License Plates by State 2024

In the United States, getting your driver’s license is only the first step to legally operating a vehicle. There are other costs associated with purchasing and driving a car. You must also purchase insurance, pass an emissions inspection in others, and pay for vehicle registration to obtain a license plate in all states.

You receive a license plate when you register your vehicle in your state. The price that you will pay to register and receive your plate varies by state. Where you display your plates on your vehicle also varies by state and the license plate design.

In some states, only a rear plate is required. Those states are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah (as of Jan. 01, 2025), and West Virginia. The remaining states require front and rear plates for all vehicles. Each state has its own unique design for license plates, all of which are listed in the table below.

In addition to standard-issue plates, residents of each state can pay extra money to receive special plates. There are plates available for different professions, alma maters, sororities, groups, and clubs. A driver can also pay for vanity plates, which allows the driver to choose a personalized combination of numbers and letters.