Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

first required its residents to register their

motor vehicle A motor vehicle, also known as motorized vehicle or automotive vehicle, is a self-propelled land vehicle, commonly wheeled, that does not operate on Track (rail transport), rails (such as trains or trams) and is used for the transportation of pe ...

s and display

license plates A vehicle registration plate, also known as a number plate (British English), license plate (American English), or licence plate (Canadian English), is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identificat ...

in 1921, while still an

organized incorporated territory of the United States The territory of the United States and its overseas possessions has evolved over time, from the colonial era to the present day. It includes formally organized territories, proposed and failed states, unrecognized breakaway states, internationa ...

. It was admitted to the Union as the 49th state in January 1959. , plates are issued by the

Alaska Department of Administration Alaska Department of Administration is a state-level agency that is responsible for providing administrative services to Alaska's Government of Alaska, government agencies. Background The Alaska Department of Administration provides several adm ...

through its Division of Motor Vehicles. Only rear plates have been required for standard passenger vehicles since August 11, 2022.https://www.facebook.com/AlaskaDMV/posts/pfbid02xQPmwMYLV63MrQdjBTU2U1uLdF2PvhGnw4zEyWdkkrqhVwS9zovWBp2Df4wmw7T4l On vehicles with two license plates, only the rear plate is required to be stickered.http://www.state.ak.us/dmv/plates/index.htm Alaska DMV License Plates

Passenger baseplates

1921 to 1952

No slogans were used on passenger plates during the period covered by this subsection.

1953 to present

In 1956, the United States, Canada, and Mexico came to an agreement with the

American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) is a non-governmental, voluntary, tax-exempt, nonprofit educational association. AAMVA is a private corporation which strives to develop model programs in motor vehicle administration, ...

, the

Automobile Manufacturers Association The Automobile Manufacturers Association was a trade group of automobile manufacturers which operated under various names in the United States from 1911 to 1999. A different group called the Automobile Manufacturers' Association was active in the ...

and the

National Safety Council The National Safety Council (NSC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, public service organization promoting health and safety in the United States. Headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, NSC is a member organization, founded in 1913 and granted a congressi ...

that standardized the size for license plates for vehicles (except those for

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

s) at in height by in width, with standardized mounting holes. The 1955 (dated 1956) issue was the first Alaska license plate that complied with these standards. All plates issued since 1981 remain valid with proper validation.

Alternative passenger plates

1973 plate controversy

A new plate design was to have been introduced in 1973, featuring the state flag in the center of the plate and a new ABC 123 serial format. During 1972, nine thousand pairs of these plates were produced, but before they could be issued they were rejected by

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

William A. Egan, who objected to the use of dots rather than stars in the state flag. The plates were instead considered prototypes, with their elements being used on future plates: the revalidation sticker box in the top left corner was used on the 1974 and 1975 versions of the 1970 plate; the ABC 123 serial format was adopted in 1976; and the "Last Frontier" plates issued since 1981 have the state flag in the center (with stars). These prototype plates are common enough to be easily found among license plate collectors.

Non-passenger and optional types

Alaska offers a variety of optional plates that motorists may display upon the payment of an additional fee as well as non-passenger plate types that are displayed on vehicles for specialized uses.

Discontinued

References

External links

Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles—License Plate Information

Royce's Alaskan License Plates
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vehicle Registration Plates Of Alaska

Transportation in Alaska

Vehicle registration Motor vehicle registration is the registration of a motor vehicle with a government authority, either compulsory or otherwise. The purpose of motor vehicle registration is to establish a link between a vehicle and an owner or user of the vehicle. Th ...