Vehicle registration plates of Ohio

Ohio

Current series
Name	Sunrise in Ohio
Slogan	Birthplace of Aviation
Size	12 in × 6 in 30 cm × 15 cm
Material	Aluminum
Serial format	ABC 1234
Introduced	December 29, 2021 (2021-12-29) [1]
Availability
Issued by	Ohio Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
Manufactured by	Ohio Penal Industries
History
First issued	July 11, 1908 (1908-07-11) [2]
v t e

The U.S. state of Ohio first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1908, although several cities within the state issued their own license plates from as early as 1902.

As of 2022 ^[update] , plates are issued by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), a division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. Only rear plates have been required for all classes of vehicles, except commercial tractors, since July 1, 2020. ^[3] However, vehicle owners can request specialized, personalized plate serials, in addition to their rear plates, for an extra charge. But eventually that 2nd plate option will phase out entirely when state legislation passes a bill. ^[4] All plates are manufactured by inmates at Ohio Penal Industries at the Lebanon Correctional Institution; ^{[5] [6]} since 2015, they have been manufactured out of aluminum, having been made of galvanized steel beforehand. ^[7] The BMV issues a new license plate design about every five years, ^[8] or with each new administration in the state government. ^[9]

A new "Sunrise in Ohio" plate design was unveiled by Governor Mike DeWine on October 21, 2021, ^[10] and was made available to drivers December 29, 2021, replacing the "Ohio Pride" design which had been issued since April 2013. ^[1]

History

On May 19, 1902, Cleveland became one of the first cities in the country to require motorists to display government-issued registration numbers on their vehicles. ^{[11] [12]} In the following years, various local governments in Ohio issued standard metal plates of varying design or numerals (to be mounted on a dark background), including:

• Canton (1905) ^[11]
• Cleveland (1907–08) ^[11]
• Cincinnati (initials only 1903–05; 1906–08; motorcycles in 1911, 1913 ^[11] ), abbreviated "Cinti" ^[12]
• Columbus (1907–08), abbreviated "Col's" ^[12]
• Dayton (1905, 1907, 1908; ^[12] motorcycles in 1909, 1912, 1913 ^[2] )
• Delhi Township, Hamilton County (1906–08), abbreviated "Delhi" ^[12]
• East Liverpool (Health Department vehicles in 1924) ^[2]
• Elyria (motorcycles in 1910) ^[11]
• Hamilton (1907), abbreviated "Haml" ^[11]
• Lima (motorcycles in 1908, 1912–13) ^[11]
• Lorain (1907) ^[2]
• Mansfield (1903) ^[11]
• Massillon (1906 ^[11] ), abbreviated "M" ^[12]
• Newark (motorcycles in 1912–13) ^[11]
• Sandusky (1903) ^[11]
• Springfield (unknown; motorcycles in 1913), abbreviated "Spfd" on motorcycles ^[11]
• Toledo (1904, 1907) ^[11]
• Warren (1908) ^[12]

In 1906, the state attempted to take over auto registration under the Ward Automobile Law, but litigation delayed the program until the Ohio Supreme Court ruled in favor of the law. The Ohio Secretary of State's Automobile Division, precursor to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, was established in 1907. ^[13] The Ward Law went into effect on June 11, 1908, but the Automobile Division did not begin issuing plates for another 30 days due to a manufacturing defect. ^[2] The first state vehicle registration was issued to Cincinnati resident Thomas B. Paxton, Jr., for his Franklin automobile. ^[14] Locally issued and owner-provided license plates were phased out by 1909 for automobiles, ^[12] but local plates continued to be used for motorcycles until 1914. ^[2] One effect of the Ward Law was to eliminate a significant revenue stream for cities like Cincinnati, which took in about $5,000 a year (equivalent to $170,000 today) from auto registrations. ^[15]

The Ward Law required automobile owners to display plates at both the front and the rear of the vehicle. Front and rear plates would be issued for passenger vehicles for over a century, through June 30, 2020, with the exception of 1944–46 when only rear plates were issued due to metal conservation for World War II. ^[3] Ohio issued single-year plates from 1910 through 1973, except in 1943 and 1952 when windshield stickers were issued to revalidate the previous year's plates, again due to metal conservation (for World War II and the Korean War respectively).

Various Ohio license plate designs from 1908 to 1921 used distinctive monograms instead of a fully spelled-out state name. ^[14] The 1938 plate commemorated the 150th anniversary of the creation of the Northwest Territory (from which the state of Ohio was formed), and thus was the first plate in the state to feature a graphic and a slogan. In 1953, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles commemorated the state's sesquicentennial by issuing a special front plate bearing the state shape and the word "sesqui-centennial" [ sic ] instead of the passenger serial, which was carried only on the rear plate.

A golf cart in Put-in-Bay displaying an Ohio Bicentennial passenger plate.

From 1935 through 1979, serials were allocated in blocks to each of the state's 88 counties. Serials were originally up to five characters in length and featured one or two letters. Increased demand resulted in the introduction of six-character serials in 1949, followed by all-numeric serials in 1962. The scheme was finally abandoned in 1980. ^[16]

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. ^[17] The 1956 (dated 1957) issue was the first Ohio license plate that fully complied with these standards: the state had been issuing plates 6 inches in height by 12 inches in width since 1926, and all plates of the 1952 (dated 1953) and 1955 (dated 1956) issues were to these dimensions, but none had had standard mounting holes. ^[18]

In 1967, the state began issuing special plates to DUI offenders with limited driving privileges. Judges in Ohio, however, rarely issued them until a 2004 state law made it mandatory for all DUI offenders with limited driving privileges to have them. ^[19]

After the last single-year plate was issued in 1973, the 1974 plate was revalidated for 1975 with a sticker placed at the bottom right corner. The first undated, multi-year plate was issued in 1976, while monthly staggered registration was introduced in 1979. ^[14]

Since 1983, plates have carried the county of issuance on a sticker. Originally, this was a long sticker centered at the bottom of the plate, displaying the county name. ^[20] In 1992, the state introduced a numerical county-coding scheme (see the County Coding section below), with the county number being displayed on a red sticker at the bottom left corner of the plate; this scheme was initially used only on specialty plates before being adopted on standard passenger plates when the Bicentennial base was introduced in October 2001. ^[6] The scheme was discontinued on standard passenger plates in 2018 in favor of a return to county-name stickers, again centered at the bottom of the plate. ^[20]

On April 3, 2019, Governor Mike DeWine signed a two-year state transportation budget bill that included the elimination of the requirement for front license plates to be displayed. This became effective on July 1, 2020. ^[3]

Passenger baseplates

1908 to 1973

Image	Dates issued	Design	Slogan	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	1908–09	White serial on dark blue porcelain plate; "OH" monogram at right	none	12345	1 to approximately 23500
	1910	White serial on woodgrain-colored porcelain plate; vertical "OHIO" and "1910" at left and right respectively	none	12345	1 to approximately 33000
	1911	Black serial on white porcelain plate; vertical "OHIO" and "1911" at left and right respectively	none	12345	1 to approximately 46000
12345	1912	Forest green serial on white flat metal plate; vertical "OHIO" and "1912" at left and right respectively	none	12345	1 to approximately 63000
12345	1913	Maroon serial on white flat metal plate; vertical "OHIO" and "1913" at left and right respectively	none	12345	1 to approximately 86000
	1914	Red serial on white flat metal plate; "OHIO" monogram and "1914" at left	none	123456	1 to approximately 121000
	1915	Black serial on white flat metal plate; "OHIO" monogram and "1915" at left	none	123456	1 to approximately 181000
123456	1916	White serial on black flat metal plate; "OHIO 1916" at left	none	123456	1 to approximately 245000
	1917	Black serial on yellow flat metal plate; vertical "OHIO" and "1917" at left and right respectively	none	123456	1 to approximately 342000
123456	1918	Embossed white serial on dark green plate; "OHIO" monogram and "1918" at right	none	123456	1 to approximately 412000	First embossed plate.
	1919	Embossed white serial on maroon plate; "OHIO" monogram and "1919" at left	none	123456	1 to approximately 509000
123456	1920	Embossed white serial on dark blue plate; "OHIO" monogram at left and "19" over "20" at right	none	123456	1 to approximately 527000
	1921	Embossed white serial on forest green plate; "OHIO" monogram at left and "19" over "21" at right	none	123456	1 to approximately 618000
	1922	Embossed dark blue serial on white plate; "OHIO-1922" centered at bottom	none	123.456	1 to approximately 714.000
	1923	Embossed red serial on gray plate; "OHIO-1923" centered at bottom	none	123.456	1 to approximately 927.000
	1924	Embossed white serial on dark blue plate; "OHIO-1924" centered at bottom	none	123-456	1 to 999-999
				★12-345	★1 to approximately ★59-000
	1925	Embossed black serial on cream plate; "OHIO-1925" centered at bottom	none	123-456 ★12-345
	1926	Embossed white serial on brown plate; "OHIO-1926" centered at bottom	none	123-456 ★12-345 A12-345
	1927	Embossed black serial on gray plate; "OHIO-1927" centered at bottom	none	123-456 ★12-345 A12-345
	1928	Embossed white serial on dark blue plate; "OHIO-1928" centered at bottom	none	123-456 ★12-345 A12-345
	1929	Embossed black serial on light green plate; "OHIO-1929" centered at bottom	none	123-456 A12-345
	1930	Embossed white serial on maroon plate; "OHIO-1930" centered at bottom	none	123-456 A12-345
No image	1931	Embossed black serial on gray plate; "OHIO-1931" centered at bottom	none	123-456 A12-345
No image	1932	Embossed white serial on dark blue plate; "OHIO-1932" centered at bottom	none	123-456 A12-345
	1933	Embossed black serial on orange plate; "OHIO-1933" centered at top	none	123-456 A12-345
	1934	Embossed white serial on maroon plate; "OHIO-1934" centered at bottom	none	123-456 A12-345
	1935	Embossed yellow serial on dark blue plate with border line; "OHIO - 1935" centered at bottom	none	A·1234 AB·123 1234·A 123·AB A·123·B	Issued in blocks by county
	1936	Embossed blue serial on white plate with border line; "OHIO - 1936" centered at bottom	none	A·1234 AB·123 1234·A 123·AB A·123·B	Issued in blocks by county
	1937	Embossed maroon serial on white plate with border line; "OHIO - 1937" centered at bottom	none	A·1234 AB·123 1234·A 123·AB A·123·B	Issued in blocks by county
	1938	Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; embossed covered wagon graphic centered at bottom; "OHIO·38" at bottom right [21]	"150 ANNIV· N·W·TERR·" at bottom left	A·1234 AB·123 1234·A 123·AB A·123·B	Issued in blocks by county	Commemorated the 150th anniversary of the creation of the Northwest Territory, from which the state of Ohio was formed.
	1939	Embossed blue serial on white plate with border line; "OHIO - 1939" centered at bottom	none	A·1234 AB·123 1234·A 123·AB A·123·B	Issued in blocks by county
	1940	Embossed white serial on dark blue plate with border line; "OHIO - 1940" centered at bottom	none	A·1234 AB·123 1234·A 123·AB A·123·B	Issued in blocks by county
	1941	Embossed white serial on maroon plate with border line; "OHIO - 1941" centered at bottom	none	A·1234 AB·123 1234·A 123·AB A·123·B	Issued in blocks by county
	1942–43	Embossed dark green serial on white plate with border line; "OHIO - 1942" centered at bottom	none	A·1234 AB·123 1234·A 123·AB A·123·B	Issued in blocks by county	Revalidated for 1943 with windshield stickers, due to metal conservation for World War II.
	1944	Embossed white serial on dark blue plate with border line; "OHIO - 1944" centered at bottom	none	A·1234 AB·123 1234·A 123·AB A·123·B	Issued in blocks by county
	1945	Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "OHIO - 1945" centered at bottom	none	A·1234 AB·123 1234·A 123·AB A·123·B	Issued in blocks by county
	1946	Embossed red serial on white plate with border line; "OHIO - 1946" centered at bottom	none	A·1234 AB·123 1234·A 123·AB A·123·B	Issued in blocks by county
	1947	Embossed white serial on dark green plate with border line; "1947 - OHIO" centered at bottom	none	A·1234 AB·123 1234·A 123·AB A·123·B	Issued in blocks by county
	1948	Embossed black serial on light yellow plate with border line; "OHIO - 1948" centered at bottom	none	A·1234 AB·123 1234·A 123·AB A·123·B	Issued in blocks by county
	1949	Embossed light yellow serial on waffle-textured black plate with border line; "1949 - OHIO" centered at bottom	none	A·12345 AB·1234 12345·A 1234·AB A·1234·B	Issued in blocks by county
	1950	Embossed black serial on waffle-textured yellow plate with border line; "OHIO - 1950" centered at bottom	none	A·12345 AB·1234 12345·A 1234·AB A·1234·B	Issued in blocks by county
	1951–52	Embossed white serial on dark blue plate with border line; "1951 - OHIO" centered at bottom	none	A·12345 AB·1234 12345·A 1234·AB A·1234·B	Issued in blocks by county	Revalidated for 1952 with windshield stickers, due to metal conservation for the Korean War.
	1953	Embossed yellow serial on dark green plate with border line; "1803 - OHIO - 1953" at bottom	none	A·12345 AB·1234 12345·A 1234·AB A·1234·B	Issued in blocks by county	Commemorated Ohio's 150 years of statehood.
	1954	Embossed white serial on maroon plate with border line; "OHIO - 1954" centered at bottom	none	A·12345 AB·1234 12345·A 1234·AB A·1234·B	Issued in blocks by county
	1955	Embossed white serial on dark blue plate with border line; "1955 - OHIO" centered at bottom	none	A·12345 AB·1234 12345·A 1234·AB A·1234·B	Issued in blocks by county
	1956	Embossed white serial on dark green plate with border line; "OHIO - 1956" centered at bottom	none	A·12345 AB·1234 12345·A 1234·AB A·1234·B	Issued in blocks by county
	1957	Embossed white serial on maroon plate with border line; "1957 - OHIO" centered at bottom	none	A·12345 AB·1234 12345·A 1234·AB A·1234·B	Issued in blocks by county
	1958	Embossed white serial on dark blue plate with border line; "OHIO - 1958" centered at bottom	none	A·12345 AB·1234 12345·A 1234·AB A·1234·B	Issued in blocks by county
	1959	Embossed red serial on white plate with border line; "1959 - OHIO" centered at bottom	none	A·12345 AB·1234 12345·A 1234·AB A·1234·B	Issued in blocks by county
	1960	Embossed blue serial on yellow plate with border line; "OHIO - 1960" centered at bottom	none	A·12345 AB·1234 12345·A 1234·AB A·1234·B	Issued in blocks by county
	1961	Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "1961 - OHIO" centered at bottom	none	A·12345 AB·1234 12345·A 1234·AB A·1234·B	Issued in blocks by county
	1962	Embossed white serial on maroon plate with border line; "OHIO - 1962" centered at bottom	none	12345 A·12345 AB·1234 12345·A 1234·AB A·1234·B	Issued in blocks by county
	1963	Embossed white serial on dark blue plate with border line; "1963 - OHIO" centered at bottom	none	12345 A·12345 AB·1234 12345·A 1234·AB A·1234·B	Issued in blocks by county
	1964	Embossed white serial on dark green plate with border line; "OHIO - 1964" centered at bottom	none	12345 A·12345 AB·1234 12345·A 1234·AB A·1234·B	Issued in blocks by county
	1965	Embossed red serial on white plate with border line; "1965 - OHIO" centered at bottom	none	12345 A·12345 AB·1234 12345·A 1234·AB A·1234·B	Issued in blocks by county
	1966	Embossed white serial on red plate with border line; "OHIO 1966" centered at bottom	none	12345 A 12345 AB 1234 12345 A 1234 AB A 1234 B	Issued in blocks by county
	1967	Embossed white serial on blue plate with border line; "67 OHIO" centered at bottom	none	12345 A 12345 AB 1234 12345 A 1234 AB A 1234 B	Issued in blocks by county	Over 1.4 million plates on this base were destroyed in a fire at the plate shop at the Lebanon Correctional Institution in November 1966; replacement plates were manufactured in New York, Arkansas and Nebraska using these states' serial dies. [22]
	1968	Embossed red serial on white plate with border line; "OHIO 68" centered at bottom	none	12345 A 12345 AB 1234 12345 A 1234 AB A 1234 B	Issued in blocks by county	Most plates manufactured in New York, using that state's serial dies, while the Lebanon plate shop was being repaired.
	1969	Embossed blue serial on white plate with border line; "69 OHIO" centered at bottom	none	12345 A 12345 AB 1234 12345 A 1234 AB A 1234 B	Issued in blocks by county	Some plates manufactured in New York, using that state's serial dies. Full manufacturing capacity at the Lebanon plate shop was restored by 1970.
	1970	Embossed scarlet serial on gray plate with border line; "OHIO 70" centered at bottom	none	12345 A 12345 AB 1234 12345 A 1234 AB A 1234 B	Issued in blocks by county	Issued in the colors of Ohio State University, in honor of its centennial.
	1971	Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "71 OHIO" centered at bottom	none	12345 A 12345 AB 1234 12345 A 1234 AB A 1234 B	Issued in blocks by county
	1972	Embossed yellow serial on dark blue plate with border line; "OHIO 72" centered at bottom	none	12345 A 12345 AB 1234 12345 A 1234 AB A 1234 B	Issued in blocks by county
	1973	Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "73 OHIO" centered at bottom	"SEAT BELTS FASTENED?" at top	12345 A 12345 AB 1234 12345 A 1234 AB A 1234 B	Issued in blocks by county

1974 to present

All Ohio passenger plates issued since October 2001 are valid for display today, provided they have been continuously registered. "Ohio Gold" plates, issued from August 1996 through September 2001, are to be replaced during 2022 due to readability issues arising from degradation of the reflective sheeting through exposure to humidity, rain, snow, and road salt. ^[23]

Image	Dates issued	Design	Slogan	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	1974–75	Embossed green serial on reflective white plate with border line; "OHIO 74" centered at bottom	"SEAT BELTS FASTENED?" at top	123456 A 12345 AB 1234 12345 A 1234 AB A 1234 B	Issued in blocks by county	Revalidated for 1975 with stickers.
	1976–79	Embossed red serial on reflective white plate with border line; "OHIO" centered at bottom	none	123456 A 12345 AB 1234 12345 A 1234 AB A 1234 B	Issued in blocks by county
	1980–84	Embossed blue serial with state-shaped separator on reflective white plate; "OHIO" centered at top	none	ABC•123	AAA•010 to approximately UFU•999	I and O used only as the second letter in serials; this practice continues today (except 2001–04). County sticker added at bottom of plate in 1983. [16]
	1985 – December 1990	Embossed green serial with state-shaped separator on reflective white plate; "OHIO" centered at top	none	123•ABC	010•AAA to approximately 999•YOZ
	January 1991 – November 1995	Embossed blue serial with state-shaped separator on reflective white plate; "OHIO" screened in blue centered at top	"the heart of it all!" screened in red between state name and serial	ABC•123	AAA•010 to XEU•999
	November 1995 – July 1996				XEV•010 to YZZ•999	Narrower serial dies. Both variants revalidated until 2002.
	August 1996 – mid-1997	"Ohio Gold": Embossed dark blue serial on reflective white and gold gradient plate; "OHIO" screened in dark blue centered at top	"the heart of it all!" screened in red between state name and serial	ABC 1234	AAA 1000 to approximately ARR 5900	Issued only to new registrants. Gold plates were revalidated until 2022, but plate numbers can be transferred to the most current design.
	Mid-1997 – September 2001		"BIRTHPLACE OF AVIATION" screened in red between state name and serial		ARR 5901 to approximately BIF 9999; CAA 1000 to approximately CVV 9999
	October 2001 – February 2004	"Bicentennial": embossed dark blue serial on reflective white with Ohio Bicentennial Commission logo and red and blue bars	Ohio Bicentennial; Birthplace of Aviation	AB12CD	AA01AA to approximately FC99KV	Issued to new registrants and as replacements for 1991–96 plates. Letters I and O not used in this serial format. [16] Last standard base to have embossed specialty plates.
	February 2004 – November 30, 2010	"Sunburst": embossed dark blue serial on reflective white with state seal graphic and red and blue bars	Birthplace of Aviation	ABC 1234	DAA 1000 to EQZ 9999; EUJ 1000 to FAK 9999	Issued concurrently with the "Beautiful Ohio" base (below) from November 23, 2009. First standard base to have all specialty plates printed flat.
	November 23, 2009 – April 14, 2013	"Beautiful Ohio": embossed dark blue serial on rolling hills with farm, distant skyline, and airborne biplane	Beautiful Ohio; Birthplace of Aviation	ABC 1234	ERA 1000 to EUH 9999; FAL 1000 to FVZ 9999	Originally issued as a no-cost alternative to the "Sunburst" base, before replacing it as the standard base on December 1, 2010. With elements designed by Frances Strickland, [21] the plate has been described as "a bucolic affair", in contrast to the later "Ohio Pride" plate. [9]
	April 15, 2013 – December 28, 2021	"Ohio Pride": embossed dark blue serial on word cloud background and red triangle resembling an airplane wing	Birthplace of Aviation; DiscoverOhio.com; 46 "slogans" total, including facts and famous names [24]	ABC 1234	FWA 1000 to JCZ 9999; JEA 1000 to JPA 3505 (as of December 30, 2021)	Remaining "Beautiful Ohio" plates melted and recycled into this design so that materials were not wasted. "Ohio Pride" was designed by Aaron Roberts [25] and chosen among four concept drawings put forward by the CCAD Design Group. The design was noted for its simplicity but also criticized for poor legibility. [9] The plate was introduced as part of a coordinated branding campaign that also included a matching driver's license design. [26] Only rear plates required beginning July 1, 2020, [3] the change took place early in the 'J' series of serials.
	December 29, 2021 – present	"Sunrise in Ohio": screened dark blue serial on sunrise scene featuring skyline, hills, river, wheat field, and child swinging from a tree, with Wright Flyer, state shape and red banner with slogan at top	Birthplace of Aviation	ABC 1234	JDA 1000 to JDZ 9999; JSA 1000 to KKW 1435 (as of March 11, 2024)	Beginning with this base, all new Ohio plates are now flat instead of embossed. Remaining "Ohio Pride" plates will be melted and recycled into this design so that materials are not wasted. An error in the initial design had the Wright Flyer flying backwards; around 35,000 plates were manufactured before the error was realized and corrected; these plates will also be melted and recycled. [27]

Alternative passenger plates

Image	Dates issued	Design	Slogan	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	1967–present	Red on yellow	none	123456 1234567	3700000 to 3769283 (As of July 22, 2023)	For DUI offenders with limited driving privileges. Issued since 1967 but rarely used before the plate became mandated on all DUI offenders in 2004.

Ohio state law authorizes the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to issue a number of specialty passenger plates, as defined in Ohio Rev. Code chapter 4503, sections 4 and 5.

Renewal stickers

Designs of tax and renewal stickers used from 1968 to 1991

Designs of renewal stickers used since 1991

Non-passenger plates

Image	Type	Dates issued	Design	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	Apportioned	2013–2021	As "Ohio Pride" passenger base, with "APPORTIONED" at bottom	PBC 1234	PVW 1000 to PWF 6115 (as of July 13, 2019)
	Commercial Trailer	2013–2021	As "Ohio Pride" passenger base, with "TRAILER" at bottom	TBC 1234	TQE 1000 to TRX 5375 (as of October 19, 2021)
	Motorcycle	2004–10	Similar to "Sunburst" passenger base	12ABC	01HHA to 99QOZ; 01RXD to 99TID	'Z' series used on Veteran Motorcycle plates.
		2009–13	Similar to "Beautiful Ohio" passenger base		01QPA to 99RXC; 01TIE to approximately 99VVL
		2013–15	Similar to "Ohio Pride" passenger base		01WAA to 99YZZ
		2015–present		ABC12	AAA01 to HPS59 (as of October 14, 2021)
	Non-Commercial Trailer	2013–2021	As "Ohio Pride" passenger base	SBC 1234	SUE 1000 to SZU 8824 (as of October 16, 2021)
	Truck	1996–2001	As "Ohio Gold" passenger base, but with "TRUCK" in place of county name at bottom	PBC 1234	PAA 1000 to PCQ 9999
		2001–04	As "Bicentennial" passenger base, but without Ohio Bicentennial Commission logo, and with "TRUCK" in place of blue band at bottom		PCW 1000 to PEN 9999
		2004–10	As "Sunburst" passenger base, but with "TRUCK" in place of blue band at bottom		PEP 1000 to PGQ 9999; PGV 7000 to PHF 9999
		2009–13	As "Beautiful Ohio" passenger base, but with "TRUCK" in place of graphics at bottom		PGR 1000 to PGV 6999; PHG 1000 to PIA 9999
		2013–2021	As "Ohio Pride" passenger base, with "TRUCK" at bottom		PIC 1000 to PMV 3418 (as of December 31, 2021)

From 1976 until 1996, license plates for pickup trucks and other light truck-related vehicles (SUVs and conversion vans aside) were issued truck plates that said "Non Comm" (for "non-commercial truck") while semi-trucks were issued plates that said "Commercial". Since 1996, however, the more consumer-oriented truck plates now say "Truck" instead of "Non-Comm."

• 
  Church bus (1972)
• 
  House Vehicle (1973)
• 
  Non Commercial (1991-1995)

Dealer/Manufacturer plates

Image	Dates issued	Design	Slogan	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	2021–present	Similar to the "Sunrise in Ohio" plate, but with a blue to white gradient background instead of the graphic background	DEALER at bottom	123 A1BC

Temporary tags

Vehicles purchased from a dealership are given a 30-day or 45-day temporary tag. The paper tag is filled out by hand. Since March 2001, it has featured a hologram. ^{[28] [29]} On a 2001-series temporary tag, the plate number is preprinted, while the expiration date and vehicle details are written in permanent marker. As of August, 2020, the Ohio Department of Public Safety issues print-on-demand temporary tags and will phase out traditional paper tags in January 2021. ^[30]

• 
  2002
• 
  2010

County coding

In 1992, Ohio began using a numerical county-coding scheme to indicate the county of registration. The scheme assigns a two-digit number to each of the state's 88 counties in alphabetical order, beginning with 01 for Adams County and ending with 88 for Wyandot County. The scheme has been used on specialty plates since its introduction, and was also used on standard passenger plates from 2001 until 2018.

The county number is displayed on red or white stickers placed at the bottom left corner the plate. The stickers also display the county name, in small print below the number.

List of county numbers

1. Adams
2. Allen
3. Ashland
4. Ashtabula
5. Athens
6. Auglaize
7. Belmont
8. Brown
9. Butler
10. Carroll
11. Champaign
12. Clark
13. Clermont
14. Clinton
15. Columbiana
16. Coshocton
17. Crawford
18. Cuyahoga
19. Darke
20. Defiance
21. Delaware
22. Erie
23. Fairfield
24. Fayette
25. Franklin
26. Fulton
27. Gallia
28. Geauga
29. Greene
30. Guernsey
31. Hamilton
32. Hancock
33. Hardin
34. Harrison
35. Henry
36. Highland
37. Hocking
38. Holmes
39. Huron
40. Jackson
41. Jefferson
42. Knox
43. Lake
44. Lawrence
45. Licking
46. Logan
47. Lorain
48. Lucas
49. Madison
50. Mahoning
51. Marion
52. Medina
53. Meigs
54. Mercer
55. Miami
56. Monroe
57. Montgomery
58. Morgan
59. Morrow
60. Muskingum
61. Noble
62. Ottawa
63. Paulding
64. Perry
65. Pickaway
66. Pike
67. Portage
68. Preble
69. Putnam
70. Richland
71. Ross
72. Sandusky
73. Scioto
74. Seneca
75. Shelby
76. Stark
77. Summit
78. Trumbull
79. Tuscarawas
80. Union
81. Van Wert
82. Vinton
83. Warren
84. Washington
85. Wayne
86. Williams
87. Wood
88. Wyandot

Reserved series

On recent seven-character baseplates, the state has reserved certain letter series to be issued in coordination with specific car dealerships or leasing agencies.

Series	Assigned to
FAC	First Automotive Corp., Cincinnati
GLR	Grand Leasing and Sales
GAN	Ganley Automotive Lease
HON	Honda
HOM	Honda of Mentor
JAY	Jay Auto Group, Bedford
JSL	Jake Sweeney Leasing, Cincinnati
LAS	Shaker Auto Leasing
LEX	Metro Lexus
LXS	Metro Lexus
MAL	Mike Albert Resale Center and Leasing, Cincinnati
MBZ	Mercedes-Benz
MCT	Motorcars Toyota, Cleveland Heights
MCH	Motorcars Honda, Cleveland Heights
MET	Metro Toyota, Cleveland
MGM	Marshall Goldman Motors
MKB	MKB Leasing, Marietta
MVP	Classic Auto Group (Cleveland area/Northeast Ohio)
NON	Nissan of North Olmsted
SUN	Sunnyside, Cleveland
SSA	Sunnyside Audi
SSH	Sunnyside Honda
SST	Sunnyside Toyota
TOB	Toyota of Bedford
TOY	Toyota
VCJ	Adventure Chrysler Jeep, Willoughby
WIN	Classic Auto Group (Cleveland area/Northeast Ohio)

References

1. Croup, Josh (December 26, 2021). "New Ohio license plate design becomes standard Wednesday". WTVG . Retrieved December 30, 2021.
2. Taylor, Eric Robert (January 20, 2013). "Ohio Archive". PorcelainPlates.net. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
3. Bischoff, Laura A. (April 3, 2019). "No more front license plate: Gov. DeWine signs bill doing away with it". Dayton Daily News . Retrieved July 9, 2019.
4. Braddock, Tiarra (July 1, 2020). "Ohio drivers no longer required to have front license plates". WOIO . Retrieved November 1, 2021. Drivers can still request a second license plate for an extra $7.50, but a single plate will cost $6.50.
5. ""Flat" License Plates Now Issued For Made-To-Order Plates" (Press release). Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Ohio Department of Public Safety. August 12, 2003. Archived from the original on December 2, 2003. Retrieved December 2, 2009.
6. Pulfer, Mike (June 3, 2002). "Ask A Stupid Question". The Cincinnati Enquirer . Gannett Company . Retrieved September 8, 2013.
7. Blackwell, Brandon (January 29, 2013). "Ohio license plate recall brings more questions than answers". The Plain Dealer . Advance Publications . Retrieved September 8, 2013.
8. "Beautiful Ohio ousts sunburst as state plate". The Blade . Toledo, Ohio: Block Communications. June 7, 2010. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
9. McNair, James (July 31, 2013). "Is Ohio's New License Plate the Worst or Just Bad?". Cincinnati CityBeat . SouthComm. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
10. Tobias, Andrew J. (October 21, 2021). "Ohio unveils new 'Sunrise in Ohio' license plate design". Cleveland.com. Advance Publications . Retrieved December 30, 2021.
11. Tanner, Eric N. "Ohio Pre-state Local License Plates". allaboutlicenseplates.com. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
12. Raiche, Steve (August 28, 2015). "Old Ohio License Plates". LeatherLicensePlates.com. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
13. "ODPS Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles History". Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
14. Ohio BMV Chronological History 1908-2010 (PDF). Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
15. "Minor Mention". The Horseless Age. 21. Horseless Age Company: 617. May 20, 1908. Under the new Ward automobile law, which has recently passed into effect in Ohio, the cities cannot license automobiles, and lose thereby a substantial income, Cincinnati, for instance, about $5,000 a year.
16. Tanner, Eric N. "Ohio Passenger License Plates". allaboutlicenseplates.com. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
17. Garrish, Christopher (October 2016). "Reconsidering the Standard Plate Size". Plates. Vol. 62, no. 5. Automobile License Plate Collectors Association.
18. Tanner, Eric N. "Ohio License Plate Sizes". allaboutlicenseplates.com. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
19. Shaw, Stephen (February 13, 2015). "Ohio's DUI Scarlet Letter Plates". ABC DUI Online. Shaw Education Development. Archived from the original on May 17, 2015. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
20. Nicholson, David (June 15, 2013). "Ohio License Plates, 1969–present". 15q.net. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
21. Blundo, Joe (June 7, 2010). "LUV IT or H8 IT". The Columbus Dispatch . Retrieved September 8, 2013.
22. "Ohio BMV Chronological History 1908-2015" (PDF). Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. 2014. p. 14. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
23. Schupp, Kim (November 10, 2021). "Got an 'Ohio Gold' license plate? The BMV says it has to be replaced". WXIX-TV . Retrieved January 23, 2022.
24. "New Ohio Pride License Plate". Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. 2012. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
25. Luce, Lacey (November 28, 2011). "CCAD, Governor Unveil New Ohio License Plate Design". Columbus College of Art and Design. Archived from the original on September 22, 2012. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
26. Nash, James (May 17, 2009). "'Beautiful Ohio' plates shelved". The Columbus Dispatch . Retrieved September 8, 2013.
27. Treisman, Rachel (October 25, 2021). "Ohio reverses course after its new license plates showed the Wright Flyer backwards". NPR . Retrieved December 30, 2021.
28. "Issuing Requirements". Dealer Licensing Division, Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. December 1, 2009. Archived from the original on July 19, 2010. Retrieved September 19, 2010.
29. "ODPS Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles History". Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved September 19, 2010.
30. "New Print-On-Demand Dealer Tag Available". publicsafety.ohio.gov. Archived from the original on October 5, 2020.

External links

• OPLATES.com  – Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles customer website
• Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles: Registration and Titling
• Ohio BMV Chronological History 1908-2010, with a comprehensive listing of Ohio license plate designs since 1908
• Ohio license plates, 1969–present