License plates are issued in the U.S. state of Ohio for several types of vehicles by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, part of the Department of Public Safety. Most types of plates are issued in pairs, to be displayed in the front and rear of the vehicle. They are manufactured by inmates at the Lebanon Correctional Institution.[1]
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The state has issued license plates since 1908. With the exception of the World War II years, the passenger number plates were issued in pairs. Starting in 1935, a county coding scheme involving the letters in the plate's serial number was introduced. This scheme was used throughout the state until the 1970s, when the system broke down in the most populous counties because of the number of vehicles registered in them. The coding scheme was abandoned with the issuance of the 1982 plates. Today, there is a county coding scheme on a sticker that displays the county number based on its placement in alphabetical order.
In 1967, the state began issuing special plates to DUI offenders with limited driving privileges. Judges in Ohio, however, rarely issued them until a 2004 state law made it mandatory for all DUI offenders with limited driving privileges to have them.
Only plates issued since 1996 are currently eligible for display.
| Image | Dates issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | White lettering on blue base | none | 1234 | unknown | Ohio stylized logo instead of state name | |
| 1910 | White lettering on wood grain base | none | 1234 12345 |
unknown | ||
| 1911 | Black lettering on white base | none | 12345 | unknown | ||
| 1914 | Red lettering on white base | none | 12345 | unknown | Ohio stylized logo instead of state name | |
| 1915 | Black lettering on white base | none | 12345 | unknown | Ohio stylized logo instead of state name | |
| 1919 | White embossed lettering on red base | none | 123456 | unknown | Ohio stylized logo instead of state name | |
| 1926 | White embossed lettering on brown base | none | 123-456 | unknown | ||
| 1950 | Black embossed lettering and border on yellow base | none | A-123-B | unknown | Aluminum "waffle" hatch-textured base used for strength | |
| 1959 | Red embossed lettering and border on white base | none | AB-1234 | unknown | ||
| 1985 to 1991 | Green embossed lettering and shape of Ohio on white base | none | 123•ABC | unknown | ||
| 1991 to 1996 | Blue embossed lettering and shape of Ohio on white base | The Heart of it All | ABC•123 | ABC•123 to ? | ||
| 1996 to 1998 | Dark blue on gold gradient fade | The Heart of it All | ABC 1234 | AAA 0001 to ARZ 9999 | ||
| 1998 to 2001 | Dark blue on gold gradient fade | Birthplace of Aviation | ABC 1234 | ASA 0001 to approximately BIF 9999, CAA 0001 to ? | ||
| 2001 to 2003 | Dark blue on reflective white with Ohio Bicentennial Commission logo and red and blue bars | Ohio Bicentennial Birthplace of Aviation |
AB12CD | AA10AA to EZ99ZZ | ||
| 2004 to 2010 | Dark blue on reflective white with state seal ("Sunburst") graphic and red and blue bars | Birthplace of Aviation | ABC 1234 | DAA 1000 to EQZ 9999 ; EUJ 1000 to FAK 9999 (This gap was caused by the "Beautiful Ohio" plates that were already manufactured.) | ||
| 2010 to present | Dark blue on rolling hills with farm, distant skyline, and airborne biplane | Beautiful Ohio Birthplace of Aviation |
ABC 1234 | ERA 1000 to EUH 9999 ; FAL 1000 to ? (This gap was caused by the state's decision to not issue the "Beautiful Ohio" plates at the time of the recession.) | Available as a no-cost alternative to the concurrent "Sunburst" design from November 23, 2009 to 2010, when it became the primary design. Originally limited to 1.5 million plates. | |
| Image | Dates issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 to present | Red on yellow for DUI offenders with limited driving privileges. Issued since 1967 but rarely used before the plate became mandated on all DUI offenders in 2004. | none | 123456 1234567 |
From the 1976 until 1996, license plates for pickup trucks and other light truck-related vehicles (SUVs and conversion vans aside) were issued truck plates that said "Non Comm" (for "non-commercial truck") while semi-trucks were issued plates that said "Commercial". Since 1996, however, the more consumer-oriented truck plates now say "Truck," instead of "Non-Comm."
Vehicles purchased from a dealership are given a 30-Day Temporary Tag. The paper tag is filled out by hand. Since March 2001, it has featured a hologram.[2][3]
Ohio uses a numerical county-coding scheme to indicate the county of registration. The county code is displayed on stickers placed on the lower left corner of both the front and rear plates.
The county number is the most visible, while the full county name is in small print below. The scheme assigns a number to each of the state's eighty-eight counties based on its position alphabetically. For example Adams County, the first alphabetically, is assigned the number 01, and Wyandot County, the last alphabetically, is assigned the number 88.
On recent seven-character baseplates, the state has reserved certain letter series to be issued in coordination with specific car dealerships or leasing agencies.
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