Vehicle registration plates of West Virginia

The U.S. state of West Virginia first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1905. Currently in West Virginia, only rear license plates are used.

Passenger baseplates 1923 to present

In 1956, the U.S. states and Canadian provinces came to an agreement with the Automobile Manufacturers Association that standardized the size for license plates for vehicles, except those for motorcycles, at six inches in height by twelve inches in width, with standardized mounting holes. The 1956–57 (dated 1957) issue was the first West Virginia license plate that complied with these standards.

Image	Dates issued	Design	Slogan	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	1923	Embossed red numbers on white plate; "WEST VIRGINIA 1923" embossed in red block letters at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 141-000
	1924	Embossed white numbers on maroon plate; "WEST VIRGINIA 1924" embossed in white block letters at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 165-000
	1925	Embossed dark blue numbers on orange plate; "WEST VIRGINIA 1925" embossed in dark blue block letters at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 173-000
	1926	Embossed white numbers on dark blue plate; "WEST VIRGINIA 1926" embossed in white block letters at top	none	123-456	1 to approximately 211-000
	1927	Embossed black numbers on gray plate; "WEST VIRGINIA 1927" embossed in black block letters at top	none	123-456	1 to approximately 207-000
	1928	Embossed white numbers on dark green plate; "WEST VIRGINIA 1928" embossed in white block letters at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 217-000
	1929	Embossed orange numbers on black plate; "WEST VIRGINIA 1929" embossed in orange block letters at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 232-000
	1930	Embossed black numbers on gray plate; "W. VA. – 1930" embossed in black block letters centered at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 223-000
	1931	Embossed yellow numbers on black plate; "W. VA. – 1931" embossed in yellow block letters centered at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 213-000
	1932	Embossed white numbers on black plate; "W. VA. – 1932" embossed in white block letters centered at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 192-000
	1933–34	As 1931 base, but with "W. VA. – 1933" embossed at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 214-000	Validated from January 1 through June 30, 1934 with windshield stickers.
	1934–35	Embossed black numbers on yellow plate; "W. VA.-34-35" embossed in black block letters centered at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 207-000
	1935–36	Embossed yellow numbers on black plate; "W. VA.-35-36" embossed in yellow block letters centered at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 219-000
	1936–37	Embossed black numbers on yellow plate; "W. VA.-36-37" embossed in black block letters centered at top	none	123-456	1 to approximately 224-000
	1937–38	Embossed yellow numbers on black plate; "W. VA.-37-38" embossed in yellow block letters centered at top	none	123-456	1 to approximately 237-000
	1938–39	Embossed black numbers on yellow plate; "W. VA.-38-39" embossed in black block letters centered at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 236-000
	1939–40	Embossed yellow numbers on black plate; "W. VA.-39-40" embossed in yellow block letters centered at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 245-000
	1940–41	As 1938–39 base, but with "W. VA.-40-41" embossed at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 258-000
	1941–44	Embossed yellow numbers on black plate with border line; "W. VA. EXP.-6-30-42" embossed in yellow block letters at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 349-000	Revalidated until June 30, 1943 with tabs, and then until June 30, 1944 with windshield stickers, due to metal conservation for World War II.
	1944–45	Embossed black numbers on yellow plate with border line; "W. VA. EXP.-6-30-45" embossed in black block letters at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 214-000
	1945–46	As 1941–44 base, but with "W. VA. EXP.-6-30-46" embossed at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 239-000
	1946–47	As 1944–45 base, but with "W. VA. EXP.-6-30-47" embossed at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 250-000
	1947–48	As 1941–44 base, but with "W. VA. EXP.-6-30-48" embossed at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 282-000
	1948–49	As 1944–45 base, but with "W. VA. EXP.-6-30-49" embossed at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 312-000
	1949–50	As 1941–44 base, but with "W. VA. EXP.-6-30-50" embossed at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 339-000
	1950–51	As 1944–45 base, but with "W. VA. EXP.-6-30-51" embossed at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 365-000
	1951–52	As 1941–44 base, but with "W. VA. EXP.-6-30-52" embossed at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 377-000
	1952–53	As 1944–45 base, but with "W. VA. EXP.-6-30-53" embossed at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 379-000
	1953–54	As 1941–44 base, but with "W. VA. EXP.-6-30-54" embossed at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 399-000
	1954–55	As 1944–45 base, but with "WEST VIRGINIA 54" embossed at bottom	none	123-456	1 to approximately 418-000
	1955–56	Embossed white numbers on green plate with border line; "WEST VIRGINIA 56" embossed in white block letters below numbers	none	123-456	1 to approximately 436-000
	1956–57	Embossed yellow numbers on dark blue plate with border line; "WEST VIRGINIA" embossed in yellow block letters centered below numbers; "19" embossed in bottom left corner and "57" in bottom right corner	none	123-456	1 to approximately 461-000
	1957–58	Embossed green numbers on white plate with border line; "WEST VIRGINIA" embossed in green block letters centered below numbers; "58" embossed in bottom right corner	none	123-456	1 to approximately 469-000
	1958–59	Embossed white numbers on green plate with border line; "WEST VIRGINIA" embossed in white block letters centered below numbers; "19" embossed in bottom left corner and "59" in bottom right corner	none	123-456	1 to approximately 478-000
	1959–60	Embossed red numbers on white plate with border line; "WEST VIRGINIA" embossed in red block letters centered below numbers; "19" embossed in bottom left corner and "60" in bottom right corner	none	123-456	1 to approximately 471-000
	1960–61	Embossed white numbers on dark red plate with border line; "WEST VIRGINIA" embossed in white block letters centered below numbers; "19" embossed in bottom left corner and "61" in bottom right corner	none	123-456	1 to 141-826[1]
		As above, but with elements debossed			141-827 to approximately 476-000
	1961–62	As 1957–58 base, but with "19" embossed in bottom left corner and "62" in bottom right corner	none	123-456	1 to approximately 488-000
	1962–63	Debossed yellow numbers on blue plate with border line; "WEST VIRGINIA" debossed in yellow block letters centered below numbers; "19" debossed in bottom left corner and "63" in bottom right corner	"1863 CENTENNIAL 1963" debossed in yellow block letters above numbers	123-456	1 to approximately 490-000
	1963–64	Embossed blue numbers on yellow plate with border line; "WEST VIRGINIA" embossed in blue block letters centered below numbers; "19" embossed in bottom left corner and "64" in bottom right corner	"1863 CENTENNIAL 1963" embossed in blue block letters above numbers	123-456	1 to approximately 521-000
	1964–65	As 1962–63 base, but with "65" debossed in bottom right corner	"MOUNTAIN STATE" debossed in yellow block letters centered above numbers	123-456	1 to approximately 522-000
	1965–66	As 1963–64 base, but with "66" embossed in bottom right corner	"MOUNTAIN STATE" embossed in blue block letters centered above numbers	123-456	1 to approximately 558-000
	1966–67	As 1962–63 base, but with "67" debossed in bottom right corner	"MOUNTAIN STATE" as on 1964–65 base	123-456	1 to approximately 582-000
	1967–68	As 1963–64 base, but with "68" embossed in bottom right corner	"MOUNTAIN STATE" as on 1965–66 base	123-456	1 to approximately 603-000
	1968–69	As 1962–63 base, but with "69" debossed in bottom right corner	"MOUNTAIN STATE" as on 1964–65 base	123-456	1 to approximately 625-000
	1969–70	As 1963–64 base, but with "70" embossed in bottom right corner	"MOUNTAIN STATE" as on 1965–66 base	123-456	1 to approximately 591-000
	1970–75	As 1963–64 base, but with sticker box in bottom right corner and no embossed year	"MOUNTAIN STATE" as on 1965–66 base	0A-1234 AA-1234	First character corresponds to month of expiration (see right)	1 through 9 indicated January through September respectively, and O, N and D indicated October, November and December respectively. This system remains in use today.
	1976–82	Embossed dark blue numbers on white plate; yellow state icon with blue outline screened behind numbers at left; "WEST VIRGINIA" screened in dark blue block letters centered below numbers	Dark blue bar screened at top with "Wild, Wonderful" in white italic serifed letters in the center	0A-1234 AA-1234	First character corresponds to month of expiration
	1982–94	As above, but without blue outline around state icon		0A-1234 0AB-123 AA-1234 AAB-123		Double-letter serials introduced for each month as single-letter serials were exhausted. These serials progressed as follows: both letters A through M only, then first letter N through Z and second letter A through M, then first letter A through M and second letter N through Z.
	January 1995 – December 2000	Embossed dark blue numbers on white plate; dark blue bar screened at top containing "West Virginia" in gold serifed letters in the center; thin gold stripe screened between dark blue bar and numbers	"Wild, Wonderful" screened in dark blue serifed letters centered below numbers, with three stripes (two dark blue and one gold) screened on either side	0A-1234 0AB-123 AA-1234 AAB-123	First character corresponds to month of expiration	Serials reset to A for all months; progression is as before but with double-letter serials progressing in standard order (AA-AZ, BA-BZ etc.). Serials S and SA-SZ reserved for optional Scenic plates.
	December 2000 – early 2006		"Wild, Wonderful" as before, plus "www.callwva.com" in dark blue serifed letters between state name and numbers, cutting off thin gold stripe in the middle
	early 2006 – present		"Wild, Wonderful" as before; web address dropped

Optional types

Image	Type	Dates issued	Design	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	Scenic	1996–present	Embossed dark blue numbers on mountain scene with white and orange sky, pale blue mountains and dark blue forest; "West Virginia" and "Wild, Wonderful" screened in dark blue serifed letters centered above and below numbers respectively	0S-1234 0SA-123 AS-1234 ASA-123	First character corresponds to month of expiration	Similar monthly serial formats to passenger base, but with serials progressing S, then SA, SB, SC etc. "www.callwva.com" appeared between state name and numbers during the early and mid-2000s.

References

External links

• West Virginia license plates 1969-present