United States license plate designs and serial formats

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 5 inhabited U.S. territories, and Native American tribes, each of which independently registers motor vehicles. Regular-issue license plates for passenger vehicles typically have 5-7 characters, with specialty or vanity plates having up to 8 characters in some states. This article describes the designs and serial formats for regular-issue plates.

Trends in serial formats[]

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)

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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 popular issue consists of four letters and two digits, but alternate standard issues contain four digits and two letters.
• Maine uses a varying number of digits, but most Maine plates consist of 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 letter and three number plates for the "In God We Trust" plate.

Formats for license plate numbers may be consistent within the state. For example, Delaware and Rhode Island were formerly able to use six-digit all-numeric serials due to their low respective populations; both now use five-digit serials, with Delaware using a letter and four digits, and Rhode Island using two letters and three digits. Several populous states use seven-character formats of three letters and four digits, including 1ABC234 in California and ABC-1234 (or variations thereof) in Georgia, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Other seven-character formats include Connecticut and Illinois, which use AB-12345, and Maryland, which uses 1AB2345.

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]

Many less-populous states, such as Alaska, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, and South Carolina use a three-letter, three-number format in the format ABC-123, 123-ABC (sometimes both at the same time), or some variant thereof with mixed numbers and letters. Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, and New Jersey all use four letters and two numbers: Arkansas uses an ABC-12D format, Colorado and Florida use an ABC-D12 format, while New Jersey uses an A12-BCD format. Florida also uses an optional two-letter, four-number format for its no-cost "In God We Trust" plates.

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 roughly 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. Maine trailer plates start with two digits and a dash, as all plates expire on the last day of February, and the first two digits of the plate are the year it expires.

County of issuance[]

Although increasingly few states place the full name of the county of registration explicitly on their standard-issue plates, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee continue the practice. However, Georgia allows drivers to choose the slogan "In God We Trust" in place of the county name where the vehicle is registered, and Florida allows its residents to choose either "Sunshine State" or "In God We Trust" in place of the county name. Florida also terminated a practice by which plates registered to rented vehicles had the letter Y or Z as their first digit, which led to targeting of rental cars for theft.

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. County codes have been based on historical population figures, the county names in alphabetical order, or some combination thereof. Other states like Indiana and Tennessee also once used the practice, with Tennessee discontinuing in the 1980s and Indiana in 2008. In Montana, for example, the county codes were assigned around 1930 and have not changed since.^[3]

Only four places 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 Idaho, the first one to three characters are used to designate the county of residence/registration. For example, all 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). In the US 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 T is registered in St. Thomas, C for St. Croix, and JA for St. John. St. John does not issue plates as quick as the other islands, therefore the plates currently have A as the second digit.

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.

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, with some states using only one or two of the three while others will skip all three of these letters. 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.

California currently 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 used to issue serials using all 26 letters but currently skips all vowels along with the letter Q on passenger plates (as these letters are reserved for truck plates).

In amateur radio license plate issues, all states that have them available, except Pennsylvania & Tennessee, use a unique slashed zero character in place of the standard "0" character due to lack of spacing between letters and numbers. 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. 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.

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

Jurisdiction	Image	First issued	Type & slogan	Design	Plate style	Serial format
Alabama		January 2, 2014	Standard issue Heart of Dixie (in small print)	lake and forest graphic	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	Numerically coded by county:[4] 0AB1234 (single-digit counties) 00AB123 (double-digit counties)[5]
Alaska		January 2010[6]	Standard issue The Last Frontier	blue on gold with state flag	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC 123
American Samoa		2011	Standard issue Motu O Fiafiaga	black on reflective graphic featuring Fatu Rock	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	1234
Arizona		1996 (embossed) 2008 (flat)	Standard issue Grand Canyon State	dark green on desert landscape	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	CEA 1DB[a]
Arkansas		2006	Standard 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		Late 2011	Standard issue dmv.ca.gov	dark blue on white with red state name graphic and slogan printed in red at the bottom	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	1ABC234[10]
Colorado		2000	Standard issue	Dark green on reflective white grey and green Rocky Mountains scene graphic. Some versions have full color	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC-D12
Connecticut		2000	Standard issue Constitution State	dark blue on blue and white gradient fade	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	AB•12345 (2015–present) 1AB•CD2 (2013–2015) 1ABCD2 (2013) 123•ABC (2000–2013)[11]
Delaware		1969	Standard issue The First State	gold on navy blue	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	123456 (variable number of digits)
District of Columbia		April 2017	Standard issue End Taxation without Representation; jurisdiction name displayed as "District of Columbia"	blue on reflective white with red flag separator	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	AB-1234
		2001	Optional issue: www.washingtondc.gov[12]
Florida		December 2003	Standard issue myFLORIDA.com with county name[13] or "Sunshine State"	green on reflective white with state map and citrus orange graphic	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC D12 (2009–present) 123 ABC (2006 to 2009) A12 3BC (2003 to 2009)
		October 1, 2008	Optional issue myFLORIDA.com with "In God We Trust" slogan			123 4AB
Georgia		May 2012	Standard issue Peach State with county name or "In God We Trust" sticker	black on reflective blue with hills, peach tree, and peaches	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC1234
		May 2012	Optional issue GEORGIA with county name or "In God We Trust" sticker	black on reflective white
Guam		February 27, 2009	Standard issue Tano Y Chamorro	black on reflective white with grey latte stone and three red bougainvillea flowers at center[14]	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	Coded by municipality of issuance AB 1234
Hawaii		1991	Standard issue Aloha State	black on reflective white with rainbow graphic	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	Coded by county of issuance: ABC 123, where first letter is A-G, J, N, P, or R-Y (City and County of Honolulu) HAB 123/ZAB 123 (Hawai‘i County) KAB 123 (Kaua‘i County) LAB 123/MAB 123 (Maui County)
Idaho		2008	Standard issue Famous Potatoes	black on reflective white with red gradient and dark blue mountain scene	Screened 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, 2017	Standard 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 top	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	AB 12345 (2017–Present) AB1 2345 (2016)[15]
Indiana		January 2017	Standard 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
			Optional issue In God We Trust	black on white with American flag graphic		ABC123
Iowa		April 2018	Standard 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	(Embossed) (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
Kentucky		2020	Standard issue	Dark blue on light blue gradient with county name sticker below serial and state outline left of serial	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC123
		2020	Optional issue In God We Trust
Louisiana		2005 to 2010; 2013, and 2016	Standard 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		1999	Standard issue Vacationland	black on reflective white with a chickadee and pine tassel graphic at left	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	1234 AB (variable number of digits preceding space)
Maryland		September 2016	Standard issue Maryland Proud	Black on reflective white with Maryland flag graphic	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	1AB2345
Massachusetts		1988	Standard issue The Spirit of America	red on reflective white	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	Coded by month of expiration: 12A 345 1ABC 23 1AB 234 123 AB4 12A B34 1234 AB 123 ABC
Michigan		2013	Standard issue Pure Michigan	blue on reflective white with blue wave at bottom	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC 1234
		2007	Optional issue Spectacular Peninsulas	green and blue with Great Lakes outline on reflective white with black characters		1AB C23
		2014	Optional issue The Mackinac Bridge	white to yellow fade and blue with stylized Mackinac Bridge in background with black characters		ABC 123
Minnesota		June 2009	Standard issue Explore Minnesota.com, 10,000 Lakes	black on reflective white with lake scene graphic	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	123-ABC ABC-123 Numbers and letters switch sides on a seven year cycle[16]
Mississippi		October 2012	Standard issue "Birthplace of America's Music"	dark blue on guitar graphic and "Celebrating Mississippi's Creative Culture" with county name	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC 123
Missouri		October 15, 2018	Standard issue Bicentennial	dark blue on white with red and dark blue waves, light grey state seal, and dark blue "1821 * 2021"	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	Coded by month of expiration AA1 B2C
Montana		January 2010	Standard issue Treasure State	white on blue with white state outline	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	Coded by county of issuance: 0-12345A (variable number of digits following divider) 00-1234A (variable number of digits following divider)
			Optional issues:[17] 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 graphics		ABC123
				black on light blue gradient with multicolor state outline		Coded 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		Varies	Varies	Varies	Varies	Varies
Nebraska		January 2017	Standard issue 1867; 2017	black on reflective white with Sower statue from the Nebraska State Capitol	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC 123[18] Or coded by county of issuance:[19] 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, 2016	Standard 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 top	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	123·A45
New Hampshire		January 1999	Standard issue Live Free or Die	green on Old Man of the Mountain graphic	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	123 4567 (2000–present) 123 456 (1999)[20]
New Jersey		2007	Standard issue Garden State	black on yellow gradient fade	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	D12-ABC (2010–present)[21] ABC-12D (2007–2010)
New Mexico		1989	Standard issue Land of Enchantment	red on yellow with turquoise yucca graphics and red Zia sun symbol	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	123-ABC
		2010	Standard issue upper: Land of Enchantment lower: New Mexico USA	yellow on turquoise with large yellow and red Zia sun symbol		ABC-123
New York		2020	Standard 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		1982	Standard issue First in Flight	blue on reflective white with Wright Flyer graphic	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC-123 (1982-1985)[22] ABC-1234
		2015	Standard issue First In Freedom[23]	blue on reflective white	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC-1234
North Dakota		November 2016	Standard issue Legendary; Peace Garden State	black on light blue gradient fade to sunrise with prairie scene and buffalo graphic	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	123 ABC
Northern Mariana Islands		1989	Standard issue Hafa Adai	dark blue on white with seal in center	Embossed on screened serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC 123
Ohio		June 7, 2010	Standard issue Birthplace of Aviation, county name sticker in black to be centered at bottom	blue on white various slogans in gray with a red border	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC 1234
Oklahoma		January 2017	Standard 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 name	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC-123
Oregon		1990	Standard issue dark blue on fir tree and mountain graphic		Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	123 ABC (2004–present) ABC 123 (1990–2004)
Pennsylvania		2006	Standard issue visitPA.com	blue on white with yellow and blue bars	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC-1234
Puerto Rico		2011	Standard issue Puerto Rico Does It Better/Puerto Rico Lo Hace Mejor	black on white with green gradient at bottom and grey building in background	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC-123
Rhode Island		1996–2020	Standard issue Ocean State	dark blue on stylized grey and white ocean wave graphic	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	123456 (2007–present)[24][25] AB-123 and 12345 (1996–2007) 1AB-234 (2020-present)
		2020	Beautiful Rhode Island (top), Ocean State (Bottom)	white on dark blue with the Reliance in the upper left corner	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	N/A
South Carolina		January 2016	Standard issue While I Breathe, I Hope.	black on white and blue background with palmetto tree in center	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC 123
		January 2016	Optional issue In God We Trust	black on white with American and South Carolinian flags on the left.	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	1234AB
South Dakota		January 2016	Standard issue Great Faces. Great Places.	blue on Mount Rushmore graphic	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	Coded by county of issuance: 0A1 234 0AB 123 00A 123
Tennessee		2011	Standard issue www.tnvacation.com	black on mountain scene with county name sticker	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	A12-34B February 2011 – April 2016 1A2-3B4 April 2016 – present
Texas		July 2012	Standard issue The Lone Star State	black on white with 5-point star in the upper left corner.	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC-1234
Utah		Late 2007	Greatest Snow on Earth and Life Elevated	dark blue on skier graphic[26][27]	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	A12 3BC
			Life Elevated	dark blue on graphic of Delicate Arch		A12 3BC[28]
		2017	In God We Trust; United We Stand	dark blue on white		1A2BC
Vermont		1985	Standard issue Green Mountain State	white on green with small white tree in top left corner	Debossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC 123 (1990–present) 12AB3 (1989) 1AB23 (1988) 123A4 (1986–1987) 1A234 (1985)
U.S. Virgin Islands		2017	Standard issue Transfer Centennial	white on blue ocean background with orange island maps	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	Coded by island of issuance:[29] ABC 123, ABC 123 (for St. John)
Virginia		March 1, 2014	Standard issue Virginia is for Lovers	blue on white	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC-1234[30]
Washington		July 1998	Standard issue Evergreen State	dark blue on white with light blue Mount Rainier graphic	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC1234 (2010–present) 123-ABC (1987–2010)
West Virginia		2006[31]	Standard issue Wild, Wonderful	blue on white with state name in dark blue bar	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	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)
Wisconsin		June 2000	Standard issue America's Dairyland	black on reflective white with stylized lake and farm graphic	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC-1234 (2017–present) 123-ABC (2000-2017)
Wyoming		January 2016	Standard 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.

Jurisdiction	Image	Dates issued	Type	Plate style	Serial format	Status
Alabama		early 2007 – October 2013	Optional issue God Bless America	dark blue on American flag background	AB12345 12345AB[5]	Being replaced upon expiration, October 2013 to October 2014.
Alaska		1981 – late 2004	"The Last Frontier"; blue on gold with state flag	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC 123	Valid.
		late 1997 – late 2004	"Gold Rush Centennial"	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC 123
		January 2, 2008 – December 31, 2009	"Celebrating Statehood 1959–2009"; dark blue on mountain landscape background	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC123[32]
American Samoa	none
Arizona		1980–1996	white on maroon	Embossed serial; Reflective characters on nonreflective background	ABC-123	Valid.
		1996 – late 2007	desert scene with embossed serials	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	123•ABC
	2008–2020	desert scene with screend serials	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC1234
Arkansas	none
California		1963–1969	yellow on black	Embossed serial; Non-reflective background	ABC 123	Valid.
		1969–1980	yellow on blue	Embossed serial; Non-reflective background	123 ABC
		1980 – January 1987			1ABC234
		January 1987 – October 1987	"The Golden State"	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting
		October 1987 – 1995	blue on white with red embossed state name
		1995–1998; 2000–2011	blue on white with red screened state name	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting
		1998–2000	"Sesquicentennial – 150 Years"	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting
Colorado		1978–2000	embossed mountain scene	Reflective embossed serial; Non-reflective background	Coded by county of issuance: AB-1234, ABC-123, ABC1234	Valid.
Connecticut	none
Delaware			white on black		up to 12–345	Valid.
			silver on black		up to 123456
			yellow on blue without slogan		up to 123456
District of Columbia			"A Capital City"		123–456	Valid.
			"Celebrate & Discover"	1991 – November 2000	AB-1234 (1997–2000) 123–456 (1991–1997)
		2001	blue on reflective white with red flag separator and "WWW.Washingtondc.gov"	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	BB-1234
		2001 – July 2013	blue 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		December 2003 – early 2009	green on reflective white with state map, citrus orange graphic, and myFLORIDA.com with county name	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	A12 3BC	Being replaced on a ten-year rolling basis.
		December 2003 – 2006	green on reflective white with state map, citrus orange graphic, and myFLORIDA.com with "Sunshine State" slogan
Georgia		1997 – December 2003	"...on my mind"		123 ABC 12345 QA 1234 AB 1234 ABC	Valid.
		December 2003 – May 2007	www.GEORGIA.gov		ABC 1234
		May 2007 – May 2012	GEORGIA.gov		ABC 1234
Guam			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 center	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	AB1 2345 (2016) A12 3456 (2006–2016) 123 4567 (2001–2006)[33]	Originally valid for 10 years, but new plates were not issued until January 2017.
Indiana	none
Iowa		January 1997 - April 2018	Embossed 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 serial	Embossed or screened serial; Reflective sheeting[34]	123 ABC except for "D" series and beginning of current ABC 123 [35]	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 123	Valid.
Kentucky	none
Louisiana		1993–2001; 2004–2005	"Sportsman's Paradise" without pelican	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC 123	Valid.
		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[36]	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting
		2011–2012	"200 Years"	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC123
		2014 - 2015	www.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		February 1986 – early 2005	no slogan		1AB C23 (2004–2005) ABC 123 (1986–2004)	Valid.
		early 2005 – June 2010	www.Maryland.gov black on reflective white with state crest in center		1AB C23
Massachusetts			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		1996–2007	Optional issue "Great Lakes Splendor"		1AB C23[37]	Valid
		1996	Optional issue "World's Motor Capital"	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC 12 12 ABC	Valid
		2007–2013	Optional issue "www.Michigan.gov"	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC 1234[38]	Valid
		2013–2014	Optional issue The Mackinac Bridge yellow to orange fade and blue with stylized Mackinac Bridge in background with white characters.	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC 123	Valid
Minnesota		circa 2000–2008	blue on reflective white with lake scene graphic, "Explore Minnesota; 10,000 lakes"; second slogan displayed in small blue gradient across bottom of plate	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC-123	Being replaced on a seven-year rolling basis.
		2008–2009	black on reflective white with lake scene graphic, "Explore Minnesota; 10,000 lakes"	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	123-ABC
Mississippi	none
Missouri	none
Montana		2006–2009	black on grey 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			white on blue		A12345, AB1234, ABC123, 123ABC
New Hampshire	none
New Jersey		1959–1969; 1970–1973	black on tan, non-reflective, state abbreviated "N. J."		ABC-123	Valid.
		1969–1970	black on tan, reflective, state abbreviated "N. J."		ABC-123
		1973–1977	black on tan, non-reflective, state abbreviated "N. J."		123-ABC
		1977–1979	black on tan, non-reflective, full state name		123-ABC
		1979–1985	buff on blue, non-reflective		123-ABC
		1985			ABC-123
		1985–1992			ABC-12D
		1992–1993	black on yellow and white gradient, reflective, sticker boxes		ABC1234
		1993–1999			AB-123D
		1999–2007			ABC-12D[39]
New Mexico		1999–2010	Land of Enchantment hot air balloon	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	NM1234 1NM234 12NM34 123NM4 1234NM AB 123 ABC123	Valid.
New York		2001–2010	dark 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[40]	Valid.
		2010-2020	dark blue on reflective gold	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC-1234	Valid.
North Carolina		2007–2011	red on reflective white with blue and red graphics, "First in Flight"		ABC-1234	Valid.
North Dakota		1993–2015	black on light blue gradient fade with prairie scene graphic, "Discover The Spirit"	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC-123	Valid through 2016
Northern Marianas Islands	none
Ohio		1996–1998	dark blue on gold gradient fade "The Heart of it All"		ABC 1234	Valid.
		1998–2001	dark blue on gold gradient fade "The Birthplace of Aviation"		ABC 1234
		2001–2003	red, white, and blue "Ohio Bicentennial"		AB12CD
		2004–2010	dark blue on reflective white with state seal ("Sunburst") graphic and red and blue bars		ABC 1234
		2010–2013	"Beautiful Ohio": dark blue on rolling hills with farm, distant skyline, and airborne biplane		ABC 1234
Oklahoma		2009 - 2016	"Native America": dark red on white and blue with photograph of Sacred Rain Arrow sculpture	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	123ABC	Valid until expiration.
Oregon		1956–1959	gold on blue		1A-1234	Valid.
		1959–1964	gold on blue with "Pacific Wonderland" slogan
		1964–1974	gold on blue		ABC 123 (A-M corresponds to January–December, skipping I)
		1974–1988	blue on gold		ABC 123 (A-M corresponds to January–December, skipping I; N and later series had no month correlation)
		1988–1990	blue on light green tree graphic		ABC 123 (A-M corresponds to January–December, skipping I, N-series had no month correlation)
Pennsylvania		1999–2004	blue on blue, white and yellow gradient, "www.state.pa.us"		ABC-1234	Valid if retained by current owner on current vehicle. May not be transferred to new vehicle.
Puerto Rico		1986–2007	Standard issue black on reflective white with Fortaleza graphic, "Isla del Encanto"	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC 123	valid
			Optional issue black on reflective flag graphics, "Cincuentenario 1952–2002"	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC 123
		2007–2011	Standard issue black on reflective blue with Fortaleza graphic, "Isla del Encanto"	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC 123 ABC-123
Rhode Island	none
South Carolina		summer 2008 – December 2015	Standard 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		2006–2011	black on mountain scene with "The Volunteer State" and county name sticker	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	123-ABC	valid
Texas		2009–2012	black on Davis Mountains and sky background with a lone star and streaks of red and blue in the upper-left corner	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	AB1-C234	Valid.
U.S. Virgin Islands	none
Utah		1972–1985	black on white	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC 123 ABC-123	Valid.
		1985–2008	blue on white with skier graphic, "Ski Utah!", and "Greatest Snow on Earth"	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	123 ABC
		1992–2008	dark blue on Delicate Arch background; "Centennial"	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	123 ABC[28]
		2002	2002 Winter Olympics commemorative plate with snowflake logo above "Salt Lake 2002" and the Olympic rings; "Olympic Winter 2002"[41]	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	123A4
Vermont	none
Virginia		1979–1994	dark blue on white with blue state name in sentence case	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC-1234 (1994) ABC-123 (1979–1993)	Valid.
		1994 – July 2002; 2007 – February 28, 2014	dark blue on white with blue state name in all capital letters	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC-1234[42]
		July 2002 – 2006	400th Anniversary	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC-1234
		2006–2007	Jamestown America's 400th Anniversary	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting
Washington	none
West Virginia		December 2002 – early 2006	blue 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.^{[43][44][45][46]}

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

Jurisdiction	Image	Dates issued	Type	Plate style	Serial format	Status
U.S. Dept. of State		1984 – December 31, 2008	Standard issue; red, white, and blue background with "DIPLOMAT", "CONSUL" or blank at top, and black serial centered on a white background	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	A AB1234 A 12345 1234AA A 12345 A	Expired
U.S. Dept. of State		Unknown – December 31, 2008	Standard issue; red, white, and blue background with "DIPLOMAT", "CONSUL" or blank at top, and blue serial centered on a white background	Screened serial; Reflective sheeting	A AB1234 A 12345 1234AA A 12345 A	Expired
U.S. Dept. of State		August 28, 2007 - Current	Standard 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) logo	Embossed serial; Reflective sheeting	ABC 1234 A 123456 1234 ABC 123456 A	Valid

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hideU.S. diplomatic plate country codes
Codes	Country or Organization
AA	Congo
AB	Taiwan (Issued with "E" status code)[47][48]
AC	Ivory Coast
AE	Uzbekistan
AF	Japan
AH	Madagascar
AJ	Panama
AK	Cape Verde
AQ	Syria
AU	Uganda
AV	Israel
AW	African Union
AX	Marshall Islands
BL	South Africa
BV	Solomon Islands
BW	World Bank
BY	Solomon Islands
BZ	Iraq
CB	Cambodia
CC	Ethiopia
CE	Moldova
CG	Marshall Islands
CK	Namibia
CM	Micronesia
CN	International Organization
CS	Afghanistan
CT	Bhutan
CU	Botswana
CV	Myanmar (Burma)
CW	Cameroon
CX	Burundi
CY	China
DA	Colombia
DB	Costa Rica
DC	Cuba (UN only)
DD	Cyprus
DF	Dominican Republic
DG	Ecuador
DH	Ivory Coast
DI	South Africa
DJ	France
DK	Greece
DL	India
DM	Iran (UN only)
DN	Denmark
DP	Bangladesh
DR	Slovakia
DZ	Palau
FC	Soviet Union (discontinued)
FF	Antigua & Barbuda
FG	Central African Republic
FH	Ireland
FJ	Lebanon
FK	Kenya
FL	Liberia
FM	Libya
FN	Malta
FP	Morocco
FR	Philippines
FS	Netherlands
FT	Qatar
FV	Sri Lanka
FW	Vatican City
FX	Sierra Leone
FZ	Suriname
GC	Sweden
GD	Ukraine
GE	Azerbaijan
GG	Zambia
GM	Turkey
GN	Turkey
GP	Albania
GQ	North Korea (UN only)
GX	Vanuatu
GY	Chile
HB	Tonga
HD	Argentina
HL	Saint Lucia
HM	Andorra
HN	Mongolia
HV	Belgium
HW	Guatemala
HX	Benin
HY	Guinea-Bissau
HZ	Haiti
JB	Honduras
JC	Kuwait
JD	Mauritius
JF	Nigeria
JG	Portugal
JH	Somalia
JJ	Chad
JK	Turkey
JM	Yugoslavia (discontinued)
JP	Tunisia
JQ	Togo
JS	Slovenia
JT	Croatia
JY	Cyprus
KB	Monaco
KD	Eritrea
KE	Georgia
KG	Equatorial Guinea
KH	Hungary
KJ	Lithuania
KK	Fiji
KL	Jordan
KM	Jamaica
KN	Gabon
KP	Luxembourg
KQ	Israel
KR	Malaysia
KS	Mexico
KT	Namibia
KU	São Tomé and Príncipe
KV	Saudi Arabia
KW	Seychelles
KX	Sudan
LC	Venezuela
LD	Vietnam
LG	Turkey
LH	Israel
LJ	Israel
LK
LM	Macedonia
LN	Saudi Arabia
LR	Bosnia-Herzegovina
LW	Germany
MF	International Monetary Fund
MG	Unknown, Seen in Sterling, VA July 2018 and in Washington, DC April 2021
MK	Djibouti
ML	Diego Garcia
MN	Comoros
MP	Bahamas
MW	Maldives
NA	Oman
NB	Papua New Guinea
NC	Paraguay
ND	Romania
NQ	Angola
NX	Malaysia
PA	Austria
PB	Barbados
PC	Belize
PD	United Kingdom
PF	Bolivia
PG	Belarus
PH	Czech Republic
PI	Israel
PK	Norway
PL	Chile
PM	Brunei
PR	Argentina
PS	Zimbabwe
PV	Democratic Republic of the Congo
QA	Yemen
QD	Burkina Faso
QL	St. Kitts & Nevis
QM	Bulgaria
QN	Laos
QP	Latvia
QQ	Lesotho
QR	Malawi
QS	Mozambique
QT	New Zealand
QU	Nicaragua
QV	Niger
QW	Poland
QX	Pakistan
QX	Iran (DC only)
QY	Yemen
QZ	Indonesia
RB	Rwanda
RC	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
RD	Senegal
RJ	(seen in DC 2017 park outside African Union Mission)
RL	Uruguay
RM	Unknown, Seen DC July 2013
RO	Romania
RQ	Unknown, Seen DC February 2011
RV	San Marino
SF	Czech Republic
SG	Israel
ST	Dominica
SX	Soviet Union (discontinued)
TC	Mali
TF	Algeria,  Iraq (DC Only)
TG	Canada
TH	Egypt
TJ	Germany
TK	Liechtenstein
TL	El Salvador
TM	Iceland
TN	Nepal
TP	Mauritania
TQ	Mali
TR	Italy
TS	Iraq (UN only)
TT	Guyana
TU	Guinea
TV	Ghana
TW	Gambia
TX	Finland
TY	Grenada
TZ	Peru
UA	Bahrain
UF	Estonia
UH	Spain
UX	Trinidad & Tobago
VF	Thailand
VG	Tanzania
VH	Switzerland
VJ	Brazil
VK	Singapore
VL	Swaziland
VM	Nauru
WB	United Arab Emirates
WD	South Korea
WM	Samoa
WZ	United Kingdom
XA	Bangladesh
XC	Fiji
XD	Myanmar (Burma)
XE	Ghana
XF	Turkey
XG	Norway
XY	Ireland
XZ	Australia
YA	Armenia
YJ	Tajikistan
YK	Kazakhstan
YM	Moldova
YR	Russia
YT	Turkmenistan
YY	Kyrgyzstan
YZ	Azerbaijan

See also[]

• Canadian licence plate designs and serial formats

Notes[]

References[]

External links[]

• Website for Automobile License Plate Collectors' Association
• License Plates of North America, 1969–Present