State rankings
License Plates by State
License Plates by State: compare 51 US states on 5 metrics.
Serial Number Style
6 values across 51 entries
Data
Click a column to sort.
51 states
 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 |
 Alaska | 2010 (January) | The Last Frontier | Blue on gold with state flag | Embossed | ABC 123 |
 Arizona | 1,996 | Grand Canyon State | Dark green on desert landscape | Screened 2008-onward, Embossed 1996-2008) | CEA 1DB |
 Arkansas | 2,006 | The Natural State | Black on a diamond background, representing Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro | Embossed | ABC 12D |
 California | 2,012 | dmv.ca.gov | Dark blue on white with red state name graphic and slogan printed in red at the bottom | Embossed | 1ABC234 |
 Colorado | 2,000 | — | Dark green on reflective white gray and green Rocky Mountains scene graphic. Some versions have full color | Embossed | ABC-D12 |
 Connecticut | 2,000 | 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) |
 Delaware | 1,969 | The First State | Gold on navy blue | Screened | 123456 (variable number of digits) |
 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 |
 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) |
 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 |
 Hawaii | 1,991 | 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) |
 Idaho | 2,008 | 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 for… |
 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 |
 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 |
 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 |
 Kentucky | 2,020 | 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 |
 Louisiana | 2,005 | Sportsman's Paradise | Black on yellow-pink gradient with pelican graphic in center | Embossed | ABC 123 (through 2016), 123 ABC (2016–present) |
 Maine | 1,999 | Vacationland | Black on reflective white with a chickadee and pine tassel graphic at left | Embossed | 1234 AB (variable number of digits preceding space) |
 Maryland | 2016 (September) | Maryland Proud | Black on reflective white with Maryland flag graphic | Embossed | 1AB2345 |
 Massachusetts | 1,988 | 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 |
 Michigan | 2,013 | 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+1 | Embossed | ABC 1234, ABC 123 (2014 optional), 1ABC23 (2021 optional) |
 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 |
 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 |
 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 |
 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:+4 | 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 |
 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 abo… |
 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 |
 New Hampshire | 1999 (January) | Live Free or Die | Green on Old Man of the Mountain graphic | Embossed | 123 4567 (2000–present), 123 456 (1999) |
 New Jersey | 2,007 | Garden State | Black on yellow gradient fade | Screened | D12-ABC (2010–present), ABC-12D (2007–2010) |
 New Mexico | 1,989 | 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) |
 New York | 2,020 | 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 |
 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) |
 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 |
 Ohio | 2,021 | 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 |
 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 |
 Oregon | 1,990 | — | Dark blue on Douglas Fir tree and mountain graphic | Embossed | 123 ABC (2004–present), ABC 123 (1990–2004) |
 Pennsylvania | 2,006 | visitPA.com | Blue on white with yellow and blue bars | Embossed | ABC-1234 |
 Rhode Island | 1,996 | 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) |
 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 |
 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 |
 Texas | 2012 (June) | The Lone Star State | Black on white with 5-point star in the upper left corner. | Screened | ABC-1234 |
 Utah | 2,007 | 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),+1 | Embossed | A12 3BC (2007), 1A2BC (2017) |
 Vermont | 1,985 | 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) |
 Virginia | 2014 (March 01) | Virginia is for Lovers | Blue on white | Embossed | ABC-1234 |
 Washington | 1998 (July) | Evergreen State | Dark blue on white with light blue Mount Rainier graphic | Embossed | ABC1234 (2010–present), 123-ABC (1987–2010) |
 West Virginia | 2,006 | 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) |
 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) |
 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) |
Quick answers
- Where does this license plates by state data come from?
- Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: License Plate Designs and Serial Formats - Wikipedia; The High Road - LicensePlates.cc.