Vehicle registration plates of Georgia (U.S. state)
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The U.S. state of Georgia first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1910. Since then the state has used a variety of license plate designs, including different designs for passenger, non-passenger, and, more recently, specialty or optional plates.
Contents
Passenger plates 1910 to 1970
For sixty years, between 1910 and 1970, Georgia issued plates annually. The plates were dated with the year of expiry. In 1940, the slogan "Peach State" was added to the plates and used for the next thirty years. County coding was introduced in 1957 and it was revised in 1962. The 1962 codes were used through 1970.
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 1954 (dated 1955) issue was the first Georgia license plate that met with these standards.
Image | Dates issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1910 | White on black | none | 123 | unknown | ||
1914 | Grey on white | none | 12345 | unknown | ||
150px | 1941 | Orange embossed lettering and border on navy base | Peach State | 123-4AB | unknown | Peach logo sticker in center. |
150px | 1950 | Black embossed lettering and border on unpainted aluminum base | Peach State | A-12345; A/B-12345 | unknown | |
150px | 1951 | Green embossed lettering and border on unpainted aluminum base | Peach State | A-12345; A/B-12345 | unknown | |
150px | 1955 | Yellow embossed lettering and border on black base | Peach State | A-12345; A/B-12345 | unknown | |
1969 | white on black | Peach State | Coded by county of issuance and vehicle weight:
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1970 | white on light blue | Peach State | Coded by county of issuance and vehicle weight:
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Passenger plates 1971 to present
In 1971, the first stickers with the full county name appeared in place of the "Peach State" slogan, repalacing the numeric county codes. The plates began to be coded with the vehicle weight, a practice that continued until about 1980 or 1981.
The 1983 plate also retained the ABC 123 serial format
For the 1990 plate, the serial format is again ABC 123, but in early 1996, ZZZ 999 is reached, and the format changes to ABC 1234 with narrow dies.
As of 2008[update], standard passenger plates on the 1997 base may continue to be revalidated through the present at the discretion of the owner, who may instead choose to receive a new plate of the current design, although issuance of this design ceased in December 2003. Original serial formats were 000 AAA, 0000 AA (although not all letter series), and 00000 QA with narrow dies. In March 2001 a format of 0000 AAA was introduced, running until the mid-AWT series before the base and serial format are changed.
In December 2003 a 2005-dated base was introduced for new registrations. Beginning at approximately AVA 0001, the debossed left sticker box was removed, as in approximately November 2006 the state switched to a single sticker displaying both month and year of expiry, a practice that would be continued on the 2007 base.
The 2007 base retains the peach state outline graphic, but it is shifted to the center of the plate, instead of being slightly off-center to the left as in the previous design. This base continued the serial sequence of the prior base. The state's various non-passenger and optional issues gradually migrated to the new base as supplies of the old base were exhausted. As of July 2009[update], not all types have yet made the transition.
Image | Dates issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials Issued | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
150px | 1971-75 | First multi-year plate: blue on white, dated "71" in top left corner. | none | ABC 123 (coded by vehicle weight) | AAA 101 to approximately LVO 985 | |
150px | 1976-79 | Red on white, dated "76" in top left corner, embossed state name. | none | ABC 123 (initially coded by vehicle weight) | AAA 101 to approximately TER 359 | |
150px | 1980-82 | Red on white, dated "76" in top left corner, screened state name. | ABC 123 | ? to approximately YAA 101 | ||
1983-89 | Green on white, screened 19 and 83 in top corners. | none, Peach State (Vanity Plates) | ABC 123 | AAA 101 to approximately WBP 731 | ||
1990 - February 1996 | Black on gradient orange and white with orange and green peach graphic at top center, dated "19" and "90" in top corners. | none | ABC 123 | AAA 101 to ZZZ 999 | ||
150px | March 1996 - January 1997 | ABC 1234 | AAA 1001 to approximately ADA 1001 | |||
150px | February 1997 | Black on white with orange and green peach graphic at center and "... on my mind" slogan at top right, dated "98" in lower right sticker box. | ... on my mind | 123 ABC | 101 AAA to 999 ZZZ | Letters Q, U, and V used only in XAA series and later. |
April 1997 | 1234 AB | at least Q, R, S, and T series | ||||
150px | July 1997 - February 2001 | 12345 QA | 10001 QA to approximately 49945 QG | |||
150px | March 2001 - November 2003 | 1234 ABC | 1001 AAA to approximately 5582 AWT | |||
150px | December 2003 - April 2007 | Black on gradient grey and white with orange and green peach graphic and state outline at center and "www.GEORGIA.gov" slogan at top in white, dated "05" in lower right sticker box. | www.GEORGIA.gov | ABC 1234 | AAA 0001 to approximately AVM 9999; at least some late AVx series plates; AWB 0001 to approximately AWB 1750 | |
150px | May 2007 - April 2012 | The www.GEORGIA.gov base is modified to remove the grey gradient in favor of a plain white background. The "www." is dropped, and "GEORGIA.gov" appears in black in a larger font at the top of the plate. | GEORGIA.gov | ABC 1234 | approximately AVN 0001 to BGP series, excluding at least some late AVx series plates and AWB 0001 to approximately AWB 1750; BVA series to BWP series; BGP series and up. | |
150px | May 2012 - present | Black on sky with rolling hills, Peachtree, and peaches | Peach State GEORGIA | ABC1234 | PAA series to QAL series (or higher), then CAR series and up (alternating with plain design). Also, In God We Trust slogan can be printed on the bottom in lieu of county name. | |
150px | May 2012 - present | Black on white reflective base | GEORGIA | ABC1234 | PFA series to PLZ series, then QAA series to QAH series (or higher), then CAR series and up (alternating with "Peach State" design) |
County coding
The county codes used on license plates between 1957 and 1961 were based the population for each county. Those used between 1962 and 1970 were based on the updated 1960 census figures. After 1970, decals of the county names were put on the license plates instead of the numerical system.[1][2]
Non-passenger and optional types
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Georgia was one of the first states to issue optional plates, introducing commemorative issues for several of its in-state colleges and universities in 1983.[citation needed] The only requirement is a minimum of 1000 plates ordered, thus the state has made plates for fans of Auburn University in Alabama and Clemson University in South Carolina, while refusing to produce plates for its own colleges and even some of its universities.
The number of optional types has increased since 1983; Georgia currently offers many specialty or optional license plates, most at an extra cost to motorists.[3] Unlike other states, where much of the extra money goes to support the cause shown on the plates, Georgia state government keeps the money for itself in the general fund.
Effective with the 2005 base, the state streamlined the ever-growing number of limited-issuance plates by instituting two-letter prefixes for almost all types other than standard passenger plates. Most of these plate types first appeared on the www.GEORGIA.gov base and are currently migrating to the new GEORGIA.gov base.
The state also offers plates for non-passenger vehicles, such as trucks, school buses, and government vehicles.
References
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- ↑ Georgia Department of Revenue