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Vehicle registration plates of Ohio facts for kids

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Ohio
Current series
Name Sunrise in Ohio
Slogan Birthplace of Aviation
Size 12 in × 6 in
30 cm × 15 cm
Material Aluminum
Serial format ABC 1234
Introduced December 29, 2021 (2021-12-29)
Availability
Issued by Ohio Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
Manufactured by Ohio Penal Industries
History
First issued July 11, 1908 (1908-07-11)

In Ohio, all drivers must register their vehicles and display special license plates. This rule started in 1908. Before that, some cities in Ohio, like Cleveland, had their own license plates as early as 1902.

Today, the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) issues these plates. The BMV is part of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. Since July 1, 2020, most vehicles only need a license plate on the back. However, drivers can sometimes ask for a second, special plate for an extra cost.

Did you know that people in Ohio prisons make all the license plates? They work for Ohio Penal Industries at the Lebanon Correctional Institution. Since 2015, the plates have been made from aluminum. Before that, they were made from galvanized steel. The BMV usually creates a new license plate design every five years or when a new governor takes office.

Ohio's current license plate design is called "Sunrise in Ohio." Governor Mike DeWine showed it off on October 21, 2021. Drivers could start getting these new plates on December 29, 2021. This new design replaced the "Ohio Pride" plate, which had been used since April 2013.

How Ohio License Plates Started

On May 19, 1902, Cleveland was one of the first cities in the United States to require drivers to show special numbers on their vehicles. Over the next few years, many other cities and towns in Ohio also started issuing their own metal license plates. These plates had different designs and numbers.

In 1906, the state of Ohio tried to take over vehicle registration with a law called the Ward Automobile Law. But there were some legal challenges, and it took time for the law to be approved. Finally, the Ohio Supreme Court said the law was valid.

The state's Automobile Division was created in 1907. This group later became the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) that we know today. The Ward Law officially began on June 11, 1908. However, the Automobile Division couldn't issue plates right away because of a problem with how they were made.

The very first state vehicle registration was given to Thomas B. Paxton, Jr., from Cincinnati, for his Franklin car. By 1909, the state's plates replaced all the local city plates for cars. But motorcycles continued to use local plates until 1914.

Changes to Ohio License Plates Over Time

The Ward Law said that cars needed plates on both the front and back. For over 100 years, passenger cars in Ohio had both front and rear plates. The only time this changed was from 1944 to 1946. During World War II, only rear plates were issued to save metal for the war effort.

From 1910 to 1973, Ohio issued new license plates every year. But in 1943 and 1952, drivers used stickers on their windshields to show that their plates from the previous year were still valid. This was also done to save metal during World War II and the Korean War.

Early Ohio license plates, from 1908 to 1921, used special symbols or letters instead of writing out "OHIO" completely. The 1938 plate was special because it celebrated 150 years since the Northwest Territory was created. Ohio was formed from this territory. This was the first plate in Ohio to have a picture and a slogan! In 1953, the BMV celebrated Ohio's 150th birthday as a state. They issued a special front plate with the shape of Ohio and the words "sesqui-centennial."

Golf cart with license plate
A golf cart in Put-in-Bay displaying an Ohio Bicentennial passenger plate.

From 1935 to 1979, license plate numbers were given out in groups for each of Ohio's 88 counties. At first, numbers had one or two letters and up to five characters. As more people got cars, six-character numbers were introduced in 1949. Then, in 1962, plates started having only numbers. This system of giving numbers by county stopped in 1980.

In 1956, the United States, Canada, and Mexico agreed to make license plates a standard size. Most car plates became 6 inches tall and 12 inches wide. The 1956 (dated 1957) Ohio plate was the first to fully follow these new rules.

Since 1983, plates have included a sticker showing the county where the car was registered. At first, this was a long sticker with the county name at the bottom. In 1992, Ohio started using a number system for counties. A red sticker with a two-digit number showed the county. This system was first used on special plates. Then, it was used on regular plates from 2001 to 2018. After 2018, regular plates went back to using county name stickers.

On April 3, 2019, Governor Mike DeWine signed a new law. This law said that cars no longer needed a front license plate. This change started on July 1, 2020.

Ohio Passenger License Plates

Ohio has had many different license plate designs over the years. Here are some of the main ones:

Plates from 1908 to 1973

Image Years Used Design Slogan Number Style Notes
1908 OH passenger plate.jpg 1908–09 White numbers on a dark blue plate; "OH" symbol on the right none 12345
1910 OH passenger plate.jpg 1910 White numbers on a wood-colored plate; "OHIO" and "1910" on the sides none 12345
1911 OH passenger plate.jpg 1911 Black numbers on a white plate; "OHIO" and "1911" on the sides none 12345
12345
1912 Green numbers on a white metal plate; "OHIO" and "1912" on the sides none 12345
12345
1913 Maroon numbers on a white metal plate; "OHIO" and "1913" on the sides none 12345
1914 OH passenger plate.jpg 1914 Red numbers on a white metal plate; "OHIO" symbol and "1914" on the left none 123456
1915 OH passenger plate.jpg 1915 Black numbers on a white metal plate; "OHIO" symbol and "1915" on the left none 123456
123456
1916 White numbers on a black metal plate; "OHIO 1916" on the left none 123456
1917 Porcelain Ohio License Plate.jpg 1917 Black numbers on a yellow metal plate; "OHIO" and "1917" on the sides none 123456
123456
1918 Raised white numbers on a dark green plate; "OHIO" symbol and "1918" on the right none 123456 This was the first plate with raised (embossed) numbers.
1919 OH passenger plate.jpg 1919 Raised white numbers on a maroon plate; "OHIO" symbol and "1919" on the left none 123456
123456
1920 Raised white numbers on a dark blue plate; "OHIO" symbol on the left and "19" over "20" on the right none 123456
1921 Ohio license plate.jpg 1921 Raised white numbers on a forest green plate; "OHIO" symbol on the left and "19" over "21" on the right none 123456
1922 Ohio license plate.jpg 1922 Raised dark blue numbers on a white plate; "OHIO-1922" at the bottom none 123.456
1923 Ohio license plate.jpg 1923 Raised red numbers on a gray plate; "OHIO-1923" at the bottom none 123.456
1924 Ohio license plate.jpg 1924 Raised white numbers on a dark blue plate; "OHIO-1924" at the bottom none 123-456
★12-345
1925 Ohio license plate.JPG 1925 Raised black numbers on a cream plate; "OHIO-1925" at the bottom none 123-456
★12-345
1926 OH passenger plate.jpg 1926 Raised white numbers on a brown plate; "OHIO-1926" at the bottom none 123-456
★12-345
A12-345
1927 Ohio license plate.JPG 1927 Raised black numbers on a gray plate; "OHIO-1927" at the bottom none 123-456
★12-345
A12-345
1928 Ohio License Plate.jpg 1928 Raised white numbers on a dark blue plate; "OHIO-1928" at the bottom none 123-456
★12-345
A12-345
1929 Ohio license plate.JPG 1929 Raised black numbers on a light green plate; "OHIO-1929" at the bottom none 123-456
A12-345
1930 Ohio license plate.jpg 1930 Raised white numbers on a maroon plate; "OHIO-1930" at the bottom none 123-456
A12-345
No image
1931 Raised black numbers on a gray plate; "OHIO-1931" at the bottom none 123-456
A12-345
No image
1932 Raised white numbers on a dark blue plate; "OHIO-1932" at the bottom none 123-456
A12-345
1933 Ohio license plate.jpg 1933 Raised black numbers on an orange plate; "OHIO-1933" at the top none 123-456
A12-345
1934 Ohio license plate.JPG 1934 Raised white numbers on a maroon plate; "OHIO-1934" at the bottom none 123-456
A12-345
1935 Ohio License Plate.jpg 1935 Raised yellow numbers on a dark blue plate with a border; "OHIO - 1935" at the bottom none A·1234
AB·123
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
1936 Ohio license plate.JPG 1936 Raised blue numbers on a white plate with a border; "OHIO - 1936" at the bottom none A·1234
AB·123
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
1937 Ohio license plate.JPG 1937 Raised maroon numbers on a white plate with a border; "OHIO - 1937" at the bottom none A·1234
AB·123
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
1938 Ohio license plate.JPG 1938 Raised black numbers on a white plate with a border; covered wagon picture at the bottom; "OHIO·38" on the right "150 ANNIV·
N·W·TERR·" on the left
A·1234
AB·123
Celebrated 150 years since the Northwest Territory was created.
1939 Ohio license plate.JPG 1939 Raised blue numbers on a white plate with a border; "OHIO - 1939" at the bottom none A·1234
AB·123
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
1940 Ohio license plate.JPG 1940 Raised white numbers on a dark blue plate with a border; "OHIO - 1940" at the bottom none A·1234
AB·123
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
1941 Ohio License Plate.jpg 1941 Raised white numbers on a maroon plate with a border; "OHIO - 1941" at the bottom none A·1234
AB·123
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
Ohio 1942 license plate.JPG 1942–43 Raised dark green numbers on a white plate with a border; "OHIO - 1942" at the bottom none A·1234
AB·123
Used for 1943 with windshield stickers to save metal during World War II.
1944 Ohio license plate.jpg 1944 Raised white numbers on a dark blue plate with a border; "OHIO - 1944" at the bottom none A·1234
AB·123
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
1945 Ohio license plate.JPG 1945 Raised black numbers on a white plate with a border; "OHIO - 1945" at the bottom none A·1234
AB·123
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
1946 Ohio license plate.JPG 1946 Raised red numbers on a white plate with a border; "OHIO - 1946" at the bottom none A·1234
AB·123
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
1947 Ohio license plate.JPG 1947 Raised white numbers on a dark green plate with a border; "1947 - OHIO" at the bottom none A·1234
AB·123
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
1948 Ohio license plate.jpg 1948 Raised black numbers on a light yellow plate with a border; "OHIO - 1948" at the bottom none A·1234
AB·123
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
1949 Ohio license plate.jpg 1949 Raised light yellow numbers on a black plate with a border; "1949 - OHIO" at the bottom none A·12345
AB·1234
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
1950 Ohio passenger license plate.jpg 1950 Raised black numbers on a yellow plate with a border; "OHIO - 1950" at the bottom none A·12345
AB·1234
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
1951 Ohio license plate.jpeg 1951–52 Raised white numbers on a dark blue plate with a border; "1951 - OHIO" at the bottom none A·12345
AB·1234
Used for 1952 with windshield stickers to save metal during the Korean War.
1953 Ohio license plate.JPG 1953 Raised yellow numbers on a dark green plate with a border; "1803 - OHIO - 1953" at the bottom none A·12345
AB·1234
Celebrated Ohio's 150 years as a state.
1954 Ohio license plate.JPG 1954 Raised white numbers on a maroon plate with a border; "OHIO - 1954" at the bottom none A·12345
AB·1234
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
1955 Ohio license plate.jpg 1955 Raised white numbers on a dark blue plate with a border; "1955 - OHIO" at the bottom none A·12345
AB·1234
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
1956 Ohio license plate.jpg 1956 Raised white numbers on a dark green plate with a border; "OHIO - 1956" at the bottom none A·12345
AB·1234
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
1957 Ohio license plate.JPG 1957 Raised white numbers on a maroon plate with a border; "1957 - OHIO" at the bottom none A·12345
AB·1234
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
1958 Ohio license plate.JPG 1958 Raised white numbers on a dark blue plate with a border; "OHIO - 1958" at the bottom none A·12345
AB·1234
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
1959 OH passenger plate.jpg 1959 Raised red numbers on a white plate with a border; "1959 - OHIO" at the bottom none A·12345
AB·1234
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
Ohio 1960 4045-CA.jpg 1960 Raised blue numbers on a yellow plate with a border; "OHIO - 1960" at the bottom none A·12345
AB·1234
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
1961 Ohio license plate.JPG 1961 Raised white numbers on a green plate with a border; "1961 - OHIO" at the bottom none A·12345
AB·1234
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
1962 Ohio license plate.JPG 1962 Raised white numbers on a maroon plate with a border; "OHIO - 1962" at the bottom none 12345
A·12345
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
Ohio license plate sample 000 A 1963.jpg 1963 Raised white numbers on a dark blue plate with a border; "1963 - OHIO" at the bottom none 12345
A·12345
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
1964 Ohio license plate.JPG 1964 Raised white numbers on a dark green plate with a border; "OHIO - 1964" at the bottom none 12345
A·12345
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
Ohio 1965 568SL.jpg 1965 Raised red numbers on a white plate with a border; "1965 - OHIO" at the bottom none 12345
A·12345
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
Ohio 1966 license plate - Number EJ3554.jpg 1966 Raised white numbers on a red plate with a border; "OHIO 1966" at the bottom none 12345
A 12345
Numbers were given out in groups by county.
Ohio 1967 license plate - Number 17282 F.jpg 1967 Raised white numbers on a blue plate with a border; "67 OHIO" at the bottom none 12345
A 12345
Over 1.4 million plates were destroyed in a fire at the prison plate shop in November 1966. Other states helped make replacement plates.
Ohio 1968 license plate.jpg 1968 Raised red numbers on a white plate with a border; "OHIO 68" at the bottom none 12345
A 12345
Most plates were made in New York while Ohio's plate shop was being fixed.
Ohio 1969 license plate - Number 74623.jpg 1969 Raised blue numbers on a white plate with a border; "69 OHIO" at the bottom none 12345
A 12345
Some plates were still made in New York. Ohio's plate shop was fully repaired by 1970.
Ohio 1970 license plate - Number Q 567.jpg 1970 Raised scarlet numbers on a gray plate with a border; "OHIO 70" at the bottom none 12345
A 12345
These plates used the colors of Ohio State University to celebrate its 100th birthday.
Ohio 1971 license plate - Number M 309 A.jpg 1971 Raised black numbers on a yellow plate with a border; "71 OHIO" at the bottom none 12345
A 12345
Ohio 1972 license plate - Number Q 567.jpg 1972 Raised yellow numbers on a dark blue plate with a border; "OHIO 72" at the bottom none 12345
A 12345
Ohio license plate sample 1973.jpg 1973 Raised white numbers on a green plate with a border; "73 OHIO" at the bottom "SEAT BELTS FASTENED?" at the top 12345
A 12345

Plates from 1974 to Today

All Ohio passenger plates issued since October 2001 are still valid today if they have been registered continuously. Some older "Ohio Gold" plates, made from 1996 to 2001, needed to be replaced by 2022. This was because the reflective material on them had worn out.

Image Years Used Design Slogan Number Style Notes
Ohio license plate, 1974.png
Ohio license plate, 1974–1975 series with 1975 sticker.png
1974–75 Raised green numbers on a reflective white plate with a border; "OHIO 74" at the bottom "SEAT BELTS FASTENED?" at the top 123456
A 12345
Used for 1975 with stickers.
Ohio license plate, 1976–1979 series with February 1980 sticker.png 1976–79 Raised red numbers on a reflective white plate with a border; "OHIO" at the bottom none 123456
A 12345
Ohio license plate, 1980-1984 series with October 1985 sticker.png 1980–84 Raised blue numbers with an Ohio-shaped separator on a reflective white plate; "OHIO" at the top none ABC•123 Letters I and O were only used as the second letter. County stickers were added in 1983.
Ohioan license plate, 1985–1990 series with June 1989 sticker (Morrow County).png 1985 – December 1990 Raised green numbers with an Ohio-shaped separator on a reflective white plate; "OHIO" at the top none 123•ABC
1991 Ohio License Plate.jpg January 1991 – November 1995 Raised blue numbers with an Ohio-shaped separator on a reflective white plate; "OHIO" in blue at the top "the heart of it all!" in red between the state name and numbers ABC•123
Ohio XGG 323 narrow dies.jpg November 1995 –
July
1996
Numbers were made with narrower tools. Both types of plates were valid until 2002.
Ohio license plate, 1996–1997 series (Cuyahoga County).png August 1996 –
mid-1997
"Ohio Gold": Raised dark blue numbers on a reflective white and gold plate; "OHIO" in dark blue at the top "the heart of it all!" in red between the state name and numbers ABC 1234 These plates were only given to new car registrations. Gold plates were valid until 2022.
Ohio license plate, August 1999 (Franklin County).png Mid-1997 – September 2001 "BIRTHPLACE OF AVIATION" in red between the state name and numbers
Ohio license plate sample 2001.jpg October 2001 – February 2004 "Bicentennial": Raised dark blue numbers on a reflective white plate with the Ohio Bicentennial Commission logo and red and blue bars Ohio Bicentennial;
Birthplace of Aviation
AB12CD Letters I and O were not used in this number style.
February 2004 – November 30, 2010 "Sunburst": Raised dark blue numbers on a reflective white plate with the state seal and red and blue bars Birthplace of Aviation ABC 1234 This plate was issued at the same time as the "Beautiful Ohio" plate starting in 2009.
November 23, 2009 – April 14, 2013 "Beautiful Ohio": Raised dark blue numbers on a picture of rolling hills with a farm, city skyline, and a biplane Beautiful Ohio;
Birthplace of Aviation
ABC 1234 This plate was first an option, then became the standard plate in December 2010. It was designed by Frances Strickland.
Ohio 2021 license plate Montgomery County.jpg April 15, 2013 – December 28, 2021 "Ohio Pride": Raised dark blue numbers on a background of words and a red triangle like an airplane wing Birthplace of Aviation;
DiscoverOhio.com;
Many other slogans
ABC 1234 Any remaining "Beautiful Ohio" plates were melted down and reused for this design. This plate was designed by Aaron Roberts. It was easy to read but some people said it was hard to see the words in the background.
December 29, 2021 – present "Sunrise in Ohio": Dark blue numbers printed flat on a picture of a sunrise with a city, hills, river, wheat field, and a child swinging from a tree. It also has a Wright Flyer, the shape of Ohio, and a red banner with the slogan at the top. Birthplace of Aviation ABC 1234 All new Ohio plates are now flat, not raised. Some early "Sunrise in Ohio" plates had a mistake where the Wright Flyer was flying backward. About 35,000 of these were made before the mistake was fixed. These plates will also be melted and reused.

Special Ohio License Plates

Ohio law allows the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to issue many different kinds of special passenger plates.

Image Years Used Design Slogan Number Style Notes
Ohio license plate issued to DUI offenders sample.jpg 1967–present Red numbers on a yellow plate none 123456
1234567
These plates are for drivers who have special driving permissions after breaking certain rules. They have been issued since 1967, but became required for all such drivers in 2004.

Renewal Stickers

Ohio License Plate Stickers (1968-1991)
Designs of tax and renewal stickers used from 1968 to 1991
Ohio License Plate Stickers 1991-2021
Designs of renewal stickers used since 1991

Drivers in Ohio use small stickers to show that their license plate registration is up to date. These stickers are placed on the license plate. The designs of these stickers have changed over the years.

Other Types of Ohio Plates

Ohio also issues different types of license plates for vehicles other than regular passenger cars. These include plates for commercial trailers, motorcycles, and trucks.

Image Type of Vehicle Years Used Design Number Style Notes
Blank License Plate Shape.svg Apportioned 2013–2021 Looks like the "Ohio Pride" passenger plate, but with "APPORTIONED" at the bottom PBC 1234
Blank License Plate Shape.svg Commercial Trailer 2013–2021 Looks like the "Ohio Pride" passenger plate, but with "TRAILER" at the bottom TBC 1234
Blank License Plate Shape.svg Motorcycle 2004–10 Similar to the "Sunburst" passenger plate 12ABC
Blank License Plate Shape.svg 2009–13 Similar to the "Beautiful Ohio" passenger plate
Blank License Plate Shape.svg 2013–15 Similar to the "Ohio Pride" passenger plate
2015–present ABC12
Blank License Plate Shape.svg Non-Commercial Trailer 2013–2021 Looks like the "Ohio Pride" passenger plate SBC 1234
Blank License Plate Shape.svg Truck 1996–2001 Looks like the "Ohio Gold" passenger plate, but with "TRUCK" instead of the county name at the bottom PBC 1234
Blank License Plate Shape.svg 2001–04 Looks like the "Bicentennial" passenger plate, but with "TRUCK" instead of the blue band at the bottom
Blank License Plate Shape.svg 2004–10 Looks like the "Sunburst" passenger plate, but with "TRUCK" instead of the blue band at the bottom
Blank License Plate Shape.svg 2009–13 Looks like the "Beautiful Ohio" passenger plate, but with "TRUCK" instead of the pictures at the bottom
Ohio Truck PKB 7670.jpg 2013–2021 Looks like the "Ohio Pride" passenger plate, with "TRUCK" at the bottom

From 1976 to 1996, plates for pickup trucks and other light trucks (like SUVs) said "Non Comm" (meaning "non-commercial truck"). Large semi-trucks had plates that said "Commercial." Since 1996, most truck plates for everyday use simply say "Truck."

Temporary Tags

When you buy a vehicle from a car dealership, you get a temporary paper tag. This tag is valid for 30 or 45 days. The dealership fills out the tag by hand. Since March 2001, these tags have included a special hologram. The plate number is already printed on the tag, and the expiration date and vehicle details are written on it. Since August 2020, the Ohio Department of Public Safety has been moving towards printing temporary tags directly from a computer. They plan to stop using the old paper tags by January 2021.

County Numbers on Plates

In 1992, Ohio started using a special number system to show the county where a vehicle was registered. Each of Ohio's 88 counties was given a two-digit number, starting with 01 for Adams County and ending with 88 for Wyandot County.

This number system has been used on special license plates since it started. It was also used on regular passenger plates from 2001 to 2018. The county number is shown on small red stickers placed on the bottom left corner of the plate. These stickers also have the county name written in small letters below the number.

List of Ohio County Numbers

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