License plates are metal pieces issued by the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and placed at the front, back, or both sides of a vehicle. These plates contain characters that indicate the state of registration, vehicle type, and sequence of issuance.
The combination of letters and numbers on your license plate has a specific logic and reasoning behind it. While most plates have six or seven letters or numbers, the format varies by state or county.
Types of License Plates
Before we explore more about how many characters are on a license plate, let’s first look at the following most common types of license plates in the U.S.:
- Standard Passenger Plates: These are the most widely issued plates for personal vehicles, including cars, SUVs, vans, and pickup trucks. Most U.S. states enforce a license plate character limit of six or seven characters for standard passenger plates.
- Commercial Plates: These plates designate vehicles used for business purposes, such as taxis and limousines for hire and trucks hauling goods or materials. Instead of the vehicle’s value, registration fees are determined by its Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), which reflects the maximum weight the vehicle can carry when fully loaded.
- Government Plates: Issued to federal, state, and local government agencies, these plates often follow specific formats or include prefixes to indicate their official use. They are used on vehicles assigned to military personnel and government officials conducting public service duties.
- Specialty Plates: Designed to support causes, organizations, and awareness campaigns, these plates include options like Breast Cancer Awareness and Donate Life Arizona. Some states also issue specialty plates to honor military veterans or promote environmental initiatives.
- Personalized (Vanity) Plates: These custom plates allow you to choose a unique letter and number combination for an extra fee. Many drivers use them to display names, interests, or slogans. For instance, you can use “BELLA” if you want to celebrate your dog’s name or a creative abbreviation that reflects your personality.
- Temporary Plates: Typically issued by the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or authorized dealerships, these plates serve as interim registration for newly purchased or transferred vehicles awaiting permanent plates.
- Disability Plates: These plates or placards allow access to parking spaces reserved for individuals with disabilities. They accommodate those with mobility impairments or conditions affecting cardiovascular, respiratory, or pain-related functions.
Meaning of Letters and Numbers on a License Plate
License plate letters and numbers have specific meanings based on patterns set by each state's DMV. However, regardless of how many letters on a license plate, these characters share common interpretations, such as:
Country Code
Some states use a specific coding system for license plates. A one - or two-digit number, single-letter, or number-letter combination identifies the county where the vehicle was registered and the license plate was issued. These codes are typically based on alphabetical order, historical population figures, or a combination.
In Idaho, the standard-issue license plates follow an alphabetical order of counties. For example, Ada County plates begin with "1A," Teton County with "1T," Twin Falls County with "2T," and Valley County with "V," as it's the only county starting with that letter.
Meanwhile, Nebraska assigns codes based on its 1920 census population. Douglas County (Omaha), the most populous, is assigned "1," while Arthur County, the least populated at the time, receives "93."
Iowa uses a mixed system combining alphabetical order and population rankings from its 1930 census. Adair County is assigned "1" for being first alphabetically among the original 49 counties, while Polk County (Des Moines) is marked "77" because the latter half of the counties were ranked by population.
Sequential Registration Number
Each license plate has a plate number or registration number, a unique combination of letters and numbers assigned in a sequence of issues. These numbers are typically issued in ascending or descending order, starting from a specific point like AAA-001 or ZZZ-9999.
The formats of license plate numbers are structured to provide enough unique numbers for all motor vehicles that a specific jurisdiction expects to register.
Delaware and Rhode Island, being smaller states, use a 123456 format, while California and other populous states adopt seven-character formats like 1ABC234, ABC-1234, or AB-12345 to accommodate their vast number of registered vehicles.
Personalized Messages
Personalized license plates allow vehicle owners to display custom messages using a unique combination of letters and numbers. These plates often reflect a person's name, nickname, hobbies, profession, or a memorable phrase.
For example, a doctor might choose "DR4LIFE. " Sports fans often showcase their loyalty with plates like "GOBLUES" for a Michigan fan or "CUBSFAN" for a Chicago Cubs supporter. Car enthusiasts may display their vehicle's model, such as "MUSTNG1" for a Ford Mustang owner.
Each state has guidelines on character limits and banned words to prevent offensive messages. While these plates offer personalization, they must still meet state regulations to be approved.
Special Designations
Some states use specific license plate codes to identify vehicle types or classes. In New Jersey, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJ MVC) mandates that vehicles classified under Code 19 and Code 21, including trailers and non-title trailers used for business purposes and registered for four years, display plates with the prefix "T."
These plates are also required for motor or non-motor-powered vehicles designed to carry people or goods while being towed. Moreover, Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) Section 55-4-221 specifies that the letter "D," followed by five numbers, designates a special purpose dealer plate for vehicles owned by a motor vehicle dealer.
In Illinois, the letter "C" is used on license plates for commercial vehicles weighing between 8,001 and 10,000 lbs.
License Plate Format by State
| State | Character Type, Count, and Positioning | Available Formats |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | One or two numbers, two letters, and three or four numbers | 0AB1234 or 00AB123 |
| Alaska | Three letters, a space, and three numbers | ABC 123 |
| Arizona | Three letters, a space or without space, and one number and two letters | ABC1DE or ABC 1DE |
| Arkansas | Three letters, a space or dash, and two numbers and one letter | ABC 12A or ABC-12A |
| California | One number, three letters, and three numbers | 1ABC123 |
| Colorado | Three letters, a dash, and one letter and two numbers | ABC-D12 |
| Connecticut | Two letters and five numbers | AB12345 |
| Delaware | Six numbers | 123456 |
| Florida | One or two letters/two numbers, two letters/three numbers, and two letters/two numbers | PQ1 2RS PQR S12 P12 3QR 12P QRS |
| Georgia | Three letters, a space or without space, and four numbers | ABC 1234 or ABC1234 |
| Hawaii | Three letters, a space, and three numbers | ABC 123 |
| Idaho | One letter/one number and one letter/two numbers and one letter, a space or dash, and three/four numbers and | A 1234U, 0A 1234U, 1A A123U, or 10B 123U |
| Illinois | Two letters, a space, and five numbers | AB 12345 |
| Indiana | Three numbers and three letters | 123ABC |
| Iowa | Three letters, a dash or space, and three numbers | ABC 123 or ABC-123 |
| Kansas | Three letters or three numbers, a dash or space, and three numbers or three letters | ABC 123, ABC-123, 123 ABC, or 123-ABC |
| Kentucky | Three letters or three numbers, a dash or space, and three numbers or three letters | ABC 123, ABC-123, 123 ABC, or 123-ABC |
| Louisiana | Three numbers, a space or dash, and three letters | 123 ABC or 123-ABC |
| Maine | Four numbers, a space, dash, or without space or dash, and two letters | 1234 AB, 1234-AB, or 1234AB |
| Maryland | One number, two letters, and four numbers | 1AB2345 |
| Massachusetts | One number, three letters, a space, and two numbers | 1ABC 23 |
| Michigan | Three letters, a space, four numbers | ABC 1234 |
| Minnesota | Three letters, a space or dash, and three numbers | ABC 123 or ABC-123 |
| Mississippi | Three letters, a space, and four numbers | ABC 1234 |
| Missouri | Two letters and one number, a space, and one letter, one number, and one letter | AB1 C3D |
| Montana | One or two numbers, a dash, four or five numbers, and one letter | 1-12345A or 10-1234A |
| Nebraska | Three numbers or letters, a dash or space, and three letters or numbers | 123-ABC, 123 ABC, ABC 123, or ABC-123 |
| Nevada | Three numbers, a dash or space, and one letter and two numbers | 123-A45 or 123 A45 |
| New Hampshire | Seven numbers | 1234567 |
| New Jersey | One letter and two numbers, a space or dash, and three letters | A12 BCD or A12-BCD |
| New Mexico | Three numbers, a space, and three letters | 123 ABC |
| New York | Three letters, a dash or space, and four numbers | ABC-1234 or ABC 1234 |
| North Carolina | Three letters, a dash or without a dash, and four numbers | ABC-1234 or ABC1234 |
| North Dakota | Three numbers, a space or dash, and three letters | 123 ABC or 123-ABC |
| Ohio | Three letters, a dash or space, and four numbers | ABC 1234 or ABC-1234 |
| Oklahoma | Three letters, a dash or space, and three numbers | ABC 123 or ABC-123 |
| Oregon | Three numbers, a dash or space, and three letters | 123-ABC or 123 ABC |
| Pennsylvania | Three letters, a dash, and four numbers | ABC-1234 |
| Rhode Island | Two letters/three numbers/one number and two letters, a dash, space, or without dash or space, and three numbers | AB-123, 123-456, or 1AB234 |
| South Carolina | Three letters, a dash or space, and three numbers | ABC-123 or ABC 123 |
| South Dakota | Two numbers and one letter, a dash or space, and three numbers | 10A-123 or 10A 123 |
| Tennessee | Three letters, a space, and four numbers | ABC 1234 |
| Texas | Two letters and one number, a dash, and one letter and three numbers | AA1-A123 |
| Utah | One letter and two numbers, a dash or space, and one number and two letters | A12 3BC or A12-3BC |
| Vermont | Three letters, space or dash, and three numbers | ABC 123 or ABC-123 |
| Virginia | Three letters, a dash or space, and three numbers | ABC-1234 or ABC 1234 |
| Washington | Three letters and four numbers | ABC1234 |
| West Virginia | One number and two letters, a space or dash, and three numbers | 1AB 234 or 1AB-234 |
| Wisconsin | Three letters, a dash, and four numbers | ABC-1234 |
| Wyoming | One number, a dash, and five numbers | 1-12345 |
How many letters can a license plate have? How many digits or numbers are on a license plate? Note that plate formats vary by state. To answer those questions, the table below shows how each state structures its standard license plates:
How License Plates Reveal Vehicle Information
Now that you know the license plate letters and numbers meanings, you should be aware that license plates do more than identify vehicles. They are linked to registration records that provide essential details about a vehicle’s history and condition.
When buying a used car, a license plate lookup helps you uncover fraud, prevent costly repairs, and avoid purchasing stolen or unsafe vehicles. It provides the following information:
- Technical Specifications: Includes the make, model, color, year, engine capacity, safety rating, and features to evaluate the vehicle’s performance and safety.
- Title Information: Indicates whether the vehicle has liens or is branded as salvage or rebuilt for you to ensure its legal and mechanical integrity.
- Accident History: Shows past accidents, including their severity and dates, to assess previous damage.
- Odometer Readings: Compares mileage records to detect odometer rollback, a practice that hides wear and falsely increases value.
- Ownership and Registration Records: Confirm whether the vehicle was registered as a rental, taxi, or police car to understand its past use and maintenance.
