Vehicle registration plates of Indiana
The U.S. state of Indiana first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1905. Registrants had to provide their own license plates for display until July 1, 1913, when the state began to supply plates.[1]
In 1956, the U.S. states and Canadian provinces came to an agreement with the Automobile Manufacturers Association that standardized the size for license plates for vehicles, except those for motorcycles, at six inches in height by twelve inches in width, with standardized mounting holes. The 1955 (dated 1956) issue was the first Indiana license plate that complied with these standards.
Plates are currently issued by the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV).
Contents
Passenger plates 1915 to present
| Image | First issued | Description | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150px | 1915 | Green lettering on pink base | none | 12345 | ||
 |
1916 | Black lettering on white base | none | 12345 A1234 |
||
|
1917 | Yellow lettering on black base | none | 12345 A1234 |
||
|
1918 | Black lettering on green base | none | 123456 | ||
| 150px | 1919 | White lettering on black base | none | 123456 | ||
|
1920 | Green lettering on white base | none | 123456 | ||
|
1921 | Black lettering on orange base | none | 123456 | ||
|
1922 | White lettering on dark blue base | none | 123456 | ||
|
1923 | White lettering on brown base | none | 123-456 | ||
|
1924 | Orange lettering on black base | none | 123-456 | ||
| 150px | 1925 | Maroon lettering on tan base | none | 123-456 | ||
|
1926 | White lettering on green base | none | 123-456 | ||
| 150px | 1927 | White lettering on black base | none | 123-456 | ||
|
1928 | White lettering on maroon base | none | 123-456 | ||
|
1929 | Black lettering on orange base | none | 123-456 | ||
|
1930 | Orange lettering on dark blue base | none | 123 456 | ||
| 150px | 1931 | Black lettering and rims on orange base | none | 123 456 | ||
|
1932 | White lettering on dark green base | none | 123 456 | ||
| 150px | 1933 | White lettering on maroon base | none | 123 456 | ||
|
1934 | White lettering on black base | none | 123 456 | ||
| 150px | 1935 | Black lettering on light green base | none | 123 456 | ||
| 150px | 1936 | White lettering and rims on red base | none | 123 456 | ||
|
1937 | Gold lettering on black base | none | 123 456 | ||
| 150px | 1938 | Maroon lettering on cream base | none | 123 456 | ||
|
1939 | Dark blue lettering on golden yellow base | none | 123 456 | ||
| 150px | 1940 | Silver lettering on black base | none | 123 456 | ||
|
1941 | White lettering on blue base | none | 123 456 | ||
| 150px | 1942 | Dark blue lettering on golden yellow base | none | 123 456 | Revalidated for 1943 with black tabs, due to metal conservation for World War II. | |
|
1944 | White lettering on black base | none | 123456 | ||
| 150px | 1945 | White lettering on brown base | none | 123 456 | ||
| 150px | 1946 | Yellow embossed lettering on black base | none | 123 456 | ||
| 150px | 1947 | Dark blue lettering on golden yellow base | none | 123 456 | ||
| 150px | 1948 | White embossed lettering on navy blue base | none | 123 456 A-12345 |
||
| 150px | 1949 | White embossed lettering on red base | none | 123 456 A-12345 |
||
| 150px | 1950 | Yellow lettering on black base | none | AB 1234 | County-coded | |
| 150px | 1951 | Black lettering on white base | none | AB 1234 | County-coded | Revalidated for 1952 with yellow tabs, and for 1953 with green tabs, due to metal conservation for the Korean War. |
| 150px | 1954 | White lettering embossed on maroon base | none | AB 1234 | County-coded | Revalidated for 1955 with red tabs. |
| 150px | 1959 | Navy lettering embossed on golden yellow base | LINCOLN YEAR | AB 1234 | County-coded | Commemorated the 150th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, who lived in Indiana from 1816 to 1830. |
| 150px | 1960 | White lettering embossed on navy base | SAFETY PAYS | AB 1234 | County-coded | |
| 150px | 1961 | White lettering on dark red base | SAFETY PAYS | AB 1234 | County-coded | |
| 150px | 1962 | Yellow embossed lettering on black base | SAFETY PAYS | AB 1234 | County-coded | |
| 150px | 1963 | Yellow lettering on blue base | none | 0A1234 00A1234 |
County-coded | |
| 150px | 1964 | Reflective white lettering on dark red base | none | 0A1234 00A1234 |
County-coded | |
| 150px | 1965 | Reflective white lettering on dark green base | none | 0A1234 00A1234 |
County-coded | |
| 150px | 1966 | Black lettering on reflective white base | 150th Year | 0A1234 00A1234 |
County-coded | Commemorated Indiana's 150 years of statehood. |
| 150px | 1967 | Red lettering on reflective white base | none | 0A1234 00A1234 |
County-coded | |
| 150px | 1968 | Blue lettering on reflective white base | none | 0A1234 00A1234 |
County-coded | |
| 150px | 1969 | Black lettering on reflective white base | none | 0A1234 00A1234 |
County-coded | |
| 150px | 1970 | Red serial on reflective white background | none | 0A1234 00A1234 |
County-coded | Staggered registration introduced, with the month of expiration determined by the initial letter of the registrant's surname. Plates expired from January 31 through June 30, 1971. |
|
1971 | Blue serial on reflective white background | none | 0A1234 00A1234 |
County-coded | Plates expired from January 31 through June 30, 1972. |
|
1972 | Green serial on reflective white background | none | 0A1234 00A1234 |
County-coded | Plates expired from January 31 through June 30, 1973. |
|
1973 | Red serial on reflective white background | none | 0A1234 00A1234 |
County-coded | Plates expired from January 31 through June 30, 1974. |
 |
1974 | Black serial on reflective white background | none | 0A1234 00A1234 |
County-coded | Plates expired from January 31 through June 30, 1975. |
|
1975 | Blue serial on reflective white background | none | 0A1234 00A1234 |
County-coded | Plates expired from January 31 through June 30, 1976. |
|
1976 | Blue serial on reflective white, red and blue graphic background | Heritage State | 0A1234 00A1234 |
County-coded | First graphic plate; commemorated the US Bicentennial. The letter in the serial was moved to the bottom of the plate to accommodate the Minuteman graphic. Plates expired from January 31 through June 30, 1977. |
| 150px | 1977 | Green serial on reflective white, green and yellow background | none | 0A1234 00A1234 |
County-coded | Plates expired from January 31 through June 30, 1978. |
 |
1978 | Black serial on reflective white, red and light blue background | none | 0A1234 00A1234 |
County-coded | 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 expired from January 31 through June 30, 1979. |
 |
1979 | Brown serial on reflective white, yellow and brown background | 1779 George Rogers Clark | 0A1234 00A1234 |
County-coded | 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 expired from January 31 through June 30, 1980. |
|
1980 | Black serial on reflective white, yellow, orange and red background | none | 0A1234 00A1234 |
County-coded | Final single-year passenger plate in the United States. Plates expired from January 31 through June 30, 1981. |
 |
1981 | Brown serial on reflective white, light and dark brown and black graphic background | Hoosier State | 0A1234 00A1234 |
County-coded | 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. |
| 150px | 1984 | Black serial on reflective white, yellow, green and red background | Wander Indiana | 0A1234 00A1234 |
County-coded | 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 | 0A1234 00A1234 |
County-coded | Small white-on-blue county name sticker in bottom right corner. Plates were valid through October 31, 1990. |
| 150px | 1990 | Red serial on reflective white background | Hoosier Hospitality | 0A1234 0AB123 00A1234 |
County-coded | Small white-on-blue county name sticker in bottom right corner as on the Back Home Again base. Allen County began issuing two-letter, three-digit serials in 1992 after reaching 2Z9999. Plates were valid through October 31, 1993. |
|
1993 | Black serial on reflective red, yellow and black background | Amber Waves of Grain | 0A1234 0AB123 00A1234 00AB123 |
County-coded | Replacement cycle extended from 3 to 5 years. Early plates had a small yellow-on-black county name sticker in the bottom right corner; this was soon discontinued. 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 | 0A1234 0AB123 00A1234 00AB123 |
County-coded | Final embossed plate. Plates were valid through October 31, 2003. |
| 150px | 2003 | Dark blue on reflective farm scene graphic | www.IN.gov | 0A1234 0AB123 00A1234 00AB123 |
County-coded | First screened plate. The original design had the slogan "Back Home Again" (as on the 1987–90 base); this was replaced with the state's web address before production began. Early plates used a bolder serial font that included full-height letters; this was changed in response to legibility concerns. Plates were valid through October 31, 2008. |
| 150px | 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 00A0, 00A00 or 00A000 Handicapped Plates |
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. |
| 150px | 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. | Registrants keep their old license plate numbers upon renewal if they have a license plate in either the 123A, 123AB or 123ABC formats. If vehicle was issued a previous plate with serial 661XYZ for example, the vehicle's 2013 issued plate will have serial 661XYZ. |
Optional types
| Image | First issued | Description | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2007 | Screened white on blue with national flag at bottom; "08" screened in top right corner and county code on sticker in bottom right corner | In God We Trust | A B 1234 |
||
| 150px | 2012 | Screened black on national flag motif; "13" screened in top right corner, county code in bottom right corner, expiration date in top left corner and recycling symbol in bottom left corner | In God We Trust | ABC123 | RAA101 to ZZZ999 | "In God We Trust" now appears at the bottom instead of on the left. The changes were made to address visibility issues with the previous version and in preparation for the introduction of the Bicentennial passenger base in 2013. |
| 150px | March 4, 2008[2] | Screened black on white with graphic of young Abraham Lincoln at left; "09" screened in top right corner and county code on sticker in bottom right corner | Lincoln's Boyhood Home | BF1234 BF123A B H 1234 |
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. |
New plate prefixing
Starting in 2010 special plates such as the handicapped, POW, National Guard, Disabled American Veteran that use the background of the standard plates will no longer use just numbers. Instead they will now use a predetermined prefix three mumbers and one or two suffix letters depending on if they have one or two prefix numbers. In all the max total characters will amount to six and, except the Disabled American Veteran and Purple Heart plate will use the background of the standard plate. Starting in 2015, the colors of these plates, with the exception of the Hoosier Veteran and Purple Heart plates, will invert, producing plates with dark blue serials on a white background.
|
|
Starting in 2012 veterans of each of the five branches of the armed forces will be able, for an extra $15, to obtain a plate with the seal of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard beginning in 2012. The $15 fee will benefit the state's Military Family Relief Fund.[3]
|
|
Trucks and Trailers
Indiana maintains separate plates for trucks, trailers, tractors/trailers, and farm vehicles. Except for farm vehicles, the plates follow an eight character AB123CDE format. All following plates use a plain white background
|
|
County coding
From 1963 through 2008, the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles issued standard automobile license plates bearing a one- or two-digit number identifying the county in which the vehicle is registered. These prefixes proceeded alphabetically, with prefixes greater than 92 reserved as overflow for the state's historically most-populous counties, Lake (94 and 96) and Marion (93, 95, 97, 98 and 99).
Individual license plate numbers are assigned sequentially in each licensing office. The numbers are usually in the format #A1234 or ##A1234, depending on whether the prefix is one or two digits. Special overflow consideration was given for Allen and St. Joseph counties and, more recently, Hamilton, Elkhart, and Vanderburgh counties, which issued plates of the formats 2AB123, 71AB123, 29AB123, 20AB123, and 82AB123, respectively.[4]
From 1981 through 2008, following the introduction of multi-year plates, plates numbered 1 through 99 were reissued annually; numbers 100 and higher were revalidated with decals.
In 2008, new white-on-dark-blue license plates with white county name decals (located in the top center of each plate) replaced the old county number system, used since 1963, with a new system of license plates bearing a format of 123A, 123AB, or 123ABC with the stars and torch that adorn the state flag on the left quarter of the plate. For the first time since 1987, "INDIANA" is printed on the bottom of the plate.[5]
In January 2007, Indiana started to issue new plates bearing the words "IN GOD WE TRUST" on the left third as a no-cost alternative to the regular plate. Like Indiana's other specialty plates, this plate has two vertical letters and one to four numbers. The county number is, when applied, on a sticker at the bottom right corner, and, like the other specialty plates, it too is available on trucks up to 11,000 lbs. gross weight.
While very popular, this plate was controversial as the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana claimed that it is a symbol of endorsement of a religion. After a lawsuit from the ACLU because the God plates were of no cost, unlike other specialty plates, the Indiana Court of Appeals upheld the plates' constitutionality.[6]
County numbers
Indiana uses a numerical county-coding scheme to indicate the county of registration. The county code is displayed on a black on white sticker placed on the lower right corner of speciality plates like the In God we Trust plate shown above while long sticker with both the county number and name adorns the standard plates.
- From the 1960s to 2008, the Indiana plate consisted of the county number, 1-2 letters and 1-4 numbers.
List of county numbers
|
Additional prefixes
Under the previous license plate system, these seven numbers were distributed among the two largest counties in Indiana.
|
Marion County |
Lake County |
Renewal date tags
In the past, Indiana colored its due date tags by month. Another change to the plate system is that there are only four colors of tags which are the same regardless of the month, whether it be January, June, or December, another change because Indiana used to only issue month tags from January to October. These are all found on the top left corner of an Indiana plate based on the first three letters of the last name of the owner. Note: Business owned vehicles have black tags that expire 1-31 regardless of name.[7]
|
|
|
|
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Northup, John B. License Plates of America. River Pointe Publications, 2009, p. 36.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ https://myweb.in.gov/BMV/mybmvportal/RegistrationsAndPlates/IndianasLicensePlates/LicensePlateStickersAndFrames.aspx
External links
- Indiana license plates 1969-present
- Jacob's License Plate Website, the online home of the Jacob A. Newkirk Historic License Plate Collection (will close October 26, 2009 due to the shutdown of all Yahoo! GeoCities free web sites)
- Jacob's License Plate Blog, the new online home of the Jacob A. Newkirk Historic License Plate Collection
