License Plates by State 2026

State	Current Style First Issued↓	Standard Issue Slogan	Standard Issue Digit Color and Plate Design	Serial Number Style	Serial Format
Tennessee	2022 (January)	www.tnvacation.com	Blue with "The Volunteer State" on the left and the outline of the state around "Tennessee" with county name sticker and the Tri-Star logo in the center	Screened	ABC 1234 123 ABCD alternate with 'In God We Trust' around the Tri-Star logo
Alabama	2022 (January 03)	Heart of Dixie (in small print)	Bay and sky graphic with www.alabama.travel at the bottom	Screened	0AB1234 (single-digit counties) 00AB123 (double-digit counties) First 1-2 digits are the county's numerical code
Ohio	2021	Sunrise in Ohio, county name sticker in black to be centered at bottom	Dark blue serial on sunrise scene featuring a skyline, hills, river, wheat, field and a child swinging from the tree, with Wright Flyer, state shape and read banner with "Birthplace of aviation" at top	Screened	ABC 1234
Kentucky	2020	Optional issue: In God We Trust	Dark blue on light blue gradient with county name sticker below serial and state outline left of serial	Screened	ABC123
New York	2020	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	ABC-1234
Missouri	2018 (October 15)	Bicentennial	Dark blue on white with red and dark blue waves, light gray state seal, and dark blue "1821 * 2021"	Embossed	Coded by month of expiration: AA1 B2C
Iowa	2018 (April)		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	ABC 123
Illinois	2017 (January)	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	AB 12345 (2017–present) AB1 2345 (2016)
Indiana	2017 (January)	Optional issue: In God We Trust	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. Optional issue: Black on white with American flag graphic	Screened	123A 123AB 123ABC Optional issue: ABC123
Nebraska	2017 (January)	1867; 2017	Black on reflective white with Sower statue from the Nebraska State Capitol	Screened	ABC 123 Or coded by county of issuance: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)
Oklahoma	2017 (January)	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	ABC-123
District of Columbia	2017 (April)	End Taxation without Representation; jurisdiction name displayed as "District of Columbia". (2001 Optional issue: www.washingtondc.gov)	Blue on reflective white with red flag separator	Screened	AB-1234
Maryland	2016 (September)	Maryland Proud	Black on reflective white with Maryland flag graphic	Embossed	1AB2345
North Dakota	2016 (November)	Legendary; Peace Garden State	Black on light blue gradient fade to sunrise with prairie scene and buffalo graphic	Screened	123 ABC
Nevada	2016 (November 01)	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	345·A12
South Carolina	2016 (January)	While I Breathe, I Hope (Style A), In God We Trust (Style B)	Style A: Black on white and blue background with palmetto tree in center, Style B: Black on white with American and South Carolinian flags on the left	Screened	ABC 123 (Style A) 1234AB (Style B)
South Dakota	2016 (January)	Great Faces. Great Places.	Blue on Mount Rushmore graphic	Screened	Coded by county of issuance: 0A1 234 0AB 123 00A 123
Wyoming	2016 (January)		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	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)
Virginia	2014 (March 01)	Virginia is for Lovers	Blue on white	Embossed	ABC-1234
Michigan	2013	Pure Michigan, 2014 Optional issue: The Mackinac Bridge, 2021 Optional issue: Water-Winter Wonderland	Blue on reflective white with blue wave at bottom 2014 optional: Maize on dark blue 2021 optional: White to yellow fade and blue with stylized Mackinac Bridge in background with black characters	Embossed	ABC 1234 ABC 123 (2014 optional) 1ABC23 (2021 optional)
Mississippi	2012 (October)	"Birthplace of America's Music"	Dark blue on brown background with Mississippi State Seal between the letters and the numbers	Embossed	ABC 1234
Georgia	2012 (May)	Peach State or GEORGIA with county name or "In God We Trust" sticker	Black on reflective white peach graphic in center	Screened	ABC1234
Texas	2012 (June)	The Lone Star State	Black on white with 5-point star in the upper left corner.	Screened	ABC-1234
California	2012	dmv.ca.gov	Dark blue on white with red state name graphic and slogan printed in red at the bottom	Embossed	1ABC234
Alaska	2010 (January)	The Last Frontier	Blue on gold with state flag	Embossed	ABC 123
Montana	2010 (January)	Treasure State, Optional issues: replica 1989 Centennial base, replica 1991 "Big Sky" base, replica 2000 base, replica 2006 "Big Sky Country" base	White on blue with white state outline Optional issues: Centennial: Blue on white with gold and maroon graphics, Big Sky: Black on light blue gradient with multicolor state outline, 2000 base: Black on light blue with blue and tan graphics, Big Sky Country: Black on light blue gradient with multicolor state outline	Screened	Coded by county of issuance:0-12345A or 00-1234A Optional issues: - Centennial: ABC123 - Other: Coded by county of issuance:0-12345A or 00-1234A
Minnesota	2009 (July)	Explore Minnesota.com, 10,000 Lakes	Black on reflective white with lake scene graphic	Screened	123-ABC ABC-123 Numbers and letters switch sides on a seven year cycle
Idaho	2008	Famous Potatoes	Black on reflective white with red gradient and dark blue mountain scene	Screened	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)
Kansas	2007 (April)		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 2018-onward Embossed 2007-2018)	123 ABC
New Jersey	2007	Garden State	Black on yellow gradient fade	Screened	D12-ABC (2010–present) ABC-12D (2007–2010)
Utah	2007	Greatest Snow on Earth (2007), Life Elevated (2007), In God We Trust; United We Stand (2017)	Dark blue on skier graphic (Greatest Snow), Dark blue on graphic of Delicate Arch (Life Elevated), Dark blue on white background flag graphic (2017)	Embossed	A12 3BC (2007) 1A2BC (2017)
Arkansas	2006	The Natural State	Black on a diamond background, representing Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro	Embossed	ABC 12D
Pennsylvania	2006	visitPA.com	Blue on white with yellow and blue bars	Embossed	ABC-1234
West Virginia	2006	Wild, Wonderful	Blue on white with state name in dark blue bar	Embossed	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)
Louisiana	2005	Sportsman's Paradise	Black on yellow-pink gradient with pelican graphic in center	Embossed	ABC 123 (through 2016) 123 ABC (2016–present)
Florida	2003 (December)	myFLORIDA.com with county name or "Sunshine State" (2008 optional release uses slogan "In God We Trust")	Green on reflective white with state map and citrus orange graphic	Embossed	ABC D12 (2009–present) 123 ABC (2006 to 2009) A12 3BC (2003 to 2009) 123 4AB (2008 optional issue)
Wisconsin	2000 (June)	America's Dairyland	Black on reflective white with stylized lake and farm graphic	Embossed	ABC-1234 (2017–present) 123-ABC (2000–2017)
Colorado	2000		Dark green on reflective white gray and green Rocky Mountains scene graphic. Some versions have full color	Embossed	ABC-D12
Connecticut	2000	Constitution State	Dark blue on blue and white gradient fade	Embossed	AB•12345 (2015–present) 1AB•CD2 (2013–2015) 1ABCD2 (2013) 123•ABC (2000–2013)
New Hampshire	1999 (January)	Live Free or Die	Green on Old Man of the Mountain graphic	Embossed	123 4567 (2000–present) 123 456 (1999)
Maine	1999	Vacationland	Black on reflective white with a chickadee and pine tassel graphic at left	Embossed	1234 AB (variable number of digits preceding space)
Washington	1998 (July)	Evergreen State	Dark blue on white with light blue Mount Rainier graphic	Embossed	ABC1234 (2010–present) 123-ABC (1987–2010)
Arizona	1996	Grand Canyon State	Dark green on desert landscape	Screened 2008-onward Embossed 1996-2008)	CEA 1DB
Rhode Island	1996	Ocean State (bottom), Beautiful Rhode Island (top 2020-on)	Dark blue on stylized gray and white ocean wave graphic (1996-2020), White on dark blue with the Reliance in the upper left corner (2020-onward)	Screened 2020-onward Embossed 1996-2020	123456 (2007–present) AB-123 and 12345 (1996–2007) 1AB-234 (2020–present)
Hawaii	1991	Aloha State	Black on reflective white with rainbow graphic	Embossed	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)
Oregon	1990		Dark blue on Douglas Fir tree and mountain graphic	Embossed	123 ABC (2004–present) ABC 123 (1990–2004)
New Mexico	1989	Land of Enchantment, 2010 alternate adds New Mexico USA along bottom	1989: Red on yellow with turquoise yucca graphics and red Zia sun symbol, 2010 alternate: Yellow on turquoise with large yellow and red Zia sun symbol	Embossed	123-ABC (1989) ABC-123 (2010)
Massachusetts	1988	The Spirit of America	Red on reflective white	Embossed	Coded by month of expiration:12A 345 1ABC 23 1AB 234 123 AB4 12A B34 1234 AB 123 ABC
Vermont	1985	Green Mountain State	White on green with small white tree in top left corner	Debossed	ABC 123 (1990–present) 12AB3 (1989) 1AB23 (1988) 123A4 (1986–1987) 1A234 (1985)
North Carolina	1982, 2015 (January), 2019 (July)	First in Flight (1982), First in Freedom (2015), In God We Trust / To Be Rather Than To Seem (2019)	Blue on reflective white. First in Flight version features Wright Flyer graphic	Embossed	ABC-123 (1982–1985) ABC-1234 (1985-onward)
Delaware	1969	The First State	Gold on navy blue	Screened	123456 (variable number of digits)

License plate serial formats indicate how many digits appear on a given state’s license plate, as well as whether each digit is a number or letter and the sequence in which they appear.
Descriptions pertain to standard-issue passenger vehicle plates. Specialty plates issued for disabled drivers, commercial vehicles, trailers, motorcycles, antique or electric vehicles, police vehicles, or other specific uses frequently differ from the standard format.
Plate designs that are no longer available, such as California’s blue plate with yellow text, are excluded from the table.
Some states, such as North Carolina, feature more than one standard design or free-of-charge optional alternates. These differ from so-called “vanity” plates, which offer additional designs at an added cost.

In the United States, getting your driver’s license is only the first step to legally operating a vehicle. There are other costs associated with purchasing and driving a car. You must also purchase insurance, pass an emissions inspection in others, and pay for vehicle registration to obtain a license plate in all states.

You receive a license plate when you register your vehicle in your state. The price that you will pay to register and receive your plate varies by state. Where you display your plates on your vehicle also varies by state and the license plate design.

In some states, only a rear plate is required. Those states are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah (as of Jan. 01, 2025), and West Virginia. The remaining states require front and rear plates for all vehicles. Each state has its own unique design for license plates, all of which are listed in the table below.

In addition to standard-issue plates, residents of each state can pay extra money to receive special plates. There are plates available for different professions, alma maters, sororities, groups, and clubs. A driver can also pay for vanity plates, which allows the driver to choose a personalized combination of numbers and letters.

License Plates by State 2026

Sources

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