Vehicle registration plates of Washington (state)

The U.S. state of Washington first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1905. Registrants provided their own license plates for display until 1915, when the state began to issue plates.[1]

Washington

Current series
Slogan	Evergreen State
Size	12 in × 6 in 30 cm × 15 cm
Material	Aluminum
Serial format	ABC1234
Introduced	July 1998
Availability
Issued by	Washington State Department of Licensing
History
First issued	June 1915 (pre-state plates from May 1905 to May 1915)

Plates are currently issued by the Washington State Department of Licensing. Front and rear plates are required for most classes of vehicles, while only rear plates are required for motorcycles and trailers.

Passenger baseplates

1915 to 1949

Image	Dates issued	Design	Slogan	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	1915–16	Embossed white serial on dark blue plate with border line; vertical "WN" and "1916" at left and right respectively	none	12345	1 to approximately 45000, with gaps (see right)	Single series of all-numeric serials used for all classes of vehicles, including trucks, vehicles for hire and dealer vehicles.[2]
	1916–17	Embossed white serial on lavender plate with border line; "WN" at left and vertical "X17" at right	none	12345	1 to approximately 64000, with gaps	The 'X' indicated the passenger class of vehicles; other letters were used for other classes.[2]
	1917–18	Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "WN" at left and vertical "X18" at right	none	12345	1 to approximately 96000, with gaps
	1918–19	Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "WN X-19" at left	none	123456	1 to approximately 114000	Revalidated through February 29, 1920 with white porcelain tabs.
	1919–20	Black serial on yellow and white porcelain plate; "WN X-20" on white section at left	none	123456	144001 to approximately 157000, with gaps	Both these plates issued only to new registrants.
		As above, but fully embossed with border line	none	123456	157501 to approximately 194000, with gaps
	1920–21	Embossed white serial on green plate; "WN X-21" at left	none	123456	1 to approximately 181000, with gaps
	1921	Embossed black serial on gray plate; "WN X:21" at left	none	123456	1 to approximately 184000, with gaps
	1922	Embossed white serial on brown plate; "WN X-22" at left	none	123456	1 to approximately 195000, with gaps
	1923	Embossed dark blue serial on white plate; "WN X:23" at left	none	123456	1 to 200000; 300001 to approximately 319000
	1924	Embossed white serial on dark blue plate; "WN X:24" at left	none	123456	1 to approximately 253000
	1925	Embossed dark blue serial on white plate; "WN X-25" at left	none	123456	1 to approximately 282000
	1926	Embossed white serial on green plate; "WASHINGTON" at bottom, slightly offset to right; vertical "X26" at left	none	123-456	1 to approximately 311-000	First use of the full state name.
	1927	Embossed green serial on white plate; "WASHINGTON" at bottom, slightly offset to right; vertical "X27" at left	none	123-456	1 to approximately 326-000
	1928	Embossed black serial on orange plate with border line; "X WASHINGTON-28" at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 343-000
	1929	Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "X WASHINGTON-29" at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 394-000
	1930	Embossed green serial on white plate with border line; "30 WASHINGTON X" at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 380-000
	1931	Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "X WASHINGTON 31" at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 348-000
	1932	Embossed green serial on white plate with border line; "X 32 WASHINGTON" at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 381-000
	1933	Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "X WASHINGTON 33" at top	none	123-456	1 to approximately 359-000
	1934	Embossed green serial on white plate with border line; "X WASHINGTON 34" at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 358-000
	1935	Embossed white serial on dark blue plate with border line; "X WASHINGTON 35" at bottom	none	A-12345 123-456 AB-1234	County-coded (A or AB)	First use of county codes, and last use of 'X' to indicate the passenger class. Six-digit all-numeric serials issued in King County following A-99999; this happened again in 1936.[2]
	1936	Embossed dark blue serial on white plate with border line; "19 WASHINGTON 36" at bottom	none	A-12345 123-456 AB-1234	County-coded (A or AB)
	1937	Embossed white serial on dark blue plate with border line; "WASHINGTON 1937" at top	none	A-123-456 AB-1234	County-coded (A or AB)
	1938	Embossed green serial on white plate with border line; "1938 WASHINGTON" at top	none	A-123-456 AB-1234	County-coded (A or AB)
	1939	Embossed golden yellow serial on green plate with border line; "STATE OF WASHINGTON" at bottom	"1889-GOLDEN JUBILEE-1939" at top	A-123-456 AB-1234	County-coded (A or AB)	Commemorated Washington's 50 years of statehood.
	1940	Embossed green serial on white plate with border line; "WASHINGTON 1940" at bottom	none	A-123-456 AB-1234	County-coded (A or AB)
	1941	Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "WASHINGTON 1941" at top	none	A-123-456 AB-1234	County-coded (A or AB)
	1942–44	Embossed green serial on white plate; "WASHINGTON 1942" at bottom	none	A-123-456 AB-1234	County-coded (A or AB)	Revalidated for 1943 and 1944 with windshield stickers, due to metal conservation for World War II.
	1944	As 1942 base, but with "WASHINGTON 1944" at bottom	none	12345	1 to approximately 89000	Issued only to new registrants.
	1945–46	Embossed green serial on white plate; "WASHINGTON 1945" at top	none	A-123-456 AB-1234	County-coded (A or AB)	Revalidated for 1946 with windshield stickers.
	1947–48	Embossed green serial on unpainted aluminum plate; "WASHINGTON 1947" at bottom	none	A·123·456 AB·1234	County-coded (A or AB)	Revalidated for 1948 with windshield stickers.
	1949	Embossed green serial on unpainted aluminum plate; "WASHINGTON 1949" at top	none	A123·456 AB·1234	County-coded (A or AB)

1950 to present

In 1956, the United States, Canada, 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 license 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.[3] The first Washington license plate that complied with these standards was a modification of the 1954 plate, introduced in January 1956.

Image	Dates issued	Design	Slogan	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	1950	Embossed green serial on white plate; "WASHINGTON 50" at bottom	none	A123·456 AB·1234	County-coded (A or AB)	Revalidated for 1951 with silver tabs, for 1952 with windshield stickers, and for 1953 with green tabs.
	1951–53	As above, but with "51" instead of "50"				Single plate issued only to new registrants. Revalidated for 1952 and 1953 in the same manner as for 1950 plates.
	1954–57	Embossed white serial on green plate; "54 WASHINGTON" at bottom	none	123-456 A 12-345 AB	County-coded (A or AB)	Revalidated for 1955 with silver tabs, for 1956 with white tabs, and for 1957 with green tabs.
	1956–57	As above, but to 6" x 12" size, and with narrower dies and border line				Validated for 1956 and 1957 in the same manner as for 1954–55 plates.
	1958–62	Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "WASHINGTON" centered at bottom	none	ABC 123	County-coded	Validated each year with plate stickers.
	1963–64	Embossed green serial on non-reflective white plate with border line; "WASH. 63" centered at bottom	none	ABC 123	County-coded (until 1981)
	1965–67	As above, but with "WASHINGTON" centered at bottom
	1968–82	As above, but reflective, and with "WASHINGTON" at top, offset to left
	1983–86	As above, but with "WASHINGTON" screened rather than embossed
	1987 – late 1990	Embossed dark blue serial on reflective white plate with light blue Mount Rainier graphic and dark blue border line; "Washington" screened in red centered at top	"Centennial Celebration" screened in red centered at bottom	123-ABC	000-AAA to 999-DGP
	late 1990 – July 1998		none		000-DGQ to 999-JNZ
	July 1998 – December 31, 2009	As above, but without dark blue border line, and with "WASHINGTON" screened in red at top, offset to left	"EVERGREEN STATE" screened in red centered at bottom		000-JOA to 999-ZZZ
	January 1, 2010 – present			ABC1234	AAA0000 to BXF3430 (as of January 28, 2021)

Non-passenger plates

Image	Type	Dates issued	Design	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	Motorcycle	1968–76	Debossed white on green with border line; "WASHINGTON" at top, offset to left	AB-123	AA-000 to approximately KY-999	Validated until 2000.
		1976–86	Embossed green on white with border line; "WASHINGTON" at top, offset to left	123456	000001 to approximately 297000	Validated until 2000.
		1987–99	Similar to 1987–98 passenger plates, but with "Washington" offset to left and no slogan	123456	400000 to approximately 601999
		1999–2008	Similar to current passenger plates, but without slogan		602000 to 999999
		2008–present		1A2345	0A0000 to 6G2194 (as of July 16, 2020)
	Truck	1987–90	As 1987–90 passenger plates	12345-A	00000-H to 11999-T
		1990–95	As 1990–98 passenger plates		12000-T to 99999-Z
		1995–99		A12345B	A00000A to A18999E
		1999–present	As current passenger plates		A19000E to C97101V (as of January 14, 2021)

County coding

County	1- or 2-letter code, 1935-57
King	A
Pierce	B
Spokane	C
Snohomish	D
Yakima	E
Whatcom	F
Clark	G
Grays Harbor	H
Kitsap	I
Thurston	J
Chelan	K
Lewis	L
Skagit	M
Cowlitz	N
Walla Walla	O
Whitman	P
Clallam	Q
Benton	R
Kittitas	S
Lincoln	T
Okanogan	U
Pacific	V
Stevens	W
Mason	X
Jefferson	Y
Klickitat	Z
Adams	AD
Asotin	AN
Columbia	CO
Douglas	DO
Franklin	FN
Ferry	FY
Garfield	GA
Grant	GT
Island	IS
Pend Oreille	PO
Skamania	SA
San Juan	SJ
Wahkiakum	WA

References

1. "Old Washington License Plates". LeatherLicensePlates.com. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
2. Tanner, Eric N. "Washington Passenger License Plates". allaboutlicenseplates.com. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
3. Garrish, Christopher (October 2016). "Reconsidering the Standard Plate Size". Plates. Vol. 62 no. 5. Automobile License Plate Collectors Association.

External links

• Washington license plates, 1969–present