U.S. License Plate Serial Formats & Designs — Complete 2025 Reference
The definitive 2025 reference for every U.S. state's license plate format, slogan, design, and quirks. Compiled from official DMV sources, vehicle codes, and the most current public records. Use this as your single source of truth.
Quick Answer
The most common U.S. passenger plate format is ABC-1234, used in 12 states including Texas, New York, and Pennsylvania. California uses 1ABC234. Maryland uses 1AB2345. Kansas uses 1234ABC. Most states exclude letters I, O, and Q to avoid number confusion. Six states use county-coded serials. Plate designs persist for decades — Delaware's design has been unchanged since 1959.
Standard U.S. License Plate Specifications
All U.S. passenger vehicle license plates share dimensional standards set by a 1956 agreement between U.S. states, Canadian provinces, and the Automobile Manufacturers Association:
- Plate size: 6 × 12 inches (150 × 300 mm)
- Mounting hole spacing: 7 inches (180 mm)
- Motorcycle plate: 4 × 7 inches (most states); Minnesota uses 4-3/16 × 7-3/16 inches
- Character count: 6-7 characters typical for passenger plates; 8 for vanity plates in some states
- Puerto Rico: European-sized plates available for an extra fee
Standard-Issue Serial Formats by State (2025)
The following table summarizes the current standard-issue passenger plate format for every U.S. state, D.C., and U.S. territories. Click any state for full atroq compliance details.
| State | Format | Slogan | Design | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 0AXXXXX / 00AXXXX | Heart of Dixie (small print) | Bay & sky graphic | County-coded; I, O, Q skipped |
| Alaska | ABC 123 | The Last Frontier | Blue on gold + state flag | Slashed-zero in use since 2023 |
| American Samoa | 1234 | Motu O Fiafiaga | Black on Fatu Rock graphic | 4-digit serials |
| Arizona | XXX 1XX | Grand Canyon State | Dark green on desert landscape | I, O, Q, U skipped; alphanumeric blocks |
| Arkansas | ABC 12D | The Natural State | Black on diamond background | Diamond background represents Crater of Diamonds State Park |
| California | 1ABC123 | dmv.ca.gov | Dark blue on white + red script | I, O, Q only between two letters |
| Colorado | ABC-D12 | — | Dark green on Rocky Mountains scene | Q skipped until 2013 |
| Connecticut | AB•12345 | Constitution State | Dark blue on blue/white gradient + state shape | I, O, Q skipped |
| Delaware | 123456 (variable) | The First State | Gold on navy blue | Design unchanged since 1959 — oldest in U.S. |
| District of Columbia | AB-1234 | End Taxation Without Representation | Blue on white + red flag separator | I, O, Q skipped |
| Florida | ABC D12 | myFLORIDA.com / Sunshine State | Green on white + state map + citrus orange | O skipped; multiple alternate formats |
| Georgia | ABC1234 | Peach State | Black on white + peach graphic | O skipped; county/slogan sticker at bottom |
| Guam | AB 1234 | Tano Y Chamorro | Black on white + latte stone + bougainvillea | Coded by municipality |
| Hawaii | ABC 123 | Aloha State | Black on white + rainbow graphic | Coded by island county; I, O, Q skipped |
| Idaho | A 1234U | Famous Potatoes / Scenic Idaho | Red gradient + dark blue mountain scene | Coded by county; first slogan ever (1928) |
| Illinois | AB 12345 | Land of Lincoln | Blue gradient + Chicago/Springfield skyline + Lincoln | I, O skipped; slogan since 1954 |
| Indiana | 123ABC (variable) | — | Country scene + covered bridge | Issued randomly, tied to owner |
| Iowa | ABC 123 | — | City skyline + farm + wind turbine | Slashed-zero since 2012 |
| Kansas | 1234ABC | To The Stars | Black on light blue/white/gold gradient | I, O, Q skipped |
| Kentucky | A1B234 / ABC123 | — | Dark blue on light blue gradient + state outline | I, O, Q, U skipped |
| Louisiana | 123 ABC | Sportsman's Paradise | Blue on white + America 250 symbol | — |
| Maine | 123•ABC | Vacationland | Blue on white + pine tree + north star | Slogan since 1936 — oldest in U.S.; I, O skipped |
| Maryland | 1AB2345 | Maryland Proud | Black on white + Maryland flag graphic | I, O, Q, U, E, F all skipped (E, F since 2023) |
| Massachusetts | 1ABC 23 | The Spirit of America | Red on white + blue text | Coded by month of expiration; I, O, Q skipped |
| Michigan | ABC 1234 | Pure Michigan / michigan.org | Blue on white + blue wave | I, O skipped; tabs called "tabs" |
| Minnesota | 123-ABC / ABC-123 | Explore Minnesota.com / 10,000 Lakes | Black on white + lake scene | I, O, Q skipped; design since 1978 |
| Mississippi | ABC 123 | — | Dark blue on white + magnolia blossom | O and 666 skipped; coded by county |
| Missouri | AB1 C2D | Show Me State | Dark blue on white + red/blue waves + state seal | Coded by month; I, O, Q skipped |
| Montana | 0-AB1234 | Treasure State | White on blue + state outline | Coded by county (since ~1930); I, O, Q, R, V skipped |
| Nebraska | ABC 123 / county-coded | — | Dark blue on white + State Capitol mosaic | I, M, O, Q, W, X skipped on county format |
| Nevada | 432·1A5 | Home Means Nevada | Sky blue + multi-color mountain range | I, O, Q skipped |
| New Hampshire | 123 4567 | Live Free or Die | Green on Old Man of the Mountain graphic | All-numeric serials |
| New Jersey | D12-ABC | Garden State | Black on yellow gradient + state shape | I, O, Q skipped; T/X reserved for trailer/commercial |
| New Mexico | 123-ABC | Land of Enchantment | Red on yellow + turquoise yucca + Zia sun | I, O, Q, U, V skipped |
| New York | ABC-1234 | Excelsior | Dark blue on white + Niagara Falls + Statue of Liberty + Manhattan | I, O, Q skipped |
| North Carolina | ABC-1234 | First in Flight (or In God We Trust / First in Freedom) | Blue on white + Wright Flyer | G, I, O, Q, U skipped; slogan since 1982 |
| North Dakota | 123 ABC | Legendary North Dakota / Peace Garden State | Black on light blue gradient + sunrise + buffalo | — |
| Northern Mariana Islands | ABC 123 | Hafa Adai | Dark blue on white + seal | — |
| Ohio | ABC 1234 | Birthplace of Aviation | Sunrise scene + Wright Flyer + state shape | I, O only as second letter; rear-only since July 2020 |
| Oklahoma | ABC-123 | Imagine That | White on red + smaller blue images | — |
| Oregon | 123 ABC | — | Dark blue on Douglas Fir + mountain | I, O skipped as first letter |
| Pennsylvania | ABC1234 | Let Freedom Ring | Blue on white + Liberty Bell | I, O, Q, U all skipped; A, E not as 2nd letter; slashed-zero since 2025 |
| Puerto Rico | ABC 123 | Isla del Encanto | Black on white + fort graphic | European-sized for extra fee |
| Rhode Island | 1AB 234 | Ocean State | Navy blue on light blue + five-wave + anchor | O skipped |
| South Carolina | ABC 123 | While I Breathe, I Hope. | Black on white/blue + palmetto tree | O skipped until 2023 |
| South Dakota | 0A1 234 | Great Faces. Great Places. | Blue on Mount Rushmore | Coded by county; I, O, Q skipped |
| Tennessee | ABC 1234 | The Volunteer State | Blue + state outline + Tri-Star logo | A, E, I, O, U all skipped (no vowels) |
| Texas | ABC-1234 | The Lone Star State | Black on white + 5-point star | A, E, I, O, Q, U skipped (no vowels + Q); $200 front-plate fine |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | ABC 123 | 175th Emancipation | Black on white + teal/orange bands | Coded by island (C/J/T) |
| Utah | A12 3BC | Life Elevated / Greatest Snow on Earth | Dark blue on skier graphic | I, O, Q skipped; rear-only since Jan 2025 |
| Vermont | ABC 123 | Green Mountain State | White on green + small white tree | I, J, O, Q, U skipped; V/Z skipped until 2024 |
| Virginia | ABC-1234 | Virginia is for Lovers | Blue on white | I, O, Q skipped; serif font on serial dies |
| Washington | ABC1234 | Evergreen State | Dark blue on white + Mt. Rainier | I, O, Q not used as 3rd letter |
| West Virginia | X1A 2345 | Wild, Wonderful | Blue on white + state outline | Coded by month of expiration (1-9, O, N, D) |
| Wisconsin | ABC-1234 | America's Dairyland | Black on white + lake/farm graphic | I, O, Q skipped; slogan since 1940 |
| Wyoming | 1A-1234 | That's WY | Bucking Horse and Rider on flag graphic | Coded by county; cowboy logo since 1936 (longest continuous) |
Letter Exclusions Across U.S. Plates
Most U.S. states exclude certain letters from passenger plate serials to avoid visual confusion with numbers, particularly with limited spacing:
- I, O, Q — most commonly excluded (confused with 1 and 0). Used by majority of states.
- U — Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Mexico, Vermont, Tennessee, Texas, Kentucky exclude.
- A, E (vowels) — Tennessee and Texas skip all vowels. Pennsylvania skips A and E as second letter.
- Q in Texas — Texas additionally skips Q despite already excluding all vowels.
- V — Vermont, New Mexico, Montana exclude.
- F, E in Maryland — Maryland began excluding E and F in 2023 (last plate with either was 9FR9999).
- 666 — Mississippi excludes the number 666.
- T, X reserved — New Jersey reserves these as root letters for trailer and commercial plates.
The "Slashed Zero" Phenomenon
Some states use a unique slashed zero character (Ø) on standard plates to distinguish 0 from O, especially with cramped spacing. Iowa adopted slashed zero in 2012, Alaska in 2023, and Pennsylvania in May 2025. Pennsylvania additionally uses notably taller and narrower number dies than letter dies. In Colorado, the "0" die is more rounded than the "O" die for differentiation without slashing.
County-Coded Plate Serials (8 jurisdictions)
Eight U.S. jurisdictions encode the county of registration into the plate serial itself:
- Alabama — first 1-2 digits indicate county number
- Hawaii — first letter indicates island county (H/Z = Hawaii County, K = Kauai, M/L = Maui, others = Honolulu)
- Idaho — first letter or number-letter code (1A = Ada County, 1T = Teton County, V = Valley County)
- Mississippi — county encoded in serial
- Montana — county codes assigned in 1930, unchanged since
- Nebraska — county codes for non-Douglas/Lancaster/Sarpy counties
- South Dakota — county-of-issuance encoded
- Wyoming — county code + vehicle type
Several other states (Indiana, Ohio, Kansas, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Tennessee) display the county name on the plate but not as part of the serial.
Month-of-Expiration Coding (3 states)
- Massachusetts — last digit of serial = month of expiration. "0" = October, "X" = November (formerly), "Y" = December (formerly).
- Missouri — alphabetical blocking by month.
- West Virginia — first character indicates month (1-9 = Jan-Sep, O = Oct, N = Nov, D = Dec).
The Five Oldest U.S. License Plate Designs (Still in Use)
- Delaware — gold on black; in production since 1959
- Colorado — green Rocky Mountains; since 1960 (continuously since 1978)
- District of Columbia — blue on white; since 1975
- Minnesota — black on white lake scene; since 1978
- North Carolina — blue on white + Wright Flyer; since 1982
The Oldest U.S. License Plate Slogans
- Idaho — first state to use a slogan (1928, "Idaho Potatoes")
- Maine — "Vacationland" since 1936; oldest continually-used slogan
- Wyoming — Bucking Horse and Rider logo since 1936; oldest continuous logo
- Arizona — "Grand Canyon State" since 1940
- Wisconsin — "America's Dairyland" since 1940
- Illinois — "Land of Lincoln" since 1954
- North Carolina — "First in Flight" since 1982
- Ohio — "Birthplace of Aviation" since 1998
Web Address Slogans
Several states feature government website addresses on their standard-issue plates, a unique modern phenomenon:
- California — "dmv.ca.gov" (since 2011)
- Florida — "myFLORIDA.com" (since 2003)
- Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia — various state tourism or DMV URLs
Diplomatic License Plates
Diplomatic license plates are issued by the U.S. Department of State (federal, not state) to accredited diplomats, with a distinctive serial format. Until 2007, plates followed the pattern S LL NNNN (status letter, two-letter country code, four-digit number). The country codes are deliberately non-standard (e.g., France is "DJ" not "F") to prevent identification of specific countries' diplomats. Plates issued for U.N.-based diplomats use the reversed format NNNN LL S.
Why This Matters for License Plate Frame Buyers
Understanding plate format and design helps you order frames that work with your specific plate:
- Thicker plates (embossed) — Texas optional embossed plates and Wyoming embossed plates need slightly deeper frame profiles. atroq's standard 4mm frame works.
- Plate-mounted stickers — Most states. Frame must have visible sticker windows. atroq frames have recessed windows in standard positions.
- Windshield-mounted stickers — New York, Texas, D.C., Connecticut, Pennsylvania (no plate stickers since 2017). Frame designs are unrestricted by sticker visibility.
- State name visibility — Frames cannot obscure the state name. atroq frames keep state names fully visible.
- Plate slogan visibility — Most states have slogans at top or bottom. atroq frames preserve all slogan text.
For dealerships and fleets: When ordering bulk frames, your customers' vehicles will be registered across many states. atroq's universal-fit frames are designed to be compliant with the most restrictive state requirements — so a single frame design works for customers in all 50 states + D.C.
Design state-compliant license plate frames
atroq frames work with every U.S. plate design and serial format. MOQ 500 from $1.30/frame. Continental U.S. shipping included.
Open the Customizer →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the standard U.S. license plate serial format?
The most common U.S. passenger plate format is
ABC-1234 (three letters + four digits), used in 12 states including Texas, New York, and Pennsylvania. California uses 1ABC234. Maryland uses 1AB2345. Kansas uses 1234ABC. Connecticut and Illinois use AB-12345. Smaller states like Alaska and Vermont use 6-character formats like ABC 123. Delaware (with low population) can still use 6-digit all-numeric serials.Which letters are excluded from U.S. license plates?
Most states exclude I, O, and Q to avoid confusion with numbers 1 and 0. Some states exclude additional letters: Pennsylvania skips I, O, Q, and U entirely (and excludes A and E as the second letter). Maryland skips I, O, Q, U, plus E and F since 2023. Tennessee and Texas skip all vowels (A, E, I, O, U); Texas also skips Q. New Jersey reserves T and X as root letters for trailer and commercial plates. Mississippi excludes the number 666.
Which states use county-coded license plate serials?
Eight U.S. jurisdictions encode county of registration into the serial: Alabama, Hawaii (by island), Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Several other states (Indiana, Ohio, Kansas, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Tennessee) display the county name on the plate but not as part of the serial.
What is the oldest U.S. license plate design still in use?
Delaware has the oldest U.S. license plate design in continuous use — gold text on black background, in production since 1959. The next four oldest are Colorado (1960, continuously since 1978), Washington D.C. (1975), Minnesota (1978), and North Carolina (1982). Each has received minor cosmetic changes since introduction but remains visually consistent.
What was the first state to put a slogan on its license plate?
Idaho was the first state to feature a slogan on its license plates, in 1928, with "IDAHO POTATOES" (which evolved to today's "Famous Potatoes"). The oldest continually-used slogan is Maine's "Vacationland", in use since 1936. The same year, Wyoming introduced its iconic Bucking Horse and Rider logo — the oldest continuously-used logo on a U.S. license plate.
What is the standard U.S. license plate size?
All U.S. passenger license plates measure 6 × 12 inches (150 × 300 mm) with mounting holes spaced 7 inches (180 mm) apart. This standard was set in 1956 by an agreement between U.S. states, Canadian provinces, and the Automobile Manufacturers Association. Motorcycle plates are typically 4 × 7 inches; Minnesota uses 4-3/16 × 7-3/16 inches for motorcycles. Puerto Rico issues European-sized plates for an extra fee.
Why do some states use slashed zeros on their plates?
Slashed zeros (Ø) help distinguish the number 0 from the letter O, especially when spacing is cramped or the plate font otherwise makes them ambiguous. Iowa adopted slashed zero on standard issue plates in 2012, Alaska in 2023, and Pennsylvania in May 2025. Some states use other techniques — Colorado uses a more rounded "0" die versus its "O" die. Pennsylvania uses notably taller and narrower number dies than letter dies.
Sources & Citations
Primary sources: State department of motor vehicles (DMV) websites, official vehicle codes, and state-issued plate documentation. Format and design data verified against the Wikipedia article "United States license plate designs and serial formats" (May 2025 revision), which itself cites individual state DMV publications.
Specifications: 1956 SAE / Automobile Manufacturers Association dimensional agreement (6 × 12 inch standard).
Last updated: May 2025. State plate formats and designs change periodically (typically every 7-15 years for full redesigns). Always verify current specifications with your state DMV before relying on this data for legal or production purposes.