Vehicle registration plates of Texas
Encyclopedia
The U.S. state
of Texas first required its residents to register their motor vehicle
s and display license plates in 1917.
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 Texas 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 1917.
Passenger baseplates 1995 to present
| Image | First issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
1995 | State outline within abstract graphic. | 150 Years of Statehood | ABC-12D | approximately VJL 01B to late W series | Awarded "Plate of the Year" for best new standard-issue license plate of 1995 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 and, to date, only time Texas has been so honored. Co-recipient with Pennsylvania Vehicle registration plates of Pennsylvania The U.S. state of Pennsylvania first issued vehicle registration plates in 1906. Until 1979, the embossed date or sticker on the plate represented the date of issue, as opposed to the rest of North America, where it represented the date of expiry... . |
|
1996 | State flag to left of state name. | The Lone Star State | ABC-12D | ? to ZZZ-99Z | Returned to previous base. Some late Z-series plates made on next series' graphic sheeting, with state flag to right of state name. |
|
1998 | State flag to right of state name. | The Lone Star State | A12-BCD | B01-BBB to ? | Some early B-series plates made on previous series' graphic sheeting, with state flag to left of state name. |
| 1999 | Dark blue on reflective white with graphic scene of space shuttle Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons... and cowboy Cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of... . |
The Lone Star State | A12-BCD | ? to Z99-ZZZ | ||
|
2004 | 123-ABC | 001-BBB to ? | |||
| 2005 | Revised version of 1999 base: state flag Flag of Texas The Flag of the State of Texas is defined by law as follows:The Texas flag is known as the "Lone Star Flag" . This flag was introduced to the Congress of the Republic of Texas on December 28, 1838, by Senator William H. Wharton... motif added to state outline, flag of the United States Flag of the United States The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows... added to space shuttle; seven stars in top left corner made more prominent in commemoration of Space Shuttle Columbia disaster Space Shuttle Columbia disaster The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred on February 1, 2003, when shortly before it was scheduled to conclude its 28th mission, STS-107, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas and Louisiana during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, resulting in the death of all seven crew members... , which occurred over the state; small changes to other graphic elements such as cowboy and vegetation along bottom of plate. |
The Lone Star State | 123-ABC | ? to 999-ZZZ | ||
| 2007 | ABC-123 | BBB-001 to present | Still in use on many cars bought before the license plate update | |||
| 2009 | First standard-issue non-embossed license plate issued in Texas; features the Davis Mountains Davis Mountains The Davis Mountains are a range of mountains in West Texas, located near Fort Davis, after which they are named. They are a popular site for camping and hiking and the region includes Fort Davis National Historic Site and Davis Mountains State Park... against a sky backdrop, with a lone star and streaks of red and blue in the upper-left corner; state motto is retained on the bottom |
The Lone Star State | AB1-C234 |
(Trucks)
(Passenger Vehicles)
(Semi-Trailer Tractors) |
||
|
August 2010 | The Lone Star State | AB1-2345 (Trucks) |
(Trucks) |