Vehicle registration plates of Texas

Current "Texas Classic" passenger license plate

The U.S. state of Texas first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1917.

Passenger baseplates 1917 to present

In 1956, the U.S. states and Canadian provinces came to an agreement with the Automobile Manufacturers Association that fixed 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 Texas license plate that complied with these standards.

Image	Dates issued	Design	Slogan	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	1917-22	White on dark blue	none	123456	unknown
	1923-24	White on black	none	123-456	1 to approximately 939-000
	1925	White on maroon	none	123-456	1 to approximately 935-000
	1926	Black on gray	none	123-456	1 to approximately 997-000
	1927	White on green	none	123-456	1 to 999-999
				A12-345	A00-000 to approximately A69-000
	1928	White embossed lettering and rims on dark brown base	none	123-456 1-234-567	1 to approximately 1-114-000	2 1928-30 plates were used 1 on the front and 1 on the back of the cars.
	1929	Orange on black	none	123-456 1-234-567	1 to approximately 1-195-000
	1930	Dark blue embossed lettering and rims on gold base	none	123-456 1-234-567	1 to approximately 1-358-000
	1931	White on black	none	123-456 A1-2345
	1932	White embossed lettering and rims on green base	none	123-456 A12-345
	1933	Orange embossed lettering and rims on white base	none	123-456 A12-345
	1934	Black embossed lettering and rims on orange base	none	123-456 A12-345
	1935	White embossed lettering and rims on maroon base	none	123-456 A12-345
	1936	Dark blue embossed lettering and rims on lemon yellow base	Centennial	123-456 A12-345		Commemorated the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Republic of Texas.
	1937	Ivory on black	none	123-456 A12-345
	1938	Black embossed lettering on white base	none	123-456 A12-345
	1939	Dark purple embossed lettering on gold base	none	123-456 A12-345
	1940	Dark purple embossed lettering on white base	none	123-456 A12-345	1 to approx 1,405,201 1 - 999*999 A00*000 - Y99*999
	1941	Gold embossed lettering on black base	none	123-456 A12-345
	1942–44	Black embossed lettering on gold base	none	123-456 A12-345		Revalidated for 1943 with black tabs, and for 1944 with green tabs, due to metal conservation for World War II.
	1945	Black on gold	none	A/B1234	A/A10 to approximately H/L4000
	1946	Cream on black	none	A/B1234	A/A10 to approximately J/B7000
	1947	White on black	none	A/B1234	A/A10 to approximately J/U7000
	1948	Gold on black	none	A/B1234	A/A10 to approximately K/U7000
	1949	Black on gold	none	A/B1234	A/A10 to approximately L/Y8000
	1950	Gold on black	none	A/B1234	A/A10 to L/Z9999; U/A10 to approximately U/E3000
	1951	Black on gold	none	A/B1234	A/A10 to L/Z9999; U/A10 to approximately U/R8000
	1952	Gold embossed lettering on black base	none	A/B1234	A/A10 to approximately P/J2000
	1953	Black on gold	none	A/B1234	A/A10 to approximately P/J4000
	1954	Gold on black	none	A/B1234	A/A10 to approximately P/X9000
	1955	Black on gold	none	A/B1234	A/A10 to approximately S/D3000
	1956	Gold on black	none	AB1234	AA10 to approximately SV6000
	1957	Black on white, star separator	none	AB-1234	AA-10 to approximately UR-3000
	1958	White on black, star separator	none	AB-1234	AA-10 to approximately TT-6000
	1959	Black on white, star separator	none	AB-1234	AA-10 to approximately UK-3000
	1960	White on black, star separator	none	AB-1234	AA-10 to approximately UN-7000
	1961	Black on white, star separator	none	AB-1234	AA-10 to approximately UY-9000
	1962	White on black, star separator	none	AB-1234	AA-10 to approximately VZ-4000
	1963	Black on white, star separator	none	AB-1234	AA-10 to approximately WS-7000
	1964	White on black, star separator	none	AB-1234	AA-10 to approximately YT-1000
	1965	Black on white	none	ABC 123	BBB 10 to approximately PHG 999	Vowels and Q not used in serials; this practice continued until 1975.[1]
	1966	White on black, star separator	none	ABC-123	BBB-10 to approximately PYK-999
	1967	Black on white, star separator	none	ABC-123	BBB-10 to approximately RKN-999
	1968	White on black, star separator	HemisFair	ABC-123	BBB-10 to approximately RSM-999
	1969	Black on reflective white, star separator	none	ABC-123	BBB-10 to approximately RWV-999
	1970	Blue on reflective white, star separator	none	ABC-123	BBB-10 to approximately SDN-999
	1971	Black on reflective white, star separator	none	ABC-123	BBB-10 to approximately SWD-999
	1972	Green on reflective white, star separator	none	ABC-123	BBB-10 to approximately TKK-999
	1973	Black on reflective white, star separator	none	ABC-123	BBB-10 to approximately VDD-999
	1974	Red on reflective white, star separator	none	ABC-123	BBB-10 to approximately VMG-999
	1975	Black on reflective white, star separator	none	ABC-123	AAA-10 to approximately MMV-500	Letters I and O not used in serials; this practice continued until 1990. Staggered registration introduced 1978.
	1976–81	As above, but with state-shaped separator			MMV-501 to ZZZ-999
	1982–84			123-ABC	001-AAA to 999-HEW
	1985–86	Dark blue on reflective white, screened red state-shaped separator	Sesquicentennial	123-ABC	001-HEX to 974-PAY	Commemorated the 150th anniversary of the creation of the Republic of Texas.
	1986–89	As above, but with bolder state name	none		975-PAY to 999-ZZZ
	1990			ABC-12D	BBB-01B to BKW-99Z	Vowels and Q not used in serials (as from 1965–74); this practice continues today.
	1990–91	Dark blue and red on reflective white, state flag screened to left of state name	none	ABC-12D	BKX-01B to GTX-99Z
	1992–94		The Lone Star State		GTY-01B to VJL-99J
	1995–96	State outline within abstract graphic.	150 Years of Statehood	ABC-12D	VJL-01K to WSJ-99F	Awarded "Plate of the Year" for best new standard-issue license plate of 1995 by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association, the first and, to date, only time Texas has been so honored. Co-recipient with Pennsylvania.
	1996–97	As 1990–95 base	The Lone Star State	ABC-12D	WSJ-01G to ZZZ-99Z	Some late Z-series plates made on next series' graphic sheeting, with state flag to right of state name.
	1998	As above, but with state flag to right of state name		A12-BCD	B01-BBB to J99-GPZ	Some early B-series plates made on previous series' graphic sheeting, with state flag to left of state name.
	1999–2003	Dark blue numbers on reflective plate with graphic scene featuring a cowboy, oil fields, a Space Shuttle, stars and the moon; screened red state-shaped separator	The Lone Star State	A12-BCD	J01-GRB to Z99-ZZZ
	2004–05			123-ABC	001-BBB to 999-HWL
	2005–06	As above, but with a slightly smaller cowboy, the state flag added within the state-shaped separator, the national flag added to the Space Shuttle, and seven larger stars above the shuttle			001-HWM to 999-ZZZ	The seven larger stars honored the astronauts killed in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster of 2003, which occurred over Texas.
	2007 – June 2009			ABC-123	BBB-001 to approximately VLX-999
	July 2009 – June 2012	First standard-issue non-embossed license plate issued in Texas; 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	The Lone Star State	AB1-C234 or AB1-2345	BB0-B001 to DZ9-Z999 (Passenger Vehicles) XA0-A001 (Semi-Trailer Tractors)
	July 2012 – present	New "Texas Classic" black lettering on white sheeting design with double security thread in the sheeting	The Lone Star State	ABC-1234	BBB-0001 to HXS-9999 (as of October 14, 2016)	Serials issued on both passenger vehicles and trucks.

Non-passenger types

Image	Type	First issued	Design	Slogan	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	Disabled	1986	Embossed dark blue on reflective white; "TEXAS" in red centered at top	none	1AB CD	1BB BB to approximately 1WS ZZ
		2005	Screened dark blue on reflective white; state flag within state shape at top right; "TEXAS" in blue centered at top	The Lone Star State		1WW BB to approximately 1YP ZZ
		2007			1ABCD	1YTBB to 1ZZZZ; 1BBBB to approximately 1FNZZ
		2012	As "Texas Classic" passenger base	The Lone Star State		1GWBB to present
	Truck	2000	As Space Shuttle passenger base; "TRUCK" between state name and numbers	The Lone Star State	1AB-C23	4LM-B01 to 9ZZ-Z99
		2004			12A-BC3	01B-BB1 to 99L-XZ3
		2005	As revised Space Shuttle passenger base; "TRUCK" between state name and numbers			01L-YB3 to 99Z-ZZ9
		2009			123-4AB	000-1AA to approximately 500-0BF
		2009	As sky passenger base; "TRUCK" between state name and numbers	The Lone Star State	AB1-2345	AA0-0001 to approximately CB1-0000

Optional types

Image	Type	First issued	Design	Slogan	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	4-H
	A Fine Cause
	Adopt-A-Beach
	Air Force Association
	Animal Friendly

References

Further reading

• The History of Texas License Plates – 80th Anniversary Edition (PDF). Austin, Texas: Texas Department of Transportation. 1999. Retrieved 2010-01-13.  An extensive history and catalog of Texas license plates.

External links

• Texas license plates 1969-present

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