaustion of above format)
Valid.
Hawaii none
Idaho dark blue on reflective white with red gradient and dark blue mountain scene, "Famous Potatoes"Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
Coded by county of issuance:
  • A 123456 (variable number of digits following space)
  • 0A 12345 (variable number of digits following space)
  • 0A B1234 (following exhaustion of above format)
  • 0A BC123 (following exhaustion of above format)
Illinois July 2001 - December 2016"Land of Lincoln": red on blue gradient fade with Abraham Lincoln portrait graphic in centerEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
AB1 2345 (2016)
A12 3456 (2006–2016)
123 4567 (2001–2006) [32]
Originally valid for 10 years, but new plates were not issued until January 2017.
Indiana none
Iowa
January 1997 - April 2018Embossed blue, screened blue or screened black serial on reflective white skyline on blue background and black hand drawn farm scene foreground, screened "Iowa" in a small caps serif font and sticker with/or screened county name in uppercase in blue or black as the serialEmbossed or screened serial;
Reflective sheeting [33]
123 ABC except for "D" series and beginning of current ABC 123 [34] Even though one of the 2017 license plate contestant plates lost the competition, it became a vanity plate, and the 1997 series plate is still valid.
Kansas January 2001 – April 2007 state capitol Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC 123Valid.
Kentucky none
Louisiana Blank License Plate Shape.svg 1993–2001; 2004–2005"Sportsman's Paradise" without pelicanEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC 123Valid.
Blank License Plate Shape.svg January 2002 - early 2004"Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial 1803–2003" written in early 18th-century lettering and has the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial logo as the separator [35] Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
Blank License Plate Shape.svg 2011–2012"200 Years"Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC123
Blank License Plate Shape.svg 2014 - 2015www.louisianatourism.com
Bicentennial, Battle of New Orleans, 1815–2015
blue on reflective white with silhouette of Andrew Jackson on horse at left
Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
Maine none
Maryland Blank License Plate Shape.svg February 1986 – early 2005no slogan1AB C23 (2004–2005)
ABC 123 (1986–2004)
Valid.
2005 Maryland Sample License Plate.jpg early 2005 – June 2010www.Maryland.gov
black on reflective white with state crest in center
1AB C23
Massachusetts MassPlateGreen1.jpg green on white (coded by month of expiration)
"The Spirit of America" (coded by month of expiration)
123-450
120-ABC
Valid. Maybe subject to replacement if found to be illegible during annual motor vehicle safety inspection.
Michigan 1996–2007Optional issue
"Great Lakes Splendor"
1AB C23 [36] Valid
Michigan Centennial Licence Plate 1996.JPG 1996Optional issue
"World's Motor Capital"
Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC 12
12 ABC
Valid
Michigan license plate 2008.jpg 2007–2013Optional issue
"www.Michigan.gov"
Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC 1234 [37] Valid
Blank License Plate Shape.svg 2007–2021Optional issue
Spectacular Peninsulas
green and blue with Great Lakes outline on reflective white with black characters1AB C23
Blank License Plate Shape.svg 2013–2014Optional issue
The Mackinac Bridge
yellow to orange fade and blue with stylized Mackinac Bridge in background with white characters.
Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC 123Valid
Minnesota Blank License Plate Shape.svg circa 2000–2008blue on reflective white with lake scene graphic, "Explore Minnesota; 10,000 lakes"; second slogan displayed in small blue gradient across bottom of plateEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC-123Being replaced on a seven-year rolling basis.
Blank License Plate Shape.svg 2008–2009black on reflective white with lake scene graphic, "Explore Minnesota; 10,000 lakes"Screened serial;
Reflective sheeting
123-ABC
Mississippi none
Missouri none
Montana Blank License Plate Shape.svg 2006–2009black on gray and white gradient with mountain graphic; "Big Sky Country"Screened serial;
Reflective sheeting
Coded by county of issuance:
  • 0C-12345 (variable number of digits following divider)
  • 0C-1234A (following exhaustion of above format; variable number of digits following divider)
  • 0-12345A (variable number of digits following divider)
Valid if permanently registered.
Nebraska none
Nevada Blank License Plate Shape.svg white on blueA12345, AB1234, ABC123, 123ABC
New Hampshire none
New Jersey 1959 New Jersey.jpg 1959–1969; 1970–1973black on tan, non-reflective, state abbreviated "N. J."ABC-123Valid.
1970 New Jersey.jpg 1969–1970black on tan, reflective, state abbreviated "N. J."ABC-123
1973 New Jersey.jpg 1973–1977black on tan, non-reflective, state abbreviated "N. J."123-ABC
New Jersey 1977 license plate.jpg 1977–1979black on tan, non-reflective, full state name123-ABC
1979 New Jersey.jpg 1979–1985buff on blue, non-reflective123-ABC
1985 New Jersey.jpg 1985ABC-123
1986 New Jersey.jpg 1985–1992ABC-12D
1992 New Jersey.jpg 1992–1993black on yellow and white gradient, reflective, sticker boxesABC1234
1997 New Jersey.jpg 1993–1999AB-123D
NJ 2007.jpg 1999–2007ABC-12D [38]
New Mexico Blank License Plate Shape.svg 1999–2010Land of Enchantment
hot air balloon
Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
NM1234
1NM234
12NM34
123NM4
1234NM
AB 123
ABC123
Valid.
New York 2001–2010dark blue on reflective white with blue bars (upper blue bar has the state name over a skyline of Niagara Falls, the Adirondack Mountains, and New York City; lower bar includes the words "The Empire State" in white)Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC-1234 [39] Valid.
NY-2010-License-Plate.jpg 2010-2020dark blue on reflective goldEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC-1234Valid.
North Carolina Blank License Plate Shape.svg 2007–2011red on reflective white with blue and red graphics, "First in Flight"ABC-1234Valid.
North Dakota Blank License Plate Shape.svg 1993–2015black on light blue gradient fade with prairie scene graphic, "Discover The Spirit"Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC-123Valid through 2016
Northern Marianas Islands none
Ohio 1996 Ohio License Plate.jpg 1996–1998dark blue on gold gradient fade "The Heart of it All"ABC 1234Valid.
2000 Ohio Plate.jpg 1998–2001dark blue on gold gradient fade "The Birthplace of Aviation"ABC 1234
Ohio license plate sample 2001.jpg 2001–2003red, white, and blue "Ohio Bicentennial"AB12CD
2004–2010dark blue on reflective white with state seal ("Sunburst") graphic and red and blue barsABC 1234
2010–2013"Beautiful Ohio": dark blue on rolling hills with farm, distant skyline, and airborne biplaneABC 1234
Oklahoma Blank License Plate Shape.svg 2009 - 2016"Native America": dark red on white and blue with photograph of Sacred Rain Arrow sculptureScreened serial;
Reflective sheeting
123ABCValid until expiration.
Oregon Blank License Plate Shape.svg 1956–1959gold on blue1A-1234Valid.
Blank License Plate Shape.svg 1959–1964gold on blue with "Pacific Wonderland" slogan
Oregon 1964-72 GGT 297.jpg 1964–1974gold on blueABC 123 (A-M corresponds to January–December, skipping I)
Blank License Plate Shape.svg 1974–1988blue on goldABC 123 (A-M corresponds to January–December, skipping I; N and later series had no month correlation)
Blank License Plate Shape.svg 1988–1989blue on light green Douglas Fir tree and mountain graphicABC 123 (A-M corresponds to January–December, skipping I, N-series had no month correlation)
Pennsylvania PA 00.jpg 1999–2004blue on blue, white and yellow gradient, "www.state.pa.us"ABC-1234Valid if retained by current owner on current vehicle. May not be transferred to new vehicle.
Puerto Rico Blank License Plate Shape.svg 1986–2007Standard issue
black on reflective white with Fortaleza graphic, "Isla del Encanto"
Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC 123valid
PUERTO RICO 1990'S -SOUVENIR REFLECTIVE LICENSE PLATE - Flickr - woody1778a.jpg Optional issue
black on reflective flag graphics, "Cincuentenario 1952–2002"
Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC 123
Blank License Plate Shape.svg 2007–2011Standard issue
black on reflective blue with Fortaleza graphic, "Isla del Encanto"
Screened serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC 123
ABC-123
Rhode Island none
South Carolina Blank License Plate Shape.svg summer 2008 – December 2015Standard issue
travel2sc.com

black on orange, white, and blue gradient with palmetto tree in center

Screened serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC 123
South Dakota none
Tennessee none
Texas 2009 Texas license plate BM5 T299.jpg 2009–2012black on Davis Mountains and sky background with a lone star and streaks of red and blue in the upper-left cornerScreened serial;
Reflective sheeting
AB1-C234Valid.
U.S. Virgin Islands none
Utah Ut1973.JPG 1972–1985black on whiteEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC 123
ABC-123
Valid.
Utah license plate, 1985-1990 series with August 2001 sticker.png 1985–2008blue on white with skier graphic, "Ski Utah!", and "Greatest Snow on Earth"Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
123 ABC
Blank License Plate Shape.svg 1992–2008dark blue on Delicate Arch background; "Centennial"Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
123 ABC [28]
Utah Plate 2002 Olympics.jpg 2002 2002 Winter Olympics commemorative plate with snowflake logo above "Salt Lake 2002" and the Olympic rings; "Olympic Winter 2002" [40] Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
123A4
Vermont none
Virginia Virginia license plate, February 1983.png 1979–1994dark blue on white with blue state name in sentence caseEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC-1234 (1994)
ABC-123 (1979–1993)
Valid.
1993 Virginia license plate YHT-9919.jpg 1994 – July 2002; 2007 – February 28, 2014dark blue on white with blue state name in all capital lettersEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC-1234 [41]
2003 Virginia License Plate Sample.jpg July 2002 – 2006400th AnniversaryEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC-1234
2006 Virginia License Plate.jpg 2006–2007Jamestown
America's 400th Anniversary
Embossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
Washington none
West Virginia 2002 West Virginia license plate 4JB 592.jpg December 2002 – early 2006blue on reflective white with state name in dark blue bar, "Wild, Wonderful / www.callwv.com"Coded by month of expiration:
  • 0AB 123 (1 through 9 for January through September, respectively)
  • ABC 123 (O, N, and D for October, November, and December, respectively)
Valid.
Wisconsin none
Wyoming none

Diplomatic license plates

Diplomatic license plates are issued by the United States Department of State to accredited diplomats.

Prior to 1984 license plates for diplomatic vehicles were provided by the jurisdiction where the foreign mission was located. The District of Columbia provided license plates for missions headquartered in the capital, and New York provided plates for members of the United Nations, etc. Upon passage of the Foreign Missions Act in 1984 registration authority for foreign mission vehicles was centralized with the U.S. Department of State. [42] [43] [44] [45]

From 1984 until August 28, 2007, all plates issued followed the pattern of a letter identifying the status of the owner, followed by the two-letter country code, followed by a random three or four-digit number (S AB 1234). For member countries of the Organization of American States (OAS), a subset of that numbering pattern was allotted to vehicles based at those countries' missions to the OAS. Plates issued to cars based at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York City were issued in the reverse format, with the three or four-digit number first, followed by the two-letter country code, followed by the status code (1234 AB S).

The location of the status codes, either as the first or last character, allows the city of assignment to be easily identified because representatives of certain countries are limited to travel in a certain radius from their base. The status codes used until 2007 were "C" for Foreign Consul; "D" for Diplomat; "S" for Non-Diplomatic Staff; and "A" for the OAS. Status codes used for U.N. personnel until 2007 were "A" for the U.N. Secretariat; "D" for U.N. missions and diplomatic personnel; and "S" for U.N. Staff. The rights of the driver and car under diplomatic immunity are defined by this status code.

The country codes are unique to each particular country, but do not correlate to ISO Country Codes or other standards format. For example, in the system used until 2007, France is "DJ" rather than "F", and Australia is "XZ" rather than "AUS".

Diplomatic License Plates
JurisdictionImageDates issuedTypePlate styleSerial formatStatus
U.S. Dept. of State US Diplomatic license plate 2007 sample.jpg 1984 – December 31, 2008Standard issue; red, white, and blue background with "DIPLOMAT", "CONSUL" or blank at top, and black serial centered on a white backgroundEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
A AB1234
A 12345
1234AA A
12345 A
Expired
U.S. Dept. of State US Diplomatic license plate 2007.jpg Unknown – December 31, 2008Standard issue; red, white, and blue background with "DIPLOMAT", "CONSUL" or blank at top, and blue serial centered on a white backgroundScreened serial;
Reflective sheeting
A AB1234
A 12345
1234AA A
12345 A
Expired
U.S. Dept. of State US Diplomatic license plate 2008.jpg August 28, 2007 - CurrentStandard issue; black serial on sky blue background, concave curved red top with the Dept. of State seal, "DIPLOMAT", "CONSUL" or blank at top center, and Office of Foreign Missions (OFM) logoEmbossed serial;
Reflective sheeting
ABC 1234
A 123456
1234 ABC
123456 A
Valid
U.S. diplomatic plate country codes
CodesCountry or Organization
AAFlag of the Republic of the Congo.svg  Congo
ABFlag of the Republic of China.svg  Taiwan (Issued with "E" status code) [46] [47]
ACFlag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg  Ivory Coast
AEFlag of Uzbekistan.svg  Uzbekistan
AFFlag of Japan.svg  Japan
AHFlag of Madagascar.svg  Madagascar
AJFlag of Panama.svg  Panama
AKFlag of Cape Verde.svg  Cape Verde
AQFlag of Syria.svg  Syria
AUFlag of Uganda.svg  Uganda
AVFlag of Israel.svg  Israel
AW African Union
AXFlag of the Marshall Islands.svg  Marshall Islands
BLFlag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
BVFlag of the Solomon Islands.svg  Solomon Islands
BW World Bank
BYFlag of the Solomon Islands.svg  Solomon Islands
BZFlag of Iraq.svg  Iraq
CBFlag of Cambodia.svg  Cambodia
CCFlag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia
CEFlag of Moldova.svg  Moldova
CGFlag of the Marshall Islands.svg  Marshall Islands
CKFlag of Namibia.svg  Namibia
CMFlag of the Federated States of Micronesia.svg  Micronesia
CNInternational Organization
CSFlag of the Taliban.svg  Afghanistan
CTFlag of Bhutan.svg  Bhutan
CUFlag of Botswana.svg  Botswana
CVFlag of Myanmar.svg  Myanmar (Burma)
CWFlag of Cameroon.svg  Cameroon
CXFlag of Burundi.svg  Burundi
CYFlag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China
DAFlag of Colombia.svg  Colombia
DBFlag of Costa Rica.svg  Costa Rica
DCFlag of Cuba.svg  Cuba (UN only)
DDFlag of Cyprus.svg  Cyprus
DFFlag of the Dominican Republic.svg  Dominican Republic
DGFlag of Ecuador.svg  Ecuador
DHFlag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg  Ivory Coast
DIFlag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
DJFlag of France.svg  France
DKFlag of Greece.svg  Greece
DLFlag of India.svg  India
DMFlag of Iran.svg  Iran (UN only)
DNFlag of Denmark.svg  Denmark
DPFlag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh
DRFlag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia
DZFlag of Palau.svg  Palau
FCFlag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union (discontinued)
FFFlag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg  Antigua & Barbuda
FGFlag of the Central African Republic.svg  Central African Republic
FHFlag of Ireland.svg  Ireland
FJFlag of Lebanon.svg  Lebanon
FKFlag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
FLFlag of Liberia.svg  Liberia
FMFlag of Libya.svg  Libya
FNFlag of Malta.svg  Malta
FPFlag of Morocco.svg  Morocco
FRFlag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines
FSFlag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
FTFlag of Qatar.svg  Qatar
FVFlag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka
FWFlag of the Vatican City (2023-present).svg  Vatican City
FXFlag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone
FZFlag of Suriname.svg  Suriname
GCFlag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
GDFlag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine
GEFlag of Azerbaijan.svg  Azerbaijan
GGFlag of Zambia.svg  Zambia
GMFlag of Turkey.svg  Turkey
GNFlag of Turkey.svg  Turkey
GPFlag of Albania.svg  Albania
GQFlag of North Korea.svg  North Korea (UN only)
GXFlag of Vanuatu.svg  Vanuatu
GYFlag of Chile.svg  Chile
HBFlag of Tonga.svg  Tonga
HDFlag of Argentina.svg  Argentina
HLFlag of Saint Lucia.svg  Saint Lucia
HMFlag of Andorra.svg  Andorra
HNFlag of Mongolia.svg  Mongolia
HVFlag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
HWFlag of Guatemala.svg  Guatemala
HXFlag of Benin.svg  Benin
HYFlag of Guinea-Bissau.svg  Guinea-Bissau
HZFlag of Haiti.svg  Haiti
JBFlag of Honduras.svg  Honduras
JCFlag of Kuwait.svg  Kuwait
JDFlag of Mauritius.svg  Mauritius
JFFlag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria
JGFlag of Portugal.svg  Portugal
JHFlag of Somalia.svg  Somalia
JJFlag of Chad.svg  Chad
JKFlag of Turkey.svg  Turkey
JMUnknown (seen in Friendship Heights in April 2022); Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg  Yugoslavia (discontinued)
JPFlag of Tunisia.svg  Tunisia
JQFlag of Togo.svg  Togo
JSFlag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia
JTFlag of Croatia.svg  Croatia
JYFlag of Cyprus.svg  Cyprus
KBFlag of Monaco.svg  Monaco
KDFlag of Eritrea.svg  Eritrea
KEFlag of Georgia.svg  Georgia
KGFlag of Equatorial Guinea.svg  Equatorial Guinea
KHFlag of Hungary.svg  Hungary
KJFlag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania
KKFlag of Fiji.svg  Fiji
KLFlag of Jordan.svg  Jordan
KMFlag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica
KNFlag of Gabon.svg  Gabon
KPFlag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg
KQFlag of Israel.svg  Israel
KRFlag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia
KSFlag of Mexico.svg  Mexico
KTFlag of Namibia.svg  Namibia
KUFlag of Sao Tome and Principe.svg  São Tomé and Príncipe
KVFlag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia
KWFlag of Seychelles.svg  Seychelles
KXFlag of Sudan.svg  Sudan
LCFlag of Venezuela.svg  Venezuela
LDFlag of Vietnam.svg  Vietnam
LGFlag of Turkey.svg  Turkey
LHFlag of Israel.svg  Israel
LJFlag of Israel.svg  Israel
LK European Economic Communities
LMFlag of North Macedonia.svg  Macedonia
LNFlag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia
LRFlag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  Bosnia-Herzegovina
LWFlag of Germany.svg  Germany
MF International Monetary Fund
MGFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
MKFlag of Djibouti.svg  Djibouti
MLFlag of the Commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory.svg Diego Garcia
MNFlag of the Comoros.svg  Comoros
MPFlag of the Bahamas.svg  Bahamas
MWFlag of Maldives.svg  Maldives
NAFlag of Oman.svg  Oman
NBFlag of Papua New Guinea.svg  Papua New Guinea
NCFlag of Paraguay.svg  Paraguay
NDFlag of Romania.svg  Romania
NQFlag of Angola.svg  Angola
NXFlag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia
PAFlag of Austria.svg  Austria
PBFlag of Barbados.svg  Barbados
PCFlag of Belize.svg  Belize
PDFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
PFBandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg  Bolivia
PGFlag of Belarus.svg  Belarus
PHFlag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic
PIFlag of Israel.svg  Israel
PKFlag of Norway.svg  Norway
PLFlag of Chile.svg  Chile
PMFlag of Brunei.svg  Brunei
PRFlag of Argentina.svg  Argentina
PSFlag of Zimbabwe.svg  Zimbabwe
PVFlag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  Democratic Republic of the Congo
QAFlag of Yemen.svg  Yemen
QDFlag of Burkina Faso.svg  Burkina Faso
QLFlag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.svg  St. Kitts & Nevis
QMFlag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria
QNFlag of Laos.svg  Laos
QPFlag of Latvia.svg  Latvia
QQFlag of Lesotho.svg  Lesotho
QRFlag of Malawi.svg  Malawi
QSFlag of Mozambique.svg  Mozambique
QTFlag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
QUFlag of Nicaragua.svg  Nicaragua
QVFlag of Niger.svg  Niger
QWFlag of Poland.svg  Poland
QXFlag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan
QXFlag of Iran.svg  Iran (DC only)
QYFlag of Yemen.svg  Yemen
QZFlag of Indonesia.svg  Indonesia
RBFlag of Rwanda.svg  Rwanda
RCFlag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
RDFlag of Senegal.svg  Senegal
RJ  African Union Mission (seen in DC 2017 park outside African Union Mission)
RLFlag of Uruguay.svg  Uruguay
RMUnknown, Seen DC July 2013
ROFlag of Romania.svg  Romania
RQUnknown, Seen DC February 2011
RVFlag of San Marino.svg  San Marino
SFFlag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic
SGFlag of Israel.svg  Israel
STFlag of Dominica.svg  Dominica
SXFlag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union (discontinued)
TCFlag of Mali.svg  Mali
TFFlag of Algeria.svg  Algeria, Flag of Iraq.svg  Iraq (DC Only)
TGFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
THFlag of Egypt.svg  Egypt
TJFlag of Germany.svg  Germany
TKFlag of Liechtenstein.svg  Liechtenstein
TLFlag of El Salvador.svg  El Salvador
TMFlag of Iceland.svg  Iceland
TNFlag of Nepal.svg    Nepal
TPFlag of Mauritania.svg  Mauritania
TQFlag of Mali.svg  Mali
TRFlag of Italy.svg  Italy
TSFlag of Iraq.svg  Iraq (UN only)
TTFlag of Guyana.svg  Guyana
TUFlag of Guinea.svg  Guinea
TVFlag of Ghana.svg  Ghana
TWFlag of The Gambia.svg  Gambia
TXFlag of Finland.svg  Finland
TYFlag of Grenada.svg  Grenada
TZFlag of Peru.svg  Peru
UAFlag of Bahrain.svg  Bahrain
UFFlag of Estonia.svg  Estonia
UHFlag of Spain.svg  Spain
UXFlag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Trinidad & Tobago
VFFlag of Thailand.svg  Thailand
VGFlag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania
VHFlag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland
VJFlag of Brazil.svg  Brazil
VKFlag of Singapore.svg  Singapore
VLFlag of Eswatini.svg  Swaziland
VMFlag of Nauru.svg  Nauru
WBFlag of the United Arab Emirates.svg  United Arab Emirates
WDFlag of South Korea.svg  South Korea
WMFlag of Samoa.svg  Samoa
WZFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
XAFlag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh
XCFlag of Fiji.svg  Fiji
XDFlag of Myanmar.svg  Myanmar (Burma)
XEFlag of Ghana.svg  Ghana
XFFlag of Turkey.svg  Turkey
XGFlag of Norway.svg  Norway
XYFlag of Ireland.svg  Ireland
XZFlag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
YAFlag of Armenia.svg  Armenia
YJFlag of Tajikistan.svg  Tajikistan
YKFlag of Kazakhstan.svg  Kazakhstan
YMFlag of Moldova.svg  Moldova
YRFlag of Russia.svg  Russia
YTFlag of Turkmenistan.svg  Turkmenistan
YYFlag of Kyrgyzstan (2023).svg  Kyrgyzstan
YZFlag of Azerbaijan.svg  Azerbaijan

See also

Notes

  1. Character positions A, B, C, D, and E can be either letters or numbers. The letters A–Z then the numbers 0–9 are used in each position. [7]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vehicle license plates of the United States</span> American vehicle license plates

In the United States, vehicle registration plates, known as license plates, are issued by a department of motor vehicles, an agency of the state or territorial government, or in the case of the District of Columbia, the district government. Some Native American tribes also issue plates. The U.S. federal government issues plates only for its own vehicle fleet and for vehicles owned by foreign diplomats. Until the 1980s, diplomatic plates were issued by the state in which the consulate or embassy was located.

A vehicle registration plate, also known as a number plate, license plate or licence plate, is a metal or plastic plate or plates attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identification purposes. The registration identifier is a numeric or alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies the vehicle within the issuing authority's database. In Europe most countries have adopted a format for registration plates that satisfies the requirements in the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, which states that cross-border vehicles must display a distinguishing code for the country of registration on the rear of the vehicle. This sign may be an oval sticker placed separately from the registration plate, or may be incorporated into the plate. When the distinguishing sign is incorporated into the registration plate, it must also appear on the front plate of the vehicle, and may be supplemented with the flag or emblem of the national state, or the emblem of the regional economic integration organisation to which the country belongs. An example of such format is the common EU format, with the EU flag above the country code issued in EU member states.

Montenegrin car plates have black characters on a rectangular white background, with a blue strip on the left. Car, but not motorcycle, plates follow the 520 mm x 110 mm format. The old Yugoslav plate format was phased out from 6 June 2008 in favour of this format, which is on par with the common European Union format.

Standard Bulgarian vehicle registration plates display black glyphs on a white background, together with – on the left-hand side of the plate – a blue vertical "EU strip" showing the flag of Europe and, below it, the country code for Bulgaria: BG.

Vehicle registration plates of Serbia display black alphanumeric characters on a white background with blue field placed along the left side edge.

The Portuguese vehicle registration plate system for automobiles and motorcycles is simple and sequential. The system has no link to geographical locations or similar. It is an incremental numbering system consisting of three groups of two characters, separated by dashes. This system started in 1937 with AA–10–00, which ran out on 29 February 1992. This then went on to 00–01–AA and changed to 00–AA–01 in 2005. This last sequence was exhausted early in 2020, and it was announced on 3 March that it had been replaced by the sequence AA–00–AA. Moreover, the letters W and Y, never before used, and the letter K, used only for a short-lived series for imported vehicles in 1997, are being employed in the new system, meaning that this sequence should last more than six-and-a-half times as long as the previous. At current rates that it would not need replacing at least until the end of the 21st century, but the expected lifetime of the series is stated as being forty-five years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vehicle registration plates of Thailand</span> Thailand vehicle license plates

Thailand's vehicle registration plates are issued by the Department of Land Transport (DLT) of the Ministry of Transport. They must be displayed on all motorized road vehicles, as required by the Motor Vehicle Act, B.E. 2522 and the Land Transport Act, B.E. 2522. The plates vary in design, colors and dimensions according to the type of vehicle, but usually display a registration number and the vehicle's province of registration. Specifications are given in Ministry of Transport regulations. Current style started in 1975 for most vehicle types, but with small changes in 1997, and 1997 for motorcycles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vehicle registration plates of New York</span> New York vehicle license plates

The U.S. state of New York was the first to require its residents to register their motor vehicles, in 1901. Registrants provided their own license plates for display, featuring their initials until 1903 and numbers thereafter, until the state began to issue plates in 1910.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vehicle registration plates of Colorado</span> Colorado vehicle license plates

The U.S. state of Colorado first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1913. As of 2024, plates are issued by the Colorado Department of Revenue through its Division of Motor Vehicles. Front and rear plates are required for most classes of vehicles, while only rear plates are required for motorcycles and trailers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vehicle registration plates of Connecticut</span> Connecticut vehicle license plates

The U.S. state of Connecticut first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1903. Registrants provided their own license plates for display until 1905, when the state began to issue plates. Since then, Connecticut has used a variety of license plate designs, and has issued different designs for passenger, non-passenger, and, more recently, optional plate types that often require an additional fee. As of 2024, plates are issued by the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vehicle registration plates of Belarus</span> Belarus vehicle license plates

Belarusian vehicle registration plates are currently mainly composed of four digits – the vehicle identifier, two letters – the number plate series, and the region code – a final digit indicating the region of Belarus in which the vehicle was registered. The placement of the series letters varies for the weight class or type of the vehicle:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vehicle registration plates of Andorra</span> Andorra vehicle license plates

In Andorra, vehicle registration plates are composed of one letter and four digits, and have the coat of arms of Andorra and country code (AND) to the left of the serial and Principat d'Andorra in blue below the serial. The plates feature embossed black serials on a white background.

The vehicle registration plates of Cyprus are composed of three letters and three digits. A simple incremental numbering system is used; numbers run from 001 to 999 per letter sequence (alphabetic), so that, for example, the plate to be issued after MAA 999 would be MAB 001. However, registrants may be allowed to choose a number from available numbers in the extant letter sequence.

Current motor vehicle registrations in Bolivia, commonly known as plate, are license plates with a unique combination of letters and numbers to individually identify each vehicle registered in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vehicle registration plates of Vietnam</span> Vietnam vehicle license plates

Vehicle registration plates of Vietnam generally take the form DDL-DDDDD for vehicles. Standard license plates have black characters on white background. Front plates measure 47 × 11 cm, rear ones are 27 × 20. In 2020 and 2021, both plates measure 6 x 12. The current scheme for civilian vehicles omits the letters I, J, O, Q and W, with the letter R reserved for trailers, and includes the Vietnamese D.

The vehicle registration plates of Gabon is a legal form requiring the citizens of Gabon to have the car registered.

References

  1. Randazzo, Ryan. "Arizona has made a subtle but significant change to its license plates. Have you noticed?". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  2. Current High-Issue License Plates (U.S. and Canada) Archived March 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  3. "MontanaLicensePlatesByCounty". fechter.com. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  4. "Alabama County Codes". 15q.net. October 3, 2010. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
  5. 1 2 "License Plates". Licenseplates.cc. February 6, 2014. Archived from the original on February 20, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
  6. Same style also was issued from late 2004 until December 2007.
  7. "License Plates". Licenseplates.cc. October 10, 2010. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
  8. "Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration" (PDF). State.ar.us. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
  9. "License Plates". Licenseplates.cc. October 10, 2010. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
  10. 12345A1 issued to trucks
  11. Plus remakes of serials issued on previous bases: 1234, 12345, 123•456, A•123, AB•123, AB•1234
  12. except Miami-Dade County
  13. "DRT launches new license plates". Marianas Variety, Guam Edition. Archived from the original on July 13, 2009.
  14. Plus A12 3456, 123 4567, 12 345, 123 456, AB 1234, ABC 123, A12 345 as remakes of serials issued on previous bases.
  15. "License Plates - Standard Plates". Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services. Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  16. "License Plates". Motor Vehicle Division. Montana Department of Justice. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  17. In Douglas, Lancaster, and Sarpy Counties, Nebraska.
  18. In all other counties, Nebraska.
  19. Plus 1234, 12345, and ABC123 as remakes of serials issued on previous base.
  20. "ALPCA Garden State Region » Blog Archive » New Format Plate Spotted in the Wild!". Alpcagardenstate.org. July 16, 2010. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
  21. Kretschmer, Rick. "Rick Kretschmer's License Plate Archives | North Carolina Passenger Cars 1975–Present". www.ricksplates.com. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  22. webmaster. "Official NCDMV: First in Freedom Plate". www.ncdot.gov. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  23. webmaster. "Official NCDMV: New National/State Motto License Plate Option for Vehicle Owners". www.ncdot.gov. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  24. "License Plates". Division of Motor Vehicles. State of Rhode Island. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  25. Landis, Bruce (January 10, 2007). "New License Plates Go By The Numbers". The Providence Journal. p. A.1.
  26. Lisa Riley Roche (January 26, 2007). "New license plates sought: 'Life Elevated' would combine with 'Greatest Snow on Earth' slogan". Deseret News. Deseret News Publishing Company. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
  27. Medley, Tracy (February 27, 2007). "Utah Gets a New License Plate Slogan: 'Life Elevated'". New West. NewWest.Net. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
  28. 1 2 First letter progressing backwards from Z.
  29. C: St. Croix, JA: St. John (because of shortage of population), T: St. Thomas
  30. Progressing forward from VAA-1001.
  31. "License Plates". Licenseplates.cc. October 10, 2010. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
  32. Plus 12 345, 123 456, AB 1234, ABC 123, A12 345 as remakes of serials issued on previous bases.
  33. "Iowa Speciality License Plates". Archived from the original on September 19, 2008. Retrieved September 7, 2010.
  34. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 26, 2010. Retrieved September 7, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  35. Regulation License Plate to Commemorate Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial Archived July 14, 2009, at the Wayback Machine .
  36. A12 34B issued to light trucks.
  37. AB 12345 issued to commercial vehicles.
  38. "Jim Moini's License Plates". Moini.net. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
  39. Plus ABC-123, 1AB-234, A1B-234, A12-3BC, AB1-23C as remakes of serials issued on previous bases.
  40. "Standard Issue License Plates". Archived from the original on June 29, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
  41. Progressing backwards from ZZZ-9999.
  42. Luxner, Larry (October 2007). "State Department Unveils New Design for Diplomatic Plates". The Washington Diplomat. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  43. Nebel, Claude (2007). "New Look for U.S. State Department's Diplomatic Plates". Police Chief. Alexandria, Virginia: International Association of Chiefs of Police.
  44. Levanthal, Brian (August 28, 2007). "New Diplomatic License Plates Unveiled". U.D. Department of State Archive. U.S. Bureau of Diplomatic Security. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  45. "Old-v.-New Diplomatic and Consular License Plate Comparison Chart". U.S. Department of State Archive. Office of Foreign Missions, Bureau of Diplomatic Security. June 20, 2007. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  46. Taiwan’s representatives in the US are given diplomatic license plates (2015/02/25) Archived January 23, 2016, at the Wayback Machine , Formosa News of Formosa Television. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  47. 駐美代表處 掛上外交車牌, CNA (ROC). Retrieved February 25, 2015.