United States License Plate Designs and Serial Formats - Plate Types No Longer Issued But Still Valid

Plate Types No Longer Issued But Still Valid

Plates with the following designs and serial formats are no longer currently being issued in U.S. and Canadian jurisdictions but may still be valid for use in certain instances. This table does not include year of manufacture registrations.

Jurisdiction Dates issued Type Plate style Serial format Status Image
Alabama January 2002—December 2008 standard type:
Stars Fell On Alabama		 Embossed serials, then screened serials Coded by county of issuance:
  • 0A1234B
  • 00A123B
  • 00A1B2C (following exhaustion of above format in Madison County)
 Being replaced upon expiration in 2009.
2006—early 2007 optional type:
God Bless America		 Embossed serial
Reflective sheeting		 AB12345
12345AB		 Valid.
Alaska 1981—late 2004 "The Last Frontier" Embossed serial
Reflective sheeting		 ABC 123 Valid.
late 1997—late 2004 "Gold Rush Centennial" Embossed serial
Reflective sheeting		 ABC 123
late 2004—December 2007 The Last Frontier Embossed serial
Reflective sheeting		 ABC 123
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 Valid.
Arkansas 1996—March 2006 red on white with blue state name and "The Natural State" slogan Embossed serial
Reflective sheeting		 123 ABC Being replaced on a seven-year rolling basis.
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		 1ABC234
October 1987—1995 blue on white with red embossed state name Embossed serial
Reflective sheeting		 1ABC234
1998— 2000 "Sesquicentennial - 150 Years" Embossed serial
Reflective sheeting		 1ABC234
Colorado 1978—2000 embossed mountain scene Reflective embossed serial
Non-reflective background		 Coded by county of issuance: AB-1234, ABC-123, ABC1234 Valid.
Connecticut 2000—2001 "Constitution State" Embossed serial
Reflective sheeting		 As remakes of serials issued on previous bases: 1234
12345
123•456
A•123
AB•123
AB•1234		 Valid.
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" 123-456
AB-1234
Taxation without Representation Embossed serial AB-1234
WWW.Washingtondc.gov AB-1234
Florida —December 2003 state outline with single orange with green serials A12 BCD Being replaced on a six-year rolling basis.
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 Valid.

Being replaced on a ten year rolling basis to new format
ABC D12
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:
  • 1234 (variable number of digits following space)
  • 123A (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 "Land of Lincoln" 12 345, 123 456, AB 1234, ABC 123, A12 345 (as remakes of serials issued on previous bases)
123 4567		 Valid.
Iowa none
Kansas state capitol ABC 123
Kentucky none
Louisiana "Sportsman's Paradise" without pelican
"Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial 1803-2003" written in early 18th-century lettering and has the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial logo as the separator		 ABC 123 Valid.
Maine none
Maryland no slogan ABC 123, 1AB C23 Valid.
Massachusetts green on white (coded by month of expiration)
"The Spirit of America" (coded by month of expiration)		 123-450
120-ABC		 Valid.
Michigan "Great Lakes Splendor" 1AB C23 Being replaced.
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 1997—June 16, 2008 "Show-Me State" Embossed serial
Reflective sheeting		 123 ABC and 1AB 23C Being replaced upon expiration in 2009.
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)
 Being replaced upon expiration in 2010.
Nebraska none
Nevada white on blue A12345, AB1234, ABC123, 123ABC
New Hampshire "Live Free or Die" ABC123 (as remakes of serials issued on previous bases), 123 456
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 (JAA-10A to VYX series)
2007-2010 black on yellow and white gradient, reflective, NO sticker boxes ABC-12D (VYX series to ZZZ-99Z)
New Mexico 1999–2010 Land of Enchantment
hot air balloon		 Embossed serial
Reflective sheeting		 A123
AB123
ABC123		 Valid.
New York 2001-2010 dark blue on reflective white with blue bars (upper blue bar has the words "New York" 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-123, 1AB-234, A1B-234, A12-3BC, AB1-23C (as remakes of serials issued on previous bases) Valid.
ABC-1234 (to EZZ-9999)
North Carolina 1982— red on reflective white with blue and red graphics, "First in Flight" ABC-1234 (LNA-1001 forward) Valid.
North Dakota none
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
Oklahoma green on reflective white with shield graphic, "Native America" Coded by county of issuance:
  • ABC 123
  • 123 ABC
Oregon 1956–1974 Gold on blue ABC 123 Valid.
1974–1988 Blue on gold ABC 123
1988–1990 Tan tree ABC 123 (A-M corresponds to January-December, skipping I, N-series had no month correlation)
1990- Blue tree ABC 123, 1A-1234 (similar rules as above, but N-Z in 1A-1234 format also corresponds to January-December, skipping O)
Pennsylvania 1999-2004 blue on blue, white and yellow gradient, "www.state.pa.us" ABC-1234 Valid.
Puerto Rico black on reflective white with Fortaleza graphic, "Isla del Encanto (Island of Enchantment)" ABC 123
Rhode Island none
South Carolina none
South Dakota none
Tennessee none
Texas 2009 Features the Davis Mountains against a sky backdrop, with a lone star and streaks of red and blue in the upper-left corner; state motto is retained on the bottom A12-BCD
123-ABC
ABC-123
AB1-C234		 Valid.
U.S. Virgin Islands none
Utah until 1988 Black text on white background ABC 123 Valid.
1988—2008 Skier with blue text on white background; "Ski Utah" and "Greatest Snow on Earth" 123 ABC
1992—2008 dark blue on Delicate Arch background; "Centennial" 123 ABC (first letter progressing backwards from Z)
2002 2002 Winter Olympics commerative plate with snowflake logo above "Salt Lake 2002" and the Olympic rings; "Olympic Winter 2002" 123A4
Vermont none
Virginia 1979 series (wide die) Jamestown (400th anniversary) ABC-123

ABC-1234 (forward from JAA-1000)
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 2001–2008 black on reflective white with Devil's Tower graphic Coded by county of issuance:
  • 0-1234 (variable number of digits following divider)
  • 0-123A (following exhaustion of above format; variable number of digits following divider)
  • 0-12AB (following exhaustion of above format; variable number of digits following divider)
  • 0-1ABC (following exhaustion of above format)
  • 00-1234 (variable number of digits following divider)
  • 00-123A (following exhaustion of above format; variable number of digits following divider)
  • 00-12AB (following exhaustion of above format; variable number of digits following divider)

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