Vehicle registration plates of Oregon

Some of Oregon's current license plate designs

The U.S. state of Oregon first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1911.

Passenger baseplates 1911 to present

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 Oregon license plate that complied with these standards.

All plates from 1956 until present are still valid, provided they are displayed on the vehicle to which they originally were issued.

Dates issued	Design	Slogan	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
1911	Embossed black numbers on yellow plate	none	12345
1912	Embossed black numbers on light green plate	none	12345
1913	Embossed black numbers on aluminum plate	none	12345
1914	Embossed white numbers on red plate	none	12345
1915	Embossed white numbers on blue plate	none	12345
1916	Embossed white numbers on red plate	none	12345
1917	Embossed white numbers on green plate	none	12345
1918	Embossed black numbers on light blue plate	none	12345
1919	Embossed black numbers on orange plate	none	12345
1920	Embossed white numbers on red plate	none	12345
1921	Embossed white numbers on green plate	none	12345
1922	Embossed black numbers on yellow plate	none	12345
1923	Embossed white numbers on dark blue plate	none	12345
1924	Embossed white numbers on red plate	none	12345
1925	Embossed black numbers on yellow plate	none	123-456
1926	Embossed white numbers on black plate	none	123-456
1927	Embossed white numbers on black plate; "OREGON-1927" embossed in white block letters at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 261-000
1928	Embossed black numbers on white plate; "OREGON-1928" embossed in black block letters at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 256-000
January 1, 1929 – June 30, 1930	Embossed white numbers on black plate; "OREGON-1929" embossed in white block letters at top	none	123-456	1 to approximately 330-000	Validated from January 1 through June 30, 1930 with windshield sticker.
July 1, 1930 – June 30, 1931	Embossed orange numbers on black plate; "OREGON" and "1931" embossed in orange block letters in bottom left and bottom right corners respectively, with "EXPIRES JUNE 30" embossed in two rows of smaller letters in between	none	123-456	1 to approximately 296-000
July 1, 1931 – June 30, 1932	Embossed white numbers on black plate; "OREGON" and "1932" embossed in white block letters in bottom left and bottom right corners respectively, with "JUNE 30" embossed in two rows of smaller letters in between	none	123-456	1 to approximately 265-000
July 1, 1932 – June 30, 1933	Embossed white numbers on black plate with border line; "OREGON" and "1933" embossed in white block letters in top left and top right corners respectively, with "JUNE 30" embossed in smaller letters in between	none	123-456	1 to approximately 250-000
July 1 – December 31, 1933	Embossed black numbers on yellow plate with border line; "OREGON" and "1933" embossed in black block letters in bottom left and bottom right corners respectively, with "DEC. 31" embossed in smaller letters in between	none	123-456	1 to approximately 218-000
1934	Embossed black numbers on gray plate with border line; "OREGON-1934" embossed in black block letters at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 249-000
1935	Embossed yellow numbers on black plate with border line; "OREGON-1935" embossed in yellow block letters at top	none	123-456	1 to approximately 272-000
1936	Embossed black numbers on silver plate with border line; "OREGON-1936" embossed in black block letters at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 276-000
1937	Embossed silver numbers on black plate with border line; "OREGON-1937" embossed in silver block letters at top	none	123-456	1 to approximately 293-000
1938	Embossed black numbers on silver plate with border line; "OREGON-1938" embossed in black block letters at top	none	123-456	1 to approximately 327-000
1939	Embossed black numbers on yellow plate with border line; "OREGON-1939" embossed in black block letters at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 344-000
1940	Embossed blue numbers on white plate with border line; "OREGON-1940" embossed in blue block letters at top	none	123-456	1 to approximately 359-000
1941	Embossed white numbers on green plate with border line; "OREGON" embossed in white block letters centered at bottom; "19" embossed in bottom left corner and "41" in bottom right corner	none	123-456	1 to approximately 390-000
1942–45	Embossed white numbers on blue plate with border line; "OREGON" embossed in white block letters centered at bottom; "19" embossed in bottom left corner and "42" in bottom right corner	none	123-456	1 to approximately 495-000	Revalidated for 1943, 1944 and 1945 with windshield stickers, due to metal conservation for World War II.
1946	Embossed black numbers on gray plate with border line; "OREGON" embossed in black block letters centered at bottom; "46" embossed in bottom left and bottom right corners	none	123-456	1 to approximately 480-000	Only rear plates issued due to ongoing metal shortages. A windshield sticker was carried at the front of the vehicle.
1947	Embossed black numbers on unpainted aluminum plate with border line; "OREGON" embossed in black block letters centered at bottom; "47" embossed in bottom left and bottom right corners	none	123-456	1 to approximately 458-000
1948	Embossed red numbers on unpainted aluminum plate with border line; "OREGON" embossed in red block letters centered at top; "48" embossed in top left and top right corners	none	123-456	1 to approximately 511-000
1949	Embossed black numbers on unpainted aluminum plate with border line; "OREGON" embossed in black block letters centered at bottom; "19" embossed in bottom left corner and "49" in bottom right corner	none	123-456	1 to approximately 567-000
1950	Embossed black numbers on aluminum plate with border line; "OREGON" embossed in black block letters centered at top; month of expiration embossed in top left corner and "50" in top right corner	none	123-456	1 to approximately 999-999	"50" plates were issued to replace 1949 plates, while "51" and undated plates were issued to new registrants. All were revalidated with tabs each year until 1955.
1950	As above, but with "51" embossed in top right corner
1951–54	As above, but with no embossed year in top right corner
1955	Embossed gold numbers on blue plate with border line; "OREGON" embossed in gold block letters centered at top; month of expiration embossed in top left corner and "56" in top right corner	none	1A-1234	Letter corresponds to month of expiration (see right)	Letters A through M (excluding I) were used for January through December respectively. All plates were revalidated with tabs each year until 1960, and with stickers thereafter.
1956–59	As above, but with no embossed year in top right corner	none	1A-1234	Letter corresponds to month of expiration (see right)
1960–63	As 1955–59 base, but with shorter dies for the numbers, state name and month of expiration, and no embossed year	"PACIFIC WONDERLAND" embossed in gold block letters at bottom	1A-1234	Letter corresponds to month of expiration (see right)	Letters N through Z (excluding O) were used for January through December respectively. All plates revalidated with stickers.
1964–72	Embossed gold numbers on blue plate; border line around plate and around registration year sticker spot in bottom right corner; "OREGON" embossed in block letters centered at bottom; month of expiration embossed in bottom left corner	none	Coded by month of expiration: ABC 123
1973–86	Embossed blue numbers on gold plate; border line around plate and around registration year sticker spot in bottom right corner; "OREGON" embossed in block letters centered at bottom; month of expiration embossed in bottom left corner	none	Coded by month of expiration: ABC 123
1987 – June 1988	Embossed blue numbers on gold plate with border line; "OREGON" embossed in block letters centered at bottom	none	ABC 123	NAA 001 to PDM 999
July 1988 – November 1989	Embossed dark blue numbers on mountain skyline with pale lavender mountains, light khaki sky and pale green Douglas Fir in the center; "Oregon" screened in pale blue serifed letters centered at top	none	ABC 123	PDN 001 to QNL 999	Awarded "Plate of the Year" for best new license plate of 1988 by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association, the first time Oregon was so honored.
November 1989 – February 2004	Embossed dark blue numbers on mountain skyline with lavender mountains, light blue sky and dark green Douglas Fir in the center; "Oregon" screened in dark blue serifed letters centered at top	none	ABC 123	QNM 001 to ZZZ 999	Same design as previous, but with the colors changed in response to public criticism of the original colors.^[1]
February 2004 – present		none	123 ABC	001 BAA to 999 JEL (as of May 4, 2016)	No change to design or colors. Serials in this format with A as the first letter were skipped to avoid confusion with optional Oregon Trail plates.

Optional types

Type	Dates issued	Design	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
Oregon Trail	1993–2000	Black on blue, yellow and green background. Embossed serials.	123 ABC	001 AAA to 999 ASZ	Featured a Covered Wagon print. Printing of plates to this design ceased in 1998,^[2] but the design continued to be issued to vehicle owners requesting it until the supply of pre-printed plates ran out, circa early 2000.^[3]
Salmon	1998–present	Dark blue on multicolored background. Embossed serials.	S/L 12345	S/L 00001 to present	$30 surcharge supports the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and is charged at each renewal time (every two years). First available in February 1998, the Salmon design has been less popular than had been expected, and by 2002 had only raised about one-third as much revenue as originally predicted.^[4]
Crater Lake Centennial	2002–present	White on multicolored background. Surface-printed serials.	C/L 12345	C/L 00001 to C/L 99999	Awarded "Plate of the Year" for best new license plate of 2002 by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association, the second time Oregon was so honored. Surcharge supports Crater Lake National Park.
			C/K 12345	C/K 00001 to C/K 99999
			C/A 12345	C/A 00001 to present
Cultural Trust	2006–present	Black on multicolored background. Embossed serials.	C/U 12345	C/U 00001 to present	Surcharge supports the Oregon Cultural Trust.
Pacific Wonderland	2009–present	Gold on blue. Embossed serials.	9P-1234	9P-0001 to 9P-9999	Special re-issue of 1960–64 passenger base to celebrate Oregon's 150 years of statehood. Surcharge supports the Oregon State Capitol Foundation and the Oregon Historical Society. Limited to 40,000 plates.
			9Q-1234	9Q-0001 to 9Q-9999
			9R-1234	9R-0001 to 9R-9999
			9S-1234	9S-0001 to present
Higher Education	2005–present	As current passenger base, but with school logo replacing two left-most serials. Embossed serials.	A BCD		Surcharge supports the school of choice. Available for EOU, OSU, U of O, U of P, and Willamette.
Share the Road	2008–present	White and yellow text on blue background. Surface-printed serials.	ABCD		Surcharge supports the Bicycle Transportation Alliance and Cycle Oregon.
Wine Country	May 14, 2012^[5] – present	White text on multi-colored background. Surface-printed serials.	W/C 12345	W/C 00001 to present	Surcharge supports "agricultural and culinary tourism".^[5]
Keep Kids Safe	October 16, 2012 – early 2015	White text on blue burst background with two children in front of red heart. Surface-printed serials.	ABCD		Surcharge supported child abuse prevention programs. Production discontinued October 31, 2014 due to low sales.

There are also special plates available for special interest vehicles, antique vehicles, veterans, and various service clubs.

Non-passenger types

Type	Dates issued	Design	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
Amateur Radio Operator			Plates begin with “K,” “W” or “N.”	Reflects call letters issued to amateur radio operators by Federal Communications Commission.	These plates were once issued on the Oregon Trail plate. They are available on the Salmon, Crater Lake and Cultural Trust plate designs.
Amateur Radio Operator – Motorcycle/Moped			Plates begin with “K,” “W” or “N.”	Reflects call letters issued to amateur radio operators by Federal Communications Commission.
Bus
Camper	before 1973	White on black with "CAMPER" at bottom	K123456	K700001 to approximately K760000
Camper	1973 to present	Blue on gold with "CAMPER" at bottom	K123456	K760001 to present
Charitable/Non-Profit		Blue on gold	C/N 12345	C/N 00001 to present
Coach
Dealer
Dealer – Motorcycle/Moped/ Snowmobile/ATV
Disabled Person
Disabled Veteran	1973 to early 1990s	Blue on gold with "PERMANENT" at top, "VETERAN" at right and wheelchair under 'D' prefix	D12345	D00001 to approximately D06000
		As above, but with no wheelchair		D06001 to approximately D10000
		As above, but with "PERMANENT" at bottom		D10001 to approximately D18000
	early 1990s to present	1989 Douglas Fir graphic with "PERMANENT" at bottom and "VETERAN" at right	D/1 23 45	D/1 80 01 to present	Serials continue on from those on the blue-on-gold plates, with D/1 99 99 followed by D/2 00 00, D/2 99 99 followed by D/3 00 00, etc.
Ex-POW
Ex-POW – Motorcycle/Moped
Farm Vehicle	1965–72	Orange on aluminum with sticker box at bottom	F12-345	F10-000 to approximately F71-500
	1973 to present	Blue on gold with sticker box at bottom	F12-345	F71-501 to F99-999
	1973 to present	Blue on gold with sticker box at bottom	F123456	F100000 to present
For-Rent
Government Exempt
Government Exempt – Motorcycle/Moped
Heavy Fixed Load			H/F 12345
Heavy Trailer
Light Fixed Load			L/F 12345
Low-Speed Vehicle			L/S 12345	L/S 00001 to present	Issued to four-wheeled vehicles, generally electric-powered, with a maximum speed of more than 20 miles per hour but not more than 25 miles per hour.
Medium-Speed Vehicle			M/S 12345	M/S 00001 to present	Issued to a four-wheeled electrical vehicle that is equipped with a roll cage or a crushproof body design with a maximum speed of 35 miles per hour on a paved, level surface and that is fully enclosed and has at least one door for entry.
Mobile Home
Moped	1980s to present	Blue on gold	M/P 12345	M/P 00001 to present	Issued to two or three wheeled cycle or bicycle with independent power source with engine size less than 50 cubic centimeters. Power source cannot propel vehicle to speeds above 30 miles per hour. Mopeds also may have Custom, Disabled Veteran or Ex-POW plates.
Motor Home
Motorcycle	1968–70	White on blue with sticker box at bottom	12345	1 to approximately 85000	Issued to any two or three-wheeled self-propelled cycle that is not a moped. White-on-blue and gold-on-blue plates are still valid and may be renewed. In the current serial format, M/2 99999 was followed by M/3 00000, M/3 99999 was followed by M/4 00000 and so on.
	1968–70	White on blue with sticker box at bottom	M12345	M85001 to approximately M90000
	1970–72	Gold on blue with sticker box at bottom	M12345 M123456	M90001 to approximately M188000
	1973–75	Blue on gold with sticker box at bottom	M123456	M188001 to approximately M199999
	1973–75	Blue on gold with sticker box at bottom	M/1 23456	M/2 00000 to approximately M/2 55000
	1975 to present	As above, but without sticker box	M/1 23456	M/2 55001 to present
National Guard			N/G12 345	N/G00 001 to present	Issued to current active members of the Oregon National Guard.
Old Timer	1952–54	Black on aluminum with "OLD TIMER" at left	A-123	A-1 to approximately A-636	Issued to any vehicle that is older than half the number of years between 1900 and the current year (so, in 2015, any vehicle that dates from 1957 or before). Black-on-aluminum Old Timer plates were revalidated with tabs until 1955, while gold-on-blue versions were revalidated with tabs until 1960, then with stickers until 1964.
	1955–59	Gold on blue with "OLD TIMER" at left	A-123	A-1 to A-999
	1955–59	Gold on blue with "OLD TIMER" at left	1-234	1-000 to approximately 2-100
	1960–63	As above, but with "PACIFIC WONDERLAND" at bottom		2-101 to approximately 3-000
Historic Vehicle	1964–72	Gold on blue with "HISTORIC VEHICLE" at left		3-001 to approximately 6-000
	1973 – early 1980s	Blue on gold with "HISTORIC VEHICLE" at left		6-001 to approximately 8-500
	early 1980s – late 1980s	Blue on gold with "HISTORIC VEHICLE" at left	1234	8501 to 9999
Antique Vehicle	late 1980s – late 1990s	Blue on gold with "ANTIQUE VEHICLE" at top	A/Q 12345	A/Q 00001 to approximately A/Q 02000
Antique Vehicle	late 1990s to present	As above, but with "ANTIQUE VEHICLE" at bottom	A/Q 12345	A/Q 02001 to present
Permanent Fleet	1973 to ?	Blue on gold with "PERMANENT FLEET" at top	P/F 12345	P/F 00001 to approximately P/F 27000	Issued to owners of a fleet of vehicles registered as a fleet rather than individually.
Permanent Fleet	? to present	As above, but with "PERMANENT FLEET" at bottom	P/F 12345	P/F 27001 to present
School Bus			S/C 12345	S/C 00001 to present	Issued to buses and school activity vehicles used exclusively to transport school children to and from school or school activities. Bus or vehicle must use trip permit when being used for purposes other than transporting school children. May be issued to both publicly and privately owned vehicles.
Special Use Trailer			S/T 12345	S/T 00001 to present
Tow Truck			T/W 12345	T/W 00001 to present	Issued to individuals who tow vehicles not owned by them in tow and recovery operations for direct or indirect compensation. Also issued to businesses which must transport damaged, disabled or abandoned vehicles.

References

↑ Goetze, Janet (October 11, 1989). "Oregon plates are getting brighter: '89 Legislature agreed to alter color scheme". The Oregonian, p. B6.
↑ Boone, Jerry (January 5, 1998). "New traffic rules for '98 multiply". The Oregonian, p. B4.
↑ Oliver, Gordon (November 19, 1999). "Oregon Trail license plates going fast". The Oregonian, p. C6.
↑ Martins, Cheryl (January 18, 2002). "License plate goal looks like fish tale". The Oregonian, p. D1.
1 2 "Wine Country plate available starting May 14". Oregon Department of Transportation. May 3, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2012.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to License plates of Oregon.

Vehicle registration plates of the United States

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Federal district	Washington, D.C.

Insular areas	American Samoa Guam Northern Mariana Islands Puerto Rico U.S. Virgin Islands

Other registration plates	Indian tribes Designs and serial formats

By year	1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Vehicle registration plates of North America

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