| Slogan Label: | Slogan |
| Slogan: | Grand Canyon State |
| Size: | 12x |
| Material: | Aluminum |
| Serial Format: | 6-character alphanumeric combinations |
| Current Start Date: | 1996 |
| Issuer: | Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division |
| Start Date: | (pre-state plates from 1912 to December 31, 1913) |
The U.S. state of Arizona first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1912. Registrants provided their own license plates for display until 1914, when the state began to issue plates.
Plates are currently issued by the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) through its Motor Vehicle Division (MVD). Only rear plates have been required since 1989.
In Arizona, the license plate belongs to the vehicle owner. This allows for the transfer of a plate from one vehicle to another.[1]
The current design was introduced in 1996 and was designed by Walter Punzmann.[2]
| Image | Dates issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | Embossed white serial on blue plate; "ARIZ 1914" at right | none | 1234 | 1 to approximately 5000 | |||
| 1915 | Embossed black serial on white plate; "ARIZ 1915" at right | none | 1234 | 1 to approximately 7500 | |||
| 1916 | Embossed black serial on copper plate with border line; vertical "ARIZ" and "1916" at left and right respectively | none | 12345 | 1 to approximately 12500 | |||
| 1917 | Embossed white serial on black plate; embossed steer head graphic at left with "ARIZ" above and "1917" below | none | 12345 | 1 to approximately 20000 | |||
| 1918 | Embossed dark blue serial on olive-gray plate; "1918 ARIZ" at right | none | 12345 | 1 to approximately 24000 | |||
| 1919 | Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "ARIZ 1919" at left | none | 12345 | 1 to approximately 29000 | |||
| 1920 | Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; vertical "ARIZ" and "1920" at left and right respectively | none | 12345 | 1 to approximately 35000 | |||
| 1921 | Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; stylized "ARIZ" and "21" at right | none | 12345 | 1 to approximately 36000 | |||
| 1922 | Embossed green serial on white plate with border line; vertical "ARIZ" and "1922" at left and right respectively | none | 1-12345 10-1234 | Coded by county of issuance (1 or 10) | |||
| 1923 | Embossed dark blue serial on white plate with border line; stylized vertical "ARIZ" and "23" at left | none | 1-12345 10-1234 | Coded by county of issuance (1 or 10) | |||
| 1924 | Embossed white serial on dark blue plate with border line; "24" and stylized vertical "ARIZ" at left | none | 1-12345 10-1234 | Coded by county of issuance (1 or 10) | |||
| 1925 | Embossed black serial on copper plate with border line; "ARIZONA" at bottom, offset to left; vertical "1925" at right | none | 1-12345 10-1234 | Coded by county of issuance (1 or 10) | First use of the full state name. | ||
| 1926 | Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "ARIZONA" at bottom, offset to left; vertical "1926" at right | none | 1-12345 10-1234 | Coded by county of issuance (1 or 10) | |||
| 1927 | Embossed black serial on copper plate with border line; "ARIZONA" at bottom, offset to left; vertical "1927" at right | none | 1-12345 10-1234 | Coded by county of issuance (1 or 10) | |||
| 1928 | Embossed red serial on copper plate with border line; "ARIZONA" at bottom, offset to right; vertical "1928" at left | none | 1-12345 10-1234 | Coded by county of issuance (1 or 10) | |||
| 1929 | Embossed slanted orange serial on black plate with border line; slanted "19 ARIZ 29" centered at bottom | none | 123-456 | Issued in blocks by county | |||
| 1930 | Embossed slanted black serial on white plate; slanted "ARIZONA" and "1930" centered at top and bottom respectively; letter at top left denoting county of issuance | none | Issued in blocks by county | ||||
| 1931 | Embossed slanted black serial on orange plate; slanted "1931" and "ARIZONA" centered at top and bottom respectively; letter at top left denoting county of issuance | none | 12-34-56 | Issued in blocks by county | |||
| 1932 | Embossed slanted white serial on copper plate; slanted "ARIZONA-1932" at top | none | 1AB1 1A1B AA12 A1A2 | Coded by county of issuance (1 or A) | |||
| 1933 | Debossed slanted copper serial within embossed black rectangle on copper plate; slanted "ARIZONA-1933" at bottom | none | 1AB1 1A1B AA12 A1A2 | Coded by county of issuance (1 or A) | |||
| 1934 | Debossed slanted copper serial within embossed light blue rectangle on copper plate; slanted "ARIZONA-1934" at top | none | 1AB1 1A1B AA12 A1A2 | Coded by county of issuance (1 or A) | |||
| 1935 | Embossed slanted black serial within black rectangular outline on copper plate; slanted "ARIZONA-1935" at bottom | none | 1AB1 1A1B AA12 A1A2 | Coded by county of issuance (1 or A) | |||
| 1936 | Embossed black serial on copper plate; vertical "ARIZ" and "1936" at left and right respectively; county name centered at bottom | none | 1A B1 1A 1B AA 12 A1 A2 | Coded by county of issuance (1 or A) | |||
| 1937 | Embossed black serial on copper plate with border line; "ARIZONA-37" and county name centered at top and bottom respectively | none | A1-234 | Coded by county of issuance (A) | |||
| 1938 | Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "ARIZONA-38" and county name centered at top and bottom respectively | none | A1234 | Coded by county of issuance (A) | |||
| 1939 | Embossed black serial on copper plate; "ARIZONA" centered at top; vertical "1539" and "1939" at left and right respectively | "MARCOS DE NIZA" centered at bottom | A12345 | Coded by county of issuance (A) | Commemorated the 400th anniversary of the expedition of Fray Marcos de Niza. | ||
| 1940 | Embossed dark blue serial on white plate; "ARIZONA-40" centered at top | "GRAND CANYON STATE" at bottom | A12345 | Coded by county of issuance (A) | First use of the "Grand Canyon State" slogan. | ||
| 1941 | Embossed black serial on copper plate; "ARIZONA-41" centered at bottom | "GRAND CANYON STATE" at top | A12345 | Coded by county of issuance (A) | |||
| Embossed black serial on white plate; "42-ARIZONA" centered at top | "GRAND CANYON STATE" at bottom | A123 1A234 12A345 | Coded by county of issuance (A) | Revalidated for 1943 and 1944 with windshield stickers, due to metal conservation for World War II. | |||
| 1945–46 | Embossed black serial on white plate; "ARIZ. 45" centered at top | none | A1234 | Coded by county of issuance (A) | Revalidated for 1946 with windshield stickers. | ||
| 1947 | Embossed red serial on unpainted aluminum plate; "ARIZ. 47" centered at top | "GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottom | 1234 | Coded by county of issuance | |||
| 1948 | Embossed black serial on unpainted aluminum plate; "ARIZ. 48" centered at top | "GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottom | 1234 | Coded by county of issuance | |||
| 1949 | Embossed green serial on waffle-textured unpainted aluminum plate; "ARIZONA 49" centered at top | "GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottom | A-12345 | Coded by county of issuance (A) | |||
| 1950–51 | Embossed black serial on white plate; "ARIZONA 50" centered at top | "GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottom | A-12345 | Coded by county of issuance (A) | Revalidated for 1951 with aluminum tabs. | ||
| 1952–53 | Embossed white serial on black plate; "ARIZONA 52" centered at top | "GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottom | A-12345 | Coded by county of issuance (A) | Revalidated for 1953 with black tabs. | ||
| 1954–55 | Embossed black serial on white plate; "ARIZONA 54" centered at top | "GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottom | A-12345 | Coded by county of issuance (A) | Revalidated for 1955 with aluminum tabs. |
In 1956, the United States, Canada, and Mexico came to an agreement with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Automobile Manufacturers Association, and the National Safety Council that standardized the size for license plates for vehicles (except those for motorcycles) at 6inches in height by 12inches in width, with standardized mounting holes.[3] The 1955 (dated 1956) issue was the first Arizona license plate that complied with these standards.
| Image | Dates issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "ARIZONA 56" centered at top | "GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottom | A-12345 | Coded by county of issuance (A) | Revalidated for 1957 and 1958 with stickers. | ||
| 1959–60 | Embossed white serial on blue plate with border line; "ARIZONA 59" centered at top | "GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottom | ABC-123 | AAA-001 to approximately BDY-999 | Revalidated for 1960 with stickers. Letters I, O and Q not used in serials; this practice continued through 1965.[4] | |
| 1961–63 | Embossed blue serial on white plate with border line; "ARIZONA 61" centered at top | "GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottom | ABC-123 | CAA-001 to approximately DMC-999 | Revalidated for 1962 and 1963 with stickers. | |
| 1964–65 | Embossed white serial on blue plate with border line; "ARIZONA 64" centered at top | "GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottom | ABC-123 | EAA-001 to approximately FMJ-999 | Revalidated for 1965 with stickers. | |
| 1966–68 | Embossed black serial on reflective white plate with border line; "ARIZONA 66" centered at top | "GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottom | ABC-123 | HAA-001 to JZZ-999; NAA-001 to approximately NEF-999 | Revalidated for 1967 and 1968 with stickers. Letters I, O, Q and U not used in serials; this practice continues today. | |
| 1969–72 | Embossed black serial on reflective yellow plate with border line; "ARIZONA 69" centered at top | "GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottom | ABC-123 | KAA-001 to MZZ-999; YAA-001 to approximately YDF-999 | Revalidated for 1970, 1971, and 1972 with stickers. | |
| 1973–80 | Embossed green serial on reflective pale orange plate with border line; "ARIZONA 73" centered at top | "GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottom | ABC-123 | PAA-001 to approximately WNJ-999 | Revalidated with stickers until 1990. | |
| 1980–96 | Embossed reflective white serial with saguaro cactus separator on maroon plate with border line; "ARIZONA" centered at top | "GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottom | ABC-123 | AAA-001 to approximately NXG-200 | Front and rear plates issued until around the ETT series (1989); rear plates only thereafter. Still currently revalidated. | |
| 1996 – January 2008 | Embossed dark green serial on reflective graphic plate with desert scene featuring turquoise, white, and orange gradient sky, white setting sun and purple mountains and cacti; "ARIZONA" screened in turquoise, with white outlines, centered at top | "GRAND CANYON STATE" screened in dark green below serial, offset to right | 123·ABC | 001·AAA to 999·ZZZ | Awarded "Plate of the Year" for best new license plate of 1996 by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association, the first time Arizona was so honored. | |
| January 2008[5] – April 2020 | As above, but with serial screened and security threads added to center of plate | ABC1234 | AAA0001 to approximately CWX9999 | CWL0001 to CWX9999 used on rental cars since 2020. | ||
| April 2020 – January 2021 | Various | AAA0AAA to approximately SXA6DTA | Also called "Alphabet Soup" plates, this switch occurred after ADOT introduced a new computer coding system for plates, the old system having dated from the mid-1980s.[6] [7] These were reported as "random" combinations but actually increment in a non-standard order. Except for the fourth digit in each plate, which is always a number, all other positions can be either letters or numbers; each position uses the letters A–Z followed by the numbers 0–9. | |||
| February 2021 – present | Various formats, including ABC 1DE | AAA 0AA to X3A 2EW |
| County | 1922-23 | 1924-28 | 1930-31 | 1932-36 | 1937-38 | 1939-44 | 1945-58--> |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | A | 1-7 | A-E | A | ||
| 2 | 2 | B | 8, 9 | G | C | ||
| 3 | 3 | C | A-E | J, K | B | ||
| 4 | 4 | D | F, G | M | F | ||
| 5 | 5 | E | H, J, K | N | D | ||
| 6 | 6 | F | L, N | R | E | ||
| 7 | 7 | G | P, R | S | G | ||
| 8 | 8 | H | S | T | K | ||
| 9 | 9 | J | T | U | N | ||
| 10 | 10 | K | U | V | L | ||
| 11 | 11 | L | V | W | H | ||
| 12 | 12 | M | X | X | J | ||
| 14 | 14 | N | Y | Y | P | ||
| 13 | 15 | P | Z | Z | R |
| Image | Type | First issued | Design | Serial format | Notes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Alternative Fuel – Government | Blue on sky and clouds graphic | GA·12345 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alternative Fuel – Passenger | April 1997 | Blue on sky and clouds graphic | AF·1234 AF·123A AF·12A3 AF12A3 AF1A23 1A23AF | Early plates had a lighter-colored background. Serials became screened at around AF·00P1, and lost the separator at around AF00S1. Current high: 7M77AF (on April 22, 2020). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alternative Fuel – hybrid vehicle | 2008 | Blue on sky and clouds graphic | 12L N34 123 LN4 | Issuance ceased at 99L N99. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Amateur Radio | As passenger base. Starting in 1955, a radio tower graphic appears to the left of the serial, and "GRAND CANYON STATE" is replaced with "AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR" | FCC call sign | One of the earliest special plates that is still available as February 2013. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Apportioned | As passenger base, but with "APPORTIONED" in place of slogan | AB·12345 AB12345 | Began at AA·00001. AC series reserved for optional It Shouldn't Hurt to Be a Child plate, and AF series skipped to avoid confusion with Alternative Fuel passenger plates. Serials became screened midway through the AD series, and lost the separator at the start of the AH series. Current high: AK19982 (on November 9, 2020). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commercial | October 1997 | As passenger base | CB·12345 CB12345 | Began at CA·00001. Serials became screened early in the CF series, and lost the separator at the start of the CK series. Current high: CN65743 (on June 22, 2022). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disabled Person | 1996 | As passenger base | -1ABC|Large wheelchair embossed to left of serial with hyphen. First series used older dies.|-||Disabled Person|1997|As passenger base|ABC12|Small wheelchair embossed to left of serial. First series used older dies.|-||Historic Vehicle|1977|All-embossed red on copper|12A 1A2 1234 ABC1 12AB 123A 12A3 1A23|Dated-1977 base issued continuously through the present. Current serial is 12AB. |-||Manufacturer||As passenger base|MT-1234||-||Motorcycle|1996|Similar to passenger base| ABC1 1ABC AB1C A1BC 1A2B A12B||-||Trailer|1997|As passenger base|A-12345 12345-A|Letters J through Y (excluding O, Q and U) were used in the A-12345 format. Serials became screened late in the T series. |-||Transporter||As passenger base|XP-123A||} 1980 to 1996
Optional platesArizona offers its motorists a number of optional issue designs that are available upon the payment of an additional fee. Below is a partial list.
External links] |