Southern state license plates

[krazeeboi]

Yeah, we noticed the Clemson color scheme. Maybe a garnet and black tag will win out next time, LOL.

[Rardy]

SC is going to fall to the bottom of this list with our new plate that will be debuting soon (and the public chose this out of three other proposals--this was definitely the ugliest of the three):

And then to top it off, we've got that cheesy "travel2sc.com" at the bottom. Yuck.

[davidals]

To a few older points: NC never has used front-and-back plates, only one. Likewise NC never has counties on the plate (which was something that predominated in the South from the 1950s-70s; it's been gradually going out of use since). At one time, most states around the country DID have a "county code" in the lettering, NC was among those states. It was scrapped in NC in 1974.

I don't have a pic, but VA just introduced a "Friends Of Tibet" specialty plate that looks really great; I'd buy one if NC offered it.

NC is 2nd only to DE for having the same current design for the longest amount of time. Delaware has changed their design once since WW2, and that was in 1961 or 62. FL has changed their basic design every few years, but the overall design - green/orange on white - has been in use (in some variation) since 1978. Ditto for VA - some changes (like the red at top & bottom), but the navy blue-on-white basic design/color scheme has been used since 1972; they changed the fonts in the early 90s.

Just for the sake of serious trivia, pre-mid-1970s, when plates changed every year, there were 2 basic patterns: states that had one color scheme, and just reversed the colors, or states that tried to come up with a new color scheme every year. AL, FL, GA, LA and SC were in that 2nd category, with a wide variety of color combinations: blue-on-yellow, peach-on-dark green, yellow-on-purple, navy-on-orange, white-on-various colors, et. al.

AR, TN, NC, KY, VA, MD, WV stuck with one or two combinations and would just switch them out from year-to-year: TN and VA were always black and white, KY & MD were blue and white, MS went through several years of brown and white, WV was blue and bright yellow, NC for ~30 years used black and gold (for another ~25 years NC used either red or green on white). AR has been doing the red & white thing forever.

[Rardy]

To a few older points: NC never has used front-and-back plates, only one. Likewise NC never has counties on the plate (which was something that predominated in the South from the 1950s-70s; it's been gradually going out of use since).

[poonther]

FL gives you the option of having a tag w/your county name on it or just the generic Sunshine State.

Are Alabama and Indiana the only two states left where the county is identified by the first or the first two numbers on the tag?

As a native of Alabama, I actually love that system b/c it acts like a "secret code" to past and present residents. Often we are driving down the highway and we see an Alabama tag and I say "hey they are from Selma" Often times folks will ask me how I know where they are from and then I tell them the "secret."

So how is the State of Alabama still justifying that Montgomery County is number 3 (the first three largest counties in AL get numbers 1,2,3 then the rest are in alphabetical order?) Madison for several years now has been bigger and now much bigger than Montgomery County.

I was born in 3 but raised in 55.

[Rardy]

I was born in 3 but raised in 55.

[jmanhsv]

Are Alabama and Indiana the only two states left where the county is identified by the first or the first two numbers on the tag?

As a native of Alabama, I actually love that system b/c it acts like a "secret code" to past and present residents. Often we are driving down the highway and we see an Alabama tag and I say "hey they are from Selma" Often times folks will ask me how I know where they are from and then I tell them the "secret."

So how is the State of Alabama still justifying that Montgomery County is number 3 (the first three largest counties in AL get numbers 1,2,3 then the rest are in alphabetical order?) Madison for several years now has been bigger and now much bigger than Montgomery County.

I was born in 3 but raised in 55.

[Lowerdeck]

SC is going to fall to the bottom of this list with our new plate that will be debuting soon (and the public chose this out of three other proposals--this was definitely the ugliest of the three):

And then to top it off, we've got that cheesy "travel2sc.com" at the bottom. Yuck.

[Alabadrock]

FL gives you the option of having a tag w/your county name on it or just the generic Sunshine State.

Are Alabama and Indiana the only two states left where the county is identified by the first or the first two numbers on the tag?

As a native of Alabama, I actually love that system b/c it acts like a "secret code" to past and present residents. Often we are driving down the highway and we see an Alabama tag and I say "hey they are from Selma" Often times folks will ask me how I know where they are from and then I tell them the "secret."

So how is the State of Alabama still justifying that Montgomery County is number 3 (the first three largest counties in AL get numbers 1,2,3 then the rest are in alphabetical order?) Madison for several years now has been bigger and now much bigger than Montgomery County.

I was born in 3 but raised in 55.

[Brent]

I love that SC plate. I find the dark foreground, vivid background very romantic. It

[TheCarolinaKing]

I agree, that new SC tag is terrible compared to the previous one. But my favorite is the FAMU Tag

[poonther]

TCK, I see the Rattler tag numerous times a day!

[Russ-Vegas]

AR, TN, NC, KY, VA, MD, WV stuck with one or two combinations and would just switch them out from year-to-year: TN and VA were always black and white, KY & MD were blue and white, MS went through several years of brown and white, WV was blue and bright yellow, NC for ~30 years used black and gold (for another ~25 years NC used either red or green on white). AR has been doing the red & white thing forever.

[TheCarolinaKing]

TCK, I see the Rattler tag numerous times a day!

[goodbye]

Yeah, we noticed the Clemson color scheme. Maybe a garnet and black tag will win out next time, LOL.

[goodbye]

Well, SC has two tags floating around right now. I like them both aestheticly, but my preference is towards the newest that they began issuing in 2004.

I list the year the tag's design was first issued beneath it.

...

SOUTH CAROLINA

1 9 9 9

2 0 0 4

...

I highly reccoment this site for all of your license plate queries: http://www.15q.net/usindex.html

[Tennesseestorm]

I am not sure if it was posted, but Tennessee got a new plate for the 2007 year.

[RestedTraveler]

SC is going to fall to the bottom of this list with our new plate that will be debuting soon (and the public chose this out of three other proposals--this was definitely the ugliest of the three):

And then to top it off, we've got that cheesy "travel2sc.com" at the bottom. Yuck.

[Spatula]

NC's license plate is classic. I like it a lot. I don't like the other license plates.

[fla_tiger]

For some strange reason, Louisianians have always had an affinity for LOTS of numbers on their Tags:

Looking back to the 20s and through the 90s.......

the raised text was AWESOME!

Tags in the 80's and 90's included familiar slogans.

I am fond of the use of the state bird, the Brown Pelican, and its' image has returned to recently issued tags...

Of course, like other states, there are too many specialized tags to list. Some of my favorites are environment related...

Sign of the times , only now it needs to be updated with NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 2003/2007.

GEAUX TIGERS!!!

plate images courtesy of..ebay, omv.dps and LADMV

[smeagolsfree]

In Tennessee: these are the following plates that are available:

14 specialty club plates

http://www.tennessee.gov/revenue/vehicle/l...clubs/clubs.htm

43 college and university plates

http://www.tennessee.gov/revenue/vehicle/l...ege/college.htm

2 disabled plates

http://www.tennessee.gov/revenue/vehicle/l...ed/disabled.htm

6 emergency management plates

http://www.tennessee.gov/revenue/vehicle/l...y/emergency.htm

28 military plates

http://www.tennessee.gov/revenue/vehicle/l...ns/military.htm

36 misc. plates

http://www.tennessee.gov/revenue/vehicle/l...s/misc/misc.htm

5 new plates

http://www.tennessee.gov/revenue/vehicle/l...s/newplates.htm

1 sports plate

http://www.tennessee.gov/revenue/vehicle/l...orts/sports.htm

If you are counting, that is 135 different specialty plates. Way too many IMO. There was a push to reduce the number of plates but that failed last year in the legislature and they even added the 5 new plates.

[Rural King]

If you are counting, that is 135 different specialty plates. Way too many IMO. There was a push to reduce the number of plates but that failed last year in the legislature and they even added the 5 new plates.

[suburban george3]

Having lived in TN and travel thru the state often, it seems as if their program of specialty plates is quite successful. I see a myriad of these plates on cars thru the state, so the program is marketed quite well. I think the clerks' displays (which I have seen at the county clerks office in Johnson Co when I pay some various taxes there) help immensely. I know here in NC when I go to the tag office (usually contracted) there are only a few of our options on display.

[smeagolsfree]

Make it 136 now. There is a new Elvis plate. Will it ever end????

[Rural King]

^ I would have to say - no. LOL I can't see it ending anytime soon, since as long as folks buy the existing ones and new enthusiasts come out and support new plate iniatives the legislature is probably going to keep allowing them to be created.