| Slogan Label: | Slogan |
| Slogan: | 175th Emancipation |
| Size: | 12x |
| Material: | Aluminum |
| Serial Format: | ABC 123 (coded by island of issuance) |
| Current Start Date: | [1] |
The U.S. unincorporated territory of the United States Virgin Islands first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1917.
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.[2] The U.S. Virgin Islands also adopted these standards in 1956, having issued plates 6 inches in height by 12 inches in width (with non-standard mounting holes) since 1952.[3]
| Image | Dates issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | Off-white on black | none | 123 | ||||
123 | 1932 | White on dark blue | none | 123 | |||
123 | 1933 | White on maroon | none | 123 | |||
123 | 1934 | White on dark blue | none | 123 | |||
123 | 1935 | Dark blue on white | none | 123 | |||
123 | 1936 | Yellow on red | none | 123 | |||
123 | 1937 | Yellow on black | none | 123 | |||
123 | 1938 | Black on white | none | 123 | |||
| 1939 | White on maroon | none | C-123 T-123 | Coded by island of issuance | 'C' was used on St. Croix, and 'T' on St. Thomas and St. John. This practice continued until 1975. | ||
| 1940 | White on black | none | C-123 T-123 | Coded by island of issuance | |||
| 1941 | Blue on white | none | C-123 T-123 | Coded by island of issuance | |||
| White on blue | none | C-123 T-123 | Coded by island of issuance | Revalidated for 1943 with yellow tabs, and for 1944 with windshield stickers. | |||
| 1945 | White on blue | none | C-123 T-123 | Coded by island of issuance | |||
| 1946 | Blue on ivory | none | C-123 T-123 | Coded by island of issuance | |||
| 1947 | Off-white on black | none | C-123 T-123 | Coded by island of issuance | |||
| 1948 | Blue on ivory | none | C-123 T-123 | Coded by island of issuance | |||
| 1949 | Silver on black | none | C-123 T-123 | Coded by island of issuance | |||
| 1950 | Black on yellow | none | C-123 T-123 | Coded by island of issuance | |||
| 1951 | Black on orange | none | C-123 T-123 | Coded by island of issuance | |||
| 1952 | Yellow on green | Tropical Playground | C-123 T-123 | Coded by island of issuance | |||
| 1953 | Green on yellow | Tropical Playground | C-123 T-1234 | Coded by island of issuance | |||
| 1954 | Green on white | Tropical Playground | C-1234 T-1234 | Coded by island of issuance | |||
| 1955 | Red on white | Tropical Playground | C-1234 T-1234 | Coded by island of issuance | |||
| 1956 | Blue on white | Tropical Playground | C-1234 T-1234 | Coded by island of issuance | |||
| 1957 | Blue on yellow | Tropical Playground | C-1234 T-1234 | Coded by island of issuance | |||
| 1958 | Green on white | Tropical Playground | C-1234 T-1234 | Coded by island of issuance | |||
| 1959 | Red on white | Tropical Playground | C-1234 T-1234 | Coded by island of issuance | |||
| 1960 | White on blue | Tropical Playground | C-1234 T-1234 | Coded by island of issuance | |||
| 1961 | Brown on orange | Tropical Playground | C-1234 T-1234 | Coded by island of issuance | |||
| 1962 | Off-white on green | Tropical Playground | C-1234 T-1234 | Coded by island of issuance | |||
| 1963 | White on blue | Vacation Adventure | C-1234 T-1234 | Coded by island of issuance | |||
| 1964 | White on red | Vacation Adventure | C-1234 T-1234 | Coded by island of issuance | |||
| 1965 | Green on yellow | Vacation Adventure | C-1234 T-1234 | Coded by island of issuance | |||
| 1966 | White on black | Vacation Adventure | C-1234 T-1234 | Coded by island of issuance | |||
| 1967 | White on blue | Vacation Adventure | C-1234 T-1234 | Coded by island of issuance |
| Image | Dates issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | White on black | American Paradise | C-12345 T-12345 | Coded by island of issuance | Revalidated for 1969 and 1970 with plate stickers. | |
| As above, but without "68" | ||||||
| 1971–74 | White on dark blue | American Paradise | C-12345 T-12345 | Coded by island of issuance | Revalidated for 1972, 1973 and 1974 with plate stickers. | |
| 1975–77 | White on lime green | American Paradise | C-12345 T-12345 J-123 | Coded by island of issuance | 'J' code introduced for St. John. Revalidated for 1976 and 1977 with windshield stickers; plates continue to be revalidated in this manner today. | |
| 1978–80 | Blue on reflective white | American Paradise | C-12345 T-12345 J-123 | Coded by island of issuance | Monthly staggered registration introduced 1980. | |
| 1981–87 | Green on reflective white | American Paradise | C-12340 T-12340 J-1230 | Coded by island of issuance and month of expiration | The last digit of the serial corresponded to the expiration month (1 for January, 2 for February and so on up to 0 for October).[4] This practice continued until 2000. | |
| 1988–93 | Red on reflective white | American Paradise | C-12340 T-12340 J-1230 | Coded by island of issuance and month of expiration | ||
| 1994–99 | Red on reflective white with background image of islands | American Paradise | C-12340 T-12340 J-1230 | Coded by island of issuance and month of expiration | Some of these plates had a light blue background. | |
| 2000–05 | Black on reflective yellow with background image of islands | Our Islands, Our Home | CAA-001 to CCD-999 | |||
| TAB-123 | TAA-001 to TCE-999 | |||||
| JAB-123 | JAA-001 to JAG-500 | |||||
| 2006 – April 10, 2016 | Black on beach scene graphic | America's Caribbean | CAB 123 | CCE 001 to CET 999 | ||
| TAB 123 | TCF 001 to TEX 999 | |||||
| JAB 123 | JAG 501 to JAO 999 | |||||
| April 11, 2016[5] – February 28, 2023 | White on blue ocean background with orange island maps | Transfer Centennial | CAB 123 | CEY 001 to CGY 999 | Commemorates the 100th anniversary of the transfer of the islands from Denmark to the United States. | |
| TAB 123 | TEY 001 to TGX 999 | |||||
| JAB 123 | JAQ 001 to JAX 999 | |||||
| March 1, 2023 – present | Black embossed with top strip teal, middle strip white, and low strip gold with 175th Emancipation logo in middle | 175th Emancipation | CAB 123 | CGZ 001 to present | Commemorates the 175th Emancipation | |
| TAB 123 | TGY 001 to present | |||||
| JAB 123 | JAY 001 to present | |||||
