The U.S. state of Michigan began requiring its citizens to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1910.
Image | Dates issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1962 | Green on White | Water Wonderland | AB-1234 | Front and rear plates required. Validated by metal tabs in '63 & '64. '63 tabs were white on green, '64 tabs were yellow on olive. | |
1965 | Yellow on blue | Water-Winter Wonderland | AB-1234 | Front & Rear Plates Req'd. First year using galvanized steel. First year using state school colors. 1965 honored University of Michigan. | |
1966 | Dark blue on "buff" | Water-Winter Wonderland | AB-1234 | Front & Rear Plates Req'd. | |
1967 | Maize on dark blue | Water-Winter Wonderland | AB-1234 | Front & Rear Plates Req'd. Colors honored University of Michigan during its sesquicentennial year. | |
1968 | Yellow on green | Great Lake State | AB-1234 | Front & Rear Plates Req'd. | |
1969 | White on red | Great Lake State | AB-1234 | Front & Rear Plates Req'd | |
1970 | White on light gold | Great Lake State | ABC-123 | Front & Rear Plates Req'd. Colors are those of Oakland University. First year for ABC-123 format. | |
1971 | White on red | Great Lake State | ABC-123 | Front & Rear Plates Req'd. Plates avail. by mail for the first time. Validated in '72 with black on yellow sticker. | |
1973 | White on dark blue | Great Lake State | ABC-123 | Front & Rear Plates Req'd. Personalized & disabled plates avail. for first time. Some aluminum plates issued. Validated by sticker for '74 & '75. | |
1976 | White on blue and red | (no slogan) | ABC-123 | Front & Rear Plates Req'd. All plates issued were aluminum. Awarded "Plate of the Year" for best new license plate of 1976 by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association, the first and, to date, only time Michigan has been so honored. Validated by sticker for '77 & '78. | |
1978 | Reflective (glass beads) white on black | Great Lake State | ABC-123 123-ABC |
Front & Rear Plates Req'd until 1 April 1981. Year-round registration began in 1980, with plates expiring on the registrants birthday. 123-ABC format used for the first time following the exhaustion of all ABC-123 plates. Validated with stickers through 1983. | |
1983 | Reflective (glass beads) white on blue | Great Lakes | 123 ABC ABC 123 ABC1234 ABC 1234 |
Only rear plate req'd. Validated with stickers through 2007. ABC1234 and ABC 1234 were issued in 2005 and 2006, respectively, after ABC 123 and 123 ABC had been exhausted in 2004 and 1990, respectively.[3] | |
1997—2007 | Blue serial on background featuring a sunset and the Mackinac Bridge | Great Lakes Splendor | 1AB C23 | Optional plate. Issued until 2007, although can still be renewed with stickers. | |
2007—present | Blue on reflective white, blue box with state name | www.Michigan.gov | ABC 1234 | First standard base-plate reissue since 1983. Started at BAA 0001. | |
2007—present | Black Serial; Background features buildings from the skylines of Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Flint, the forests of Michigan, all five Great Lakes, and the Mackinac Bridge | Spectacular Peninsulas | 1AB C23 | Optional plate. Replacement for Great Lakes Splendor optional issue plate. Started at 0HA A00. |
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