Vehicle registration plates of North Dakota

North Dakota
Current series
Name	Legendary
Slogan	Legendary North Dakota; Peace Garden State
Size	12 in × 6 in; 30 cm × 15 cm
Material	Aluminum
Serial format	123 ABC
Introduced	November 12, 2015; (minor redesign November 2016)
Availability
Issued by	North Dakota Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division
History
First issued	1911
	v ; t ; e ;

Last updated February 17, 2024

The U.S. state of North Dakota first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1911. As of 2024^[update], plates are issued by the North Dakota Department of Transportation through its Motor Vehicle Division. Front and rear plates are required for most classes of vehicles, while only rear plates are required for motorcycles and trailers.

Passenger baseplates

1911 to 1957

In 1956, the United States, Canada, and Mexico came to an agreement with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Automobile Manufacturers Association and the National Safety Council that standardized the size for license plates for vehicles (except those for motorcycles) at 6 inches (15 cm) in height by 12 inches (30 cm) in width, with standardized mounting holes.^[1] The 1955 (dated 1956) issue was the first North Dakota license plate that complied with these standards.

Dates issued	Design	Slogan	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
1911	Golden yellow serial on black flat metal plate; vertical "ND" and "1911" at left and right respectively	none	1234	1 to approximately 7000
1912	Embossed red serial on white plate; vertical "ND" and "1912" at left and right respectively	none	1234	1 to approximately 9000
1913	Embossed black serial on tan plate; vertical "ND" and "1913" at left and right respectively	none	12345	1 to approximately 12500
1914	Embossed black serial on yellow plate; vertical "ND" and "1914" at left and right respectively	none	12345	1 to approximately 17000
1915	Embossed black serial on green plate; vertical "ND" and "1915" at left and right respectively	none	12345	1 to approximately 25000
1916	Debossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1916" at left and right respectively	none	12345	1 to approximately 41000
1917	Debossed black serial on white plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1917" at left and right respectively	none	12-345	1 to approximately 50-000
1917	As above, but embossed rather than debossed, and without border line	none	12345	50001 to approximately 63000
1918	Debossed red serial on white plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1918" at left and right respectively	none	12345	1 to approximately 72000
1919	Debossed light green serial on black plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1919" at left and right respectively	none	12345	1 to approximately 85000
1920	Embossed cream serial on green plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1920" at left and right respectively	none	12345	1 to approximately 91000
1921	Embossed white serial on dark blue plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1921" at left and right respectively	none	12345	1 to approximately 92000
1922	Embossed black serial on golden yellow plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1922" at left and right respectively	none	12-345	1 to approximately 99-000
1923	Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1923" at left and right respectively	none	123-456	1 to approximately 110-000
1924	Embossed black serial on silver plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1924" at left and right respectively	none	123-456	1 to approximately 116-000
1925	Embossed silver serial on black plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1925" at left and right respectively	none	F12-345	F1 to approximately F82-000	Issued on Fords.
1925		none	12-345	1 to approximately 51-000	Issued on all other vehicles.
1926	Embossed red serial on gray plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1926" at left and right respectively	none	F12-345	F1 to approximately F85-000	Issued on Fords.
1926		none	12-345	1 to approximately 56-000	Issued on all other vehicles.
1927	Embossed black serial on orange plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1927" at left and right respectively	none	123-456	1 to approximately 140-000
1928	Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1928" at left and right respectively	none	123-456	1 to approximately 151-000
1929	Embossed black serial on silver plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1929" at left and right respectively	none	123-456	1 to approximately 162-000
1930	Embossed green serial on golden yellow plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1930" at left and right respectively	none	123-456	1 to approximately 155-000
1931	Embossed tan serial on dark blue plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1931" at left and right respectively	none	123-456	1 to approximately 145-000
1932	Embossed white serial on maroon plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1932" at left and right respectively	none	123-456	1 to approximately 125-000
1933	Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1933" at left and right respectively	none	123-456	1 to approximately 149-000
1934	Embossed blue serial on orange plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1934" at left and right respectively	none	123-456	1 to approximately 155-000
1935	Embossed orange serial on black plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1935" at left and right respectively	none	123-456	1 to approximately 135-000
1936	Embossed black serial on orange plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1936" at left and right respectively	none	123-456	1 to approximately 140-000
1937	Embossed green serial on white plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1937" at left and right respectively	none	123-456	1 to approximately 140-000
1938	Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1938" at left and right respectively	none	123-456	1 to approximately 141-000
1939	Embossed red serial on white plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1939" at left and right respectively	none	123-456	1 to approximately 142-000
1940	Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1940" at left and right respectively	none	123-456	1 to approximately 147-000
1941	Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1941" at left and right respectively	none	123-456	1 to approximately 150-000
1942	Embossed yellow serial on red plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1942" at left and right respectively	none	123-456	1 to approximately 143-000	Revalidated for 1943 with windshield stickers, due to metal conservation for World War II.
1943	As 1942 base, but with vertical "1943" at right	none	123-456	200-001 to approximately 213-000	Issued only to new registrants.
1944	Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1944" at left and right respectively	none	123-456	1 to approximately 135-000
1945	Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1945" at left and right respectively	none	123-456	1 to approximately 130-000
1946	Embossed red serial on silver plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1946" at left and right respectively	none	123-456	1 to approximately 140-000
1947	Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; vertical "ND" and "1947" at left and right respectively	none	123-456	1 to approximately 152-000
1948	Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "NORTH DAKOTA" centered at top; vertical "1948" at right	none	123-456	1 to approximately 162-000	First use of the full state name. Revalidated for 1949 with white tabs.
1949	As 1948 base, but waffle-textured, and with vertical "1949" at right	none	123-456	200-001 to approximately 237-000	Issued only to new registrants.
1950	Embossed black serial on orange plate with border line; "NORTH DAKOTA" centered at top; vertical "1950" at right	none	123-456	1 to approximately 194-000
1951	Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "NORTH DAKOTA" centered at top; vertical "1951" at right	none	123-456	1 to approximately 196-000
1952	Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "NORTH DAKOTA" centered at top; vertical "1952" at right	none	123-456	1 to approximately 192-000
1953	Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "NORTH DAKOTA" centered at top; vertical "1953" at right	none	123-456	1 to approximately 198-000
1954	Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "NORTH DAKOTA 54" at top	none	123-456	1 to approximately 201-000
1955	Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "NORTH DAKOTA 55" at top	none	123-456	1 to approximately 209-000
1956	Embossed blue serial on white plate with border line; "NORTH DAKOTA 56" at top	"PEACE GARDEN STATE" at bottom	123-456	1 to approximately 208-000	First 6" x 12" plate, and first use of the "Peace Garden State" slogan.
1957	Embossed white serial on blue plate with border line; "NORTH DAKOTA 57" at top	"PEACE GARDEN STATE" at bottom	123-456	1 to approximately 213-000

1958 to present

Dates issued	Design	Slogan	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
1958–61	Embossed green serial on reflective white plate with border line; "NORTH DAKOTA 58" at top	"PEACE GARDEN STATE" at bottom	123-456	1 to approximately 316-000	Revalidated for 1959 with yellow tabs, for 1960 with orange tabs, and for 1961 with green tabs.
1962–65	Embossed black serial on reflective white plate with border line; "N.DAKOTA" at top left and "62" at top right	"PEACE GARDEN STATE" at bottom	123-456	1 to approximately 355-000	Revalidated for 1963, 1964 and 1965 with stickers.
1966–69	Embossed red serial on reflective white plate with border line; "N.DAKOTA" at top left and "66" at top right	"PEACE GARDEN STATE" at bottom	123-456	1 to approximately 378-000	Revalidated for 1967, 1968 and 1969 with stickers.
1970–73	Embossed blue serial on reflective white plate with border line; "N.DAKOTA" at top left and "70" at top right	"PEACE GARDEN STATE" at bottom	123-456	1 to approximately 416-000
1974–79	Embossed green serial on reflective white plate with border line; "N.DAKOTA" at top left and "74" at top right	"PEACE GARDEN STATE" at bottom	123-456	1 to approximately 580-000
1980–82	Embossed black serial on reflective white plate with border line; "NORTH DAKOTA" centered at top; "80" at top right	"PEACE GARDEN STATE" at bottom	ABC 123	AAA 000 to AVP 999	Manufactured in Iowa using that state's serial dies. Issued concurrently with the Theodore Roosevelt base (below) from 1984.
1983–88	As above, but without "80"	"PEACE GARDEN STATE" at bottom	ABC 123	AVR 000 to approximately AZM 999
1984–88	Embossed blue serial on reflective white plate; blue, white and red graphic featuring Theodore Roosevelt screened at left; "NORTH DAKOTA" screened in blue centered at bottom	"PEACE GARDEN STATE" screened in red centered at top	AB123	AA000 to approximately KS999	Manufactured in South Dakota using that state's serial dies. Awarded "Plate of the Year" for best new license plate of 1985 by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association, the first time North Dakota was so honored. Co-recipient with Nevada.
1989–92	Embossed black serial on light blue, white and light orange gradient plate; long black bar screened below serial containing "1889 NORTH DAKOTA 1989" in white	Short black bar screened above serial containing "CENTENNIAL" in white; "PEACE GARDEN STATE" screened in black centered at top	ABC 123	BAA 000 to approximately CNP 999	Commemorated North Dakota's 100 years of statehood.
1993 – November 11, 2015	Embossed black serial on prairie scene with gradient light blue sky, grey mountains and yellow grass; bison at bottom left and three wheat stalks at bottom right; "NORTH DAKOTA" screened in white with heavy black outline, centered below serial	"Discover the Spirit" screened in white centered at top; "PEACE GARDEN STATE" screened in brown centered at bottom	ABC 123	DAA 000 to approximately KRZ 999	Awarded "Plate of the Year" for best new license plate of 1993 by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association, the second time North Dakota was so honored. 'F' series of serials reserved for Farm plates; 'I' series not used.^[2]
November 12, 2015^[3] – November 2016	Screened black serial on badlands scene with light blue, orange and yellow gradient sky, yellow rising sun and brown canyon; bison at bottom right; "NORTH DAKOTA" screened in orange centered above serial, with three wheat stalks on either side	"LEGENDARY" screened in black centered above state name; "PEACE GARDEN STATE" screened in white at bottom left	123 ABC	000 AAA to 999 BTX	First general reissue since 1993.
November 2016^[4] – present	As above, but with state name in larger, thinner font		123 ABC	000 BTY to 237 EGH (as of February 7, 2024)^[5]	First general reissue since 1993.

Non-passenger plates

Type	Dates issued	Design	Serial format	Serials issued
Motorcycle	1988–94	Embossed black serial on beige plate; "ND" at top left, "88" at top right and "MOTORCYCLE" at bottom	L12345	L1 to approximately L35000
	1994–2010	Embossed black serial on light blue plate; "ND" at top left and "MOTORCYCLE" at bottom	M12345	M1 to approximately M93000
	2010–15	Embossed black serial on graphic plate similar to "Discover the Spirit" passenger base; "ND" screened at top left and "MOTORCYCLE" at bottom	M12345	M93001 to M99999
	2010–15		12345M	1M to approximately 40000M
	2015–present	Similar to "Legendary" passenger base; "MOTORCYCLE" screened at bottom	12345M	50001M to 97715M (as of May 6, 2020)
Trailer	1993–2015	As "Discover the Spirit" passenger base	T123456	T1 to approximately T380000
Trailer	2015–present	As "Legendary" passenger base	T123456	T400001 to T523560 (as of December 21, 2023)^[5]

Related Research Articles

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The U.S. state of Nebraska first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1905. Registrants provided their own license plates for display until 1915, when the state began to issue plates.

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The U.S. state of Maine first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1905. As of 2022, plates are issued by the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles, within the office of the Department of the Secretary of State. Front and rear plates are required for most classes of vehicles, while only rear plates are required for motorcycles and trailers.

The U.S. state of Iowa first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1904. Registrants provided their own license plates for display until 1911, when the state began to issue plates.

The U.S. state of Kentucky first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1910. Plates are currently issued by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet through its Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing. Only rear plates have been required since 1944.

The U.S. state of Minnesota first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1903. Registrants provided their own license plates for display until 1909, when the state began to issue plates.

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

The U.S. state of Nevada first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1913. Registrants provided their own license plates for display until 1916, when the state began to issue plates.

The U.S. state of North Carolina first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1907. Registrants provided their own license plates for display until 1913, when the state began to issue plates.

The U.S. state of South Carolina first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1917. As of 2023, plates are issued by the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Only rear plates have been required since 1975.

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

The U.S. state of Rhode Island first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1904. Plates are currently issued by the Rhode Island 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.

The U.S. state of South Dakota first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1905. Registrants provided their own license plates for display until 1913, when the state began to issue plates.

The U.S. state of Vermont first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1905. As of 2022, plates are issued by the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), associated with the Vermont Agency of Transportation. Front and rear plates are required for most classes of vehicles, while only rear plates are required for motorcycles and trailers.

The U.S. state of Virginia first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1906. As of 2022, plates are issued by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Front and rear plates are required for most classes of vehicles, while only rear plates are required for motorcycles and trailers.

The U.S. state of Washington first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1905. Registrants provided their own license plates for display until 1915, when the state began to issue plates.

The U.S. state of West Virginia first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1905. As of 2023, plates are issued by the West Virginia Department of Transportation through its Division of Motor Vehicles. Only rear plates have been required since 1944.

The U.S. state of Wyoming first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1913. As of 2023, plates are issued and regulated by the Wyoming Department of Transportation through its Motor Vehicle Services division.

The U.S. federal district of Washington, D.C., first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1903. Registrants provided their own license plates for display until 1907, when the district began to issue plates. Plates are issued by the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles. Front and rear plates are required for most classes of vehicles, while only rear plates are required for motorcycles and trailers.

The Canadian province of Manitoba first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display licence plates in 1911. As of 2022, plates are issued by Manitoba Public Insurance. Front and rear plates are required for most classes of vehicles, while only rear plates are required for motorcycles and trailers.

The U.S. state of Arkansas first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1911. Prior to 1911, plates were issued by cities.

References

↑ Garrish, Christopher (October 2016). "Reconsidering the Standard Plate Size". Plates. Vol. 62, no. 5. Automobile License Plate Collectors Association.
↑ Tanner, Eric N. "North Dakota Passenger License Plates". allaboutlicenseplates.com. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
↑ "New 'Sunrise' North Dakota license plates released". KFGO. November 12, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
↑ "ND makes slight change to new version of license plates". West Fargo Pioneer. March 8, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
1 2 "North Dakota License Plates". www.licenseplates.cc. Retrieved July 3, 2023.

External links

North Dakota license plates, 1969–present

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[1] Garrish, Christopher (October 2016). "Reconsidering the Standard Plate Size". Plates. Vol. 62, no. 5. Automobile License Plate Collectors Association.

[2] Tanner, Eric N. "North Dakota Passenger License Plates". allaboutlicenseplates.com. Retrieved November 17, 2020.

[3] "New 'Sunrise' North Dakota license plates released". KFGO. November 12, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2015.

[4] "ND makes slight change to new version of license plates". West Fargo Pioneer. March 8, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.

[licenseplates.cc-5] 1 2 "North Dakota License Plates". www.licenseplates.cc. Retrieved July 3, 2023.

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v t e Vehicle license plates of the United States
States	Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
Federal district	Washington, D.C.
Insular areas	American Samoa Guam Northern Mariana Islands Puerto Rico U.S. Virgin Islands
Other registration plates	Canal Zone Native American tribes Designs and serial formats
By year	1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

v t e Vehicle registration plates of North America
Sovereign states	Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados Belize Canada Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago United States
Dependencies and other territories	Anguilla Aruba Bermuda Bonaire British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Curaçao Greenland Guadeloupe Martinique Montserrat Puerto Rico Saint Barthélemy Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saba Sint Eustatius Sint Maarten Turks and Caicos Islands United States Virgin Islands

v t e State of North Dakota
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Regions	Badlands Missouri Coteau Drift Prairie Red River Valley Turtle Mountains
Larger cities pop. over 5,000	Bismarck Devils Lake Dickinson Fargo Grand Forks Jamestown Mandan Minot Valley City Wahpeton Watford City West Fargo Williston
Smaller cities pop. 1,000–5,000	Beach Beulah Bottineau Bowman Burlington Cando Carrington Casselton Cavalier Cooperstown Crosby Ellendale Garrison Grafton Hankinson Harvey Hazen Hettinger Hillsboro Horace Kenmare Langdon Larimore Lincoln Linton Lisbon Mayville New Rockford New Town Oakes Park River Rolla Rugby Stanley Thompson Tioga Velva Walhalla Washburn Watford City Wishek
Counties	Adams Barnes Benson Billings Bottineau Bowman Burke Burleigh Cass Cavalier Dickey Divide Dunn Eddy Emmons Foster Golden Valley Grand Forks Grant Griggs Hettinger Kidder LaMoure Logan McHenry McIntosh McKenzie McLean Mercer Morton Mountrail Nelson Oliver Pembina Pierce Ramsey Ransom Renville Richland Rolette Sargent Sheridan Sioux Slope Stark Steele Stutsman Towner Traill Walsh Ward Wells Williams
North Dakotaportal