Vehicle Registration Plates of Indiana - Passenger Plates 1915 To Present

Passenger Plates 1915 To Present

Image First issued Description Slogan Serial format Serials issued Notes
1915 Green lettering on pink base
1919 White lettering on black base
1925 Maroon lettering on tan base
1927 White lettering on black base
1933 White lettering on maroon base
1935 Black lettering on light green base
1938 Dark red lettering on cream-colored base
1940 Silver lettering on black base
1945 White lettering on brown base
1950 Yellow lettering on black base
1960 White lettering on dark blue base
1961 White lettering on dark red base
1963 Yellow lettering on blue base
1964 Reflective white lettering on dark red base
1965 Reflective white lettering on dark green base
1966 Black lettering on reflective white base
1967 Red lettering on reflective white base
1968 Blue lettering on reflective white base
1969 Black lettering on reflective white base
1970 Red serial on reflective white background County-coded:
  • 001234
  • 01234
 1970 marked the first year of staggered registration for Indiana. Instead of expiring on the last day of February each year, plates would now expire between January 31 and June 30, depending on the registrant's last name. Plates were valid through June 30, 1971.
1971 Blue serial on reflective white background County-coded:
  • 001234
  • 01234
 Plates were valid through June 30, 1972.
1972 Green serial on reflective white background County-coded:
  • 001234
  • 01234
 Plates were valid through June 30, 1973.
1973 Red serial on reflective white background County-coded:
  • 001234
  • 01234
 Plates were valid through June 30, 1974.
1974 Black serial on reflective white background County-coded:
  • 001234
  • 01234
 Plates were valid through June 30, 1975.
1975 Blue serial on reflective white background County-coded:
  • 001234
  • 01234
 Plates were valid through June 30, 1976.
1976 Blue serial on reflective white, red and blue graphic background Heritage State County-coded:
  • 001234
  • 01234
 This was Indiana's first graphic plate; the branch letter was pushed down to make room for the Minuteman figure. Plates were valid through June 30, 1977.
1977 Green serial on reflective white, green and yellow background County-coded:
  • 001234
  • 01234
 Plates were valid through June 30, 1978.

1978 Black serial on reflective white, red and light blue background County-coded:
  • 001234
  • 01234
 Indianapolis 500 race cars in background. This issue is thought by some to be a tribute to Tony Hulman, owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, who died in 1977; sample plates, normally numbered 00A0000 in most years, were numbered 00H0000 this year, lending some credence to this belief. Plates were valid through June 30, 1979.
1979 Brown serial on reflective white, yellow and brown background County-coded:
  • 001234
  • 01234
 1779 George Rogers Clark Awarded "Plate of the Year" for best new license plate of 1979 by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association, the first and, to date, only time Indiana has been so honored. Plates were valid through June 30, 1980.
1980 Black serial on reflective white, yellow, orange and red background County-coded:
  • 001234
  • 01234
 Final annual issue for Indiana. Plates were valid through June 30, 1981.

1981 Brown serial on reflective white, light and dark brown and black graphic background County-coded:
  • 001234
  • 01234
 First multi-year plate in Indiana since 1955, and the first to be renewed with decals (except for plates with numbers up to and including 100, which were reissued annually). Plates were valid until June 30, 1984.
1984 Black serial on reflective white, yellow, green and red background Wander Indiana County-coded:
  • 001234
  • 01234
 Staggered registration expanded to January–October with 1987 expiration. Plates were valid through October 31, 1987.
1987 Blue serial on reflective blue, white and gold background Back Home Again County-coded:
  • 001234
  • 01234
 Small white-on-blue county name decal added to lower right corner; hard to read from the start, most were illegible within a year. Plates were valid through October 31, 1990.

1990 Red serial on reflective white background Hoosier Hospitality County-coded:
  • 001234
  • 01234
 Small white-on-blue county name decal continues as on Back Home Again issue. Plates were valid through October 31, 1993.
1993 Black serial on reflective red, yellow and black background Amber Waves of Grain County-coded:
  • 001234
  • 00123 (following exhaustion of above format)
  • 01234
  • 0123 (following exhaustion of above format)
 Replacement cycle moves from 3 to 5 years. Early-issued plates may have a yellow-on-black county name decal in the lower-right corner; this is dropped in most counties before the end of 1993. Plates were valid through October 31, 1998.


1998 Dark blue serial on reflective white background, gold state outline and coat of arms - Indiana and Crossroads of America Printed in dark blue. The Crossroads of America County-coded:
  • 001234
  • 00123 (following exhaustion of above format)
  • 01234
  • 0123 (following exhaustion of above format)
 Final embossed plate for Indiana. Plates were valid through October 31, 2003.





2003 dark blue on reflective farm scene graphic www.IN.gov County-coded, with variable number of digits following letter:
  • 0A1234
  • 0AB123 (following exhaustion of above format)
  • 001234
  • 00123 (following exhaustion of above format)
 Earlier plates used a larger serial font that included full-height letters. The original design was to have "Back Home Again," but was replaced with the state website. This plate used a serial that was screened on and is completely flat. All previous Indiana plates were embossed. Plates were valid through October 31, 2008.


2007 optional type:
white on dark blue with flag of the United States motif and numerical county sticker in lower right corner, although some plates do not have county sticker.		 In God We Trust AB 1234 (variable number of digits following letters); formatted like a specialty plate.
2012 New Version: ABC123


2008 White on dark blue with white Indiana state flag on left and sticker of county name and number on top none Standard Version
123A, 123AB or 123ABC Grandfathered
Version
000, 0000 or 00000

Handicapped Plates
2008-2010:
123456
2010>:
D123A, D123AB
National Guard Plates
NG123A

 Serials not issued sequentially.

Letters or combinations of letters are unique to a particular county.

 Issued concurrently with "In God We Trust" base. Staggered registration once again expanded to include all twelve months of the calendar year; four dates, the 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th of each month, are used (except in January and December). Grandfathered Version are laid out by county coding depending on demand for them. Some counties may only use single suffix numbers while others may use as much as three.


2012 optional type:
White fading into the canton of the US Flag with Black Serials, Month, Year, and County Number printed on plate.		 In God We Trust ABC123
Started with RAA101 and finished around VHC500. Plate is now in second year of issue.		 In God We Trust "In God We Trust" now appears across the bottom instead of on the left side. Change was made to address visibility issues with previous version and to coincide with new standard version being issued in 2013.


2013 White fading to gold. Instead of the flag of Indiana, the outline of Indiana, a circle of 19 stars revolving around the number 200 with the 19th enlarged and colored gold appears. Black Serials with black Month, Year, and County Number printed on plate. Bicentennial 1816-2016 Standard Version
123A, 123AB or 123ABC, No Grandfathered Version		 Serial tied to vehicle. If vehicle was issued a previous plate with serial 661XYZ for example, the vehicle's 2013 issued plate will have serial 661XYZ.
optional type:
black on white with logo at left		 Lincoln's Boyhood Home BF1234
BH1234		 Aside from this and the In God We Trust Plates, there are approximately 70 other various organizations, schools, and other entities that offer plates using the same format but come with a $15 organizational fee. See Indiana Plate Types for further details.

Read more about this topic:  Vehicle Registration Plates Of Indiana

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