Vehicle registration plates of Manitoba

The Canadian province of Manitoba first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display licence plates in 1911. Plates are currently issued by Manitoba Public Insurance. Front and rear plates are required for most classes of vehicles, while only rear plates are required for motorcycles and trailers.

Passenger baseplates

1911 to 1947

In 1956, Canada, the United States, and Mexico came to an agreement with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Automobile Manufacturers Association and the National Safety Council that standardized the size for licence plates for vehicles (except those for motorcycles) at 6 inches (15 cm) in height by 12 inches (30 cm) in width, with standardized mounting holes.[1] The first Manitoba licence plate that complied with these standards was issued 25 years beforehand, in 1931.

No slogans were used on passenger plates during the period covered by this subsection.

Image	Dates issued	Description	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	1911	White serial on blue porcelain plate; vertical "MAN" and "1911" at left and right respectively	1234	1 to 1999; 3000 to approximately 3200	Serials 2000 through 2999 reserved for dealers.[2]
	1912	White serial on black porcelain plate; provincial shield at left with "MAN. 1912" below	1234	1 to approximately 4500
	1913	Black serial on white porcelain plate; provincial shield at left with "MAN 1913" below	1234	1 to approximately 5800
	1914	Black serial on golden yellow porcelain plate; provincial shield at left with "MAN 1914" below	1234	1 to approximately 7400
	1915	Black serial on white flat metal plate; provincial shield at left with "MAN. 1915" below	1234	1 to approximately 8900
	1916	White serial on brown flat metal plate; provincial shield at left with "MAN. 1916" below	12345	1 to approximately 12500
	1917	White serial on black flat metal plate; provincial shield at left with "MAN. 1917" below	12345	1 to approximately 18600
	1918–19	Black serial on yellow flat metal plate; provincial shield at left with "MAN. 1918" below	12345	1 to approximately 33000	Revalidated for 1919 with dark green tabs.
	1920	Embossed black serial on light green plate with border line; "MAN 1920" at left	12345	1 to approximately 33500	First embossed plate.
	1921	Embossed gray serial on dark blue plate with border line; "MAN 1921" at left	12-345	1 to approximately 37-500
	1922	Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "MAN 1922" at left	12-345	1 to approximately 38-500
	1923	Embossed blue serial on gray plate with border line; "MAN 1923" at left	12-345	1 to approximately 41-000
	1924	Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "MAN 1924" at left	12-345	1 to approximately 42-500
	1925	Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "MAN 1925" at left	12-345	1 to approximately 41-500
	1926	Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; slanted "MAN" and "26" at right	12-345	1 to approximately 51-500
	1927	Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "MANITOBA 27" at bottom	12-345	1 to approximately 58-500	First use of the full province name.
	1928	Embossed black serial on turquoise plate with border line; "MANITOBA 28" at bottom	12-345	1 to approximately 59-000
	1929	Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "MANITOBA 29" at bottom	12-345	1 to approximately 77-000
	1930	Embossed white serial on blue plate with border line; "MANITOBA 30" at bottom	12-345	1 to approximately 80-000
	1931	Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "MANITOBA 31" at bottom	12-345	1 to approximately 90-000	First 6" x 12" plate.
	1932	Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "MANITOBA 32" at bottom	12-345	1 to approximately 78-000
	1933	Embossed white serial on blue plate with border line; "MANITOBA 33" at bottom	12-345	1 to approximately 65-000
	1934	Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "34 MANITOBA" at bottom	12-345	1 to approximately 65-500
	1935	Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "MANITOBA 35" at bottom	12-345	1 to approximately 64-500
	1936	Embossed white serial on blue plate with border line; "MANITOBA 36" at bottom	12-345	1 to approximately 65-500
	1937	Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "MANITOBA 37" at top	12-345	1 to approximately 68-000
	1938	Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "MANITOBA 38" at bottom	12-345	1 to approximately 78-500
	1939	Embossed white serial on blue plate with border line; "MANITOBA 39" at top	12-345	1 to approximately 85-500
	1940	Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "MANITOBA 40" at bottom	12-345	1 to approximately 84-500
	1941	Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "MANITOBA 41" at top	12-345	1 to approximately 85-000
	1942–44	Embossed black serial on silver plate with border line; "MANITOBA 42" at bottom	12-345	1 to approximately 84-000	Revalidated for 1943 with red tabs, and for 1944 with windshield stickers, due to metal conservation for World War II.
	1945	Embossed black serial on orange plate with border line; "MANITOBA 45" at bottom	12-345	1 to approximately 84-500
	1946	Embossed blue serial on cream plate with border line; "MANITOBA 46" at bottom	12-345	1 to approximately 84-000
	1947	Embossed black serial on silver plate with border line; "MANITOBA 47" at bottom	12-345	1 to approximately 85-500

1948 to present

Manitoba is currently one of three provinces where decals are not used to show that the vehicle has valid registration, the others being Saskatchewan and Quebec.[3]

Image	Dates issued	Description	Slogan	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	1948–49	Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "MANITOBA 48" at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 112-000	Revalidated for 1949 with silver tabs.
	1950–51	Embossed black serial on silver plate with border line; "MANITOBA 50" at bottom	none	1A234	1A1 to approximately 9S999	Revalidated for 1951 with red tabs.
	1952–57	Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "MANITOBA 52" at bottom	none	1A234	1A1 to 9Y999	Revalidated for 1953 with black tabs, for 1954 with green tabs, for 1955 with white tabs, for 1956 with black tabs, and for 1957 with green tabs.
				12A34	10A1 to approximately 70P99
	1958–63	Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "MANITOBA 58" at bottom, offset to right, with embossed bison graphic to left	none	1A234	1A1 to 9Y999	Revalidated for 1959 with white tabs, for 1960 with yellow tabs, for 1961 with green tabs, for 1962 with white tabs, and for 1963 with yellow tabs. Letters I, O, Q, R and Z not used in serials; this practice continued until 1976.[4]
				12A34	10A1 to 99Y99
				AB123	AA1 to approximately DV999
	1964–70	Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "MANITOBA 64" at bottom, offset to right, with embossed bison graphic to left	none	1A234	1A1 to 9Y999	Revalidated for 1965 with black tabs, for 1966 with red tabs, for 1967 with purple tabs, for 1968 with green tabs, for 1969 with black tabs, and for 1970 with purple tabs. Manitoba was thus the last jurisdiction in North America to revalidate its licence plates with tabs.
				12A34	10A1 to 99Y99
				AB123	AA1 to approximately PJ999
	1971–75	Embossed black serial on reflective white plate with border line; outline of bison's head and front leg embossed at left; "71" at bottom left	"SUNNY MANITOBA" and "100,000 LAKES" centred at top and bottom respectively	AB-123 AB12-34	AA-1 to approximately DW99-99
	1976–82	Embossed purple serial on reflective yellow plate; border lines around plate and around bottom corners; "MANITOBA" centred at bottom; "76" at top right	"FRIENDLY" centred at top	ABC-123	AAA-101 to approximately GUW-999	Only letters A through E, G, H, K, L, N, S, T, U, W and X used in serials, and numbers 1-100 reserved in all series.[4]
	1983–86	Embossed black serial on reflective white plate; border lines around plate and around bottom corners; "MANITOBA" screened in red centred at bottom; debossed "83" at bottom left	"FRIENDLY" screened in red centred at top	123 ABC	101 AAA to 500 DWT	The 1986 design changes were made in order to cut costs. Letters initially used in serials same as those on the 1976–82 base, plus P as second and/or third letter only; all letters used from the QAA series onwards (1995).[4]
	1986 – June 16, 1997	As above, but non-reflective, and with province name embossed in black	As above, but embossed in black		501 DWT to approximately 999 QLV
	June 17, 1997[5] – late 2012	Embossed dark blue serial on reflective white plate with river scene featuring green trees on either side and yellow wheat at the bottom; blue bison graphic screened at top right; "Manitoba" screened in blue at top, offset to right, with red maple leaf over the 'i'	"Friendly" screened in blue to left of province name, giving "Friendly Manitoba"	ABC 123	AAA 101 to BZZ 999; DAA 101 to GLW 999	Awarded "Plate of the Year" for best new standard-issue licence plate of 1997 by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association, the first and, to date, only time Manitoba has been so honored. Co-recipient with Wisconsin. Letters I, O and Q not used in serials;[4] 'C' series reserved for Commercial plates and 'J' series for alternative Bienvenue plates (below).
	late 2012 – present	As above, but with bison graphic changed from blue to black			GLX 101 to HZZ 999; KAA 101 to KTC 296 (as of January 1, 2021)
	February 25, 2013[6] – present		As above, plus "Bienvenue" screened in blue centered at bottom		JBA 101 to JBN 944 (as of November 3, 2020)	Alternative issue.

Optional plates

Image	First issued	Description	Slogan	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	June 2011	Blue Text, Blue to white gradient and screened Winnipeg Blue Bombers logo	Friendly and True Blue	BB1234	BB0001 to BB9999	Issued in support of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. BB0001 to BB0150 were issued only to current Bomber players, Alumni and executives.
				B12345	B00001 to present
	Dec 2011	Blue Text, Blue to white Gradient and screened Winnipeg Jets Logo	Friendly and Fueled By Passion	WJ1234	WJ0001 to WJ9999	Issued in support of the Winnipeg Jets.
				J12345	J00001 to present
	summer 2012	Blue Text, Red to white Gradient and screened Fire Dept. crest	Friendly and Serving your Community	WF1234	WF0001 to present	Issued to active or retired fire fighters in Winnipeg, and their immediate family.

Non-passenger plates

Image	Type	Description	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	Commercial	As current passenger base	CBC 123	CAA 001 to CJG 934 (as of June 5, 2020)
	Livery	As current passenger base	XBC 123	XAA 001 to XAF 999 (as of July 27, 2015)
	Motorcycle	Same design as current passenger base; "MC" embossed below serial	1AB23	1AA01 to 4FY42 (as of August 8, 2020)
	ORV	Embossed black serial on yellow plate; "MANITOBA" at top and "ORV" at bottom	123A4	1A1 to 999Z9	First issued 1988. 1A234 serial format commenced 2010.
			1A234	1A001 to 4K510 (as of July 20, 2018)
	PSV	As current passenger base	PBC 123	PAA 001 to PEB 330 (as of November 8, 2019)
	Trailer	Same design as current passenger base; "TL" embossed below serial	A123B	A001A to Z999Z	123AB serial format commenced 2017.
			123AB	001AA to 202EH (as of August 26, 2020)

References

1. Garrish, Christopher (October 2016). "Reconsidering the Standard Plate Size". Plates. Vol. 62 no. 5. Automobile License Plate Collectors Association.
2. Taylor, Eric Robert. "Manitoba Archive". PorcelainPlates.net. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
3. "Manitoba Public Insurance scrapping licence plate stickers". CBC News. January 15, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
4. Tanner, Eric N. "Manitoba Passenger License Plates". allaboutlicenseplates.com. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
5. "New Licence Plates Being Distributed". Province of Manitoba. June 13, 1997. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
6. "Bilingual licence plates coming to Manitoba roads". CBC News. February 19, 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2018.

External links

• Manitoba licence plates, 1969–present