The U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

first required its residents to register their motor vehicle

Motor vehicle

A motor vehicle or road vehicle is a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trolleys. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid...

s and display license plates in 1911.

Passenger baseplates 1956 to present

All plates from 1956 until present are still valid, provided they are displayed on the vehicle to which they originally were issued.

Image	First issued	Design	Slogan	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	1956	gold on blue	none	Coded by month of expiration: 1A-2345	Letters A through M indicate January through December expirations.
	1960	gold on blue	Pacific Wonderland	Coded by month of expiration: 1A-2345	Letters N through Z indicate January through December expirations.
	1964	gold on blue	none	Coded by month of expiration: ABC 123
	1973	blue on gold	none	Coded by month of expiration: ABC 123
	July 1988	Douglas Fir	none	ABC 123	PDN 000 to QPO 999	Awarded "Plate of the Year" for best new license plate of 1988 by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association Automobile License Plate Collectors Association The Automobile License Plate Collectors Association is the largest such organization in the world. Founded in Rumney Depot, New Hampshire, United States, in 1953 and holding its first meeting in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, in 1954, its members have come from all 50 U.S... , the first time Oregon was so honored.
	Nov. 1989	Douglas Fir	none	ABC 123	QPZ 000 to ZZZ 999	Same design as previous, but with the colors changed in response to public criticism of the original colors. Tree changed from pale green to dark green, sky from light khaki to light blue and mountains made a deeper shade of lavendar.
	2004			123 ABC	000 BAA to present	No change to design or colors.

Optional types

Image	Type	First issued	Last issued	Design	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	Oregon Trail Oregon Trail The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...	1993	2000	Black on blue, yellow and green background. Embossed serials.	123 ABC	123 AAA to 999 AZZ	Featured a Covered Wagon Covered wagon The covered wagon, also known as a Prairie schooner, is an icon of the American Old West.Although covered wagons were commonly used for shorter moves within the United States, in the mid-nineteenth century thousands of Americans took them across the Great Plains to Oregon and California...  print. Printing of plates to this design ceased in 1998, but the design continued to be issued to vehicle owners requesting it until the supply of pre-printed plates ran out, circa early 2000.
	Salmon Salmon Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...	1998		Dark blue on multicolored background. Embossed serials.	S/L 12345	S/L 00001 to present	$30 surcharge supports the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Oregon Parks and Recreation Department The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department , officially known as the State Parks and Recreation Department, is the government agency of the U.S. state of Oregon which operates its system of state parks...  and is charged at each renewal time (every two years). First available in February 1998, the Salmon design has been less popular than had been expected, and by 2002 had only raised about one-third as much revenue as originally predicted.
	Crater Lake Crater Lake Crater Lake is a caldera lake located in the south-central region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and famous for its deep blue color and water clarity. The lake partly fills a nearly deep caldera that was formed around 7,700 years agoby the...  Centennial	2002		White on multicolored background. Surface-printed serials.	C/L 12345 C/K 12345 C/A 12345	C/L 00001 to C/L 99999 C/K 00001 to 99999 C/A 00001 to present	Awarded "Plate of the Year" for best new license plate of 2002 by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association Automobile License Plate Collectors Association The Automobile License Plate Collectors Association is the largest such organization in the world. Founded in Rumney Depot, New Hampshire, United States, in 1953 and holding its first meeting in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, in 1954, its members have come from all 50 U.S... , the second time Oregon was so honored. Surcharge supports Crater Lake National Park Crater Lake National Park Crater Lake National Park is a United States National Park located in southern Oregon. Established in 1902, Crater Lake National Park is the sixth oldest national park in the United States and the only one in the state of Oregon... .
	Cultural Trust	2006		Black on multicolored background. Embossed serials.	C/U 12345	C/U 00001 to present	Surcharge supports the Oregon Cultural Trust Oregon Cultural Trust Oregon Cultural Trust is a cultural promotion and preservation organization in the U.S. state of Oregon. It provides grants and funding to arts, humanities, and heritage organizations to stabilize and expand.... .
	Pacific Wonderland	2009		Gold on blue. Embossed serials.	9A-1234	9P-0001 to 9P-9999 9Q-0001 to present	Special re-issue of plate style previously used from 1960–1964, to celebrate Oregon's 150th anniversary. Surcharge supports the Oregon State Capitol Foundation Oregon State Capitol Foundation The Oregon State Capitol Foundation is a charitable foundation and an agency of the Oregon Legislative Assembly established in 1997 to preserve the historical integrity of the capitol and its immediate adjacent areas, to provide recognition for its individuals and events that have historic import...  and the Oregon Historical Society Oregon Historical Society The Oregon Historical Society is an organization that encourages and promotes the study and understanding of the history of the Oregon Country, within the broader context of U.S. history. Incorporated in 1898, the Society collects, preserves, and makes available materials of historical character... . Limited to 40,000 plates.
	Higher Education	2005		Same as standard design, except with school logo replacing two left-most serials. Embossed serials.	A BCD	A AAA to present	Surcharge supports the school of choice. Available for EOU Eastern Oregon University Eastern Oregon University is one of seven state-funded, four-year universities of higher education in the State of Oregon and belongs to the Oregon University System... , OSU Oregon State University Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the... , U of O University of Oregon -Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :... , U of P University of Portland The University of Portland is a private Roman Catholic university located in Portland, Oregon. It is affiliated with the Congregation of Holy Cross and is the sister school of the University of Notre Dame. Founded in 1901, UP has a student body of about 3,600 students... , and Willamette Willamette University Willamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, and is made up of an undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and... .
	Share the Road	2008		White and yellow text on blue background. Surface-printed serials.	ABCD	AAAA to present	Surcharge supports the Bicycle Transportation Alliance Bicycle Transportation Alliance The Bicycle Transportation Alliance is a 501 non-profit bicycle advocacy organization based in Portland, Oregon, United States. The BTA promotes bicycling and the improvement of bicycling conditions in Oregon and southwest Washington through advocacy, programs and events. The BTA has a membership...  and Cycle Oregon Cycle Oregon Cycle Oregon is a week-long recreational bicycle ride held annually in different parts of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is also the name of a non-profit corporation established in 1991 to manage the event... .

There are also special plates available for special interest vehicles, antique vehicles, veterans, and various service clubs.

External links

• Current Oregon Regular-Issue License Plates from Oregon Department of Transportation
  Oregon Department of Transportation
  The Oregon Department of Transportation is a department of the state government of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for systems of transportation. It was first established in 1969. It had been preceded by the Oregon State Highway Department which, along with the Oregon State Highway...
  
  
• Oregon license plates 1969-present