The U.S. state of Rhode Island first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1904.
| Image | Dates issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957-58 | Embossed black on white, with border and RHODE ISLAND and 2-digit year of registration above numbers | None | A 123 | |||
| 1959-60 | Embossed white on black, with border and RHODE ISLAND and 2-digit year of registration above numbers | None | AB 123 (no dash; the letters were squarer and smaller than the numbers, centered in height) | |||
| 1961-66 | Embossed black on white, with border and RHODE ISLAND above numbers, to left | None | AB 123 (in same style as 1959 plate) | Polarized version of 1959 plate, but without embossed registration year | ||
| 1967-71 | Embossed black on white, with border and RHODE ISLAND centered below numbers | DISCOVER (embossed and centered above numbers) | AB-123 (all numbers same size and template; dash is a circle) | First use of a slogan on a Rhode Island license plate | ||
| 1972-79 | Embossed black on white, with border and RHODE ISLAND centered below numbers | OCEAN STATE (embossed and centered above numbers) | AB-123 (Same as 1967, but with true dash between letters and numbers) | First year of OCEAN STATE moniker on modern plates | ||
| 1980-96 | Embossed royal blue on white, with border and RHODE ISLAND centered below numbers | OCEAN STATE (same as 1972, but with embossed anchor to left of left screw hole) | AB-123 | First year of blue plates; first year of anchor logo (styled after anchor in the Seal of Rhode Island) | ||
| 1992 to present | Dark blue on white with grey sailboat graphic; red RHODE ISLAND in serifed font screened above numbers, offset, with five stripes to left of Rhode and right of Island; blue bar with thirteen white stars along bottom of plate (approximately 1/4" high, 1/8" above bottom) | Ocean State (screened in blue above star bar) | as requested by registrant: 12345 AB-12 and AB-123 |
Optional, extra-cost issue | ||
| 1996 to present | Navy blue on stylized grey and white wave graphic; navy blue serifed screened Rhode Island above numbers with anchor screened to left of left screw hole | Ocean State (same font and color as Rhode Island, screened) | 12345 (variable number of digits) AB-12 and AB-123 123-456 |
1 to 99999 AA-00 to ZZ-999 710-001 to present |
Colloquially referred to as "wave plates" |
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