The U.S. state of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

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 plate 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 identificati ...

s in 1906. , plates are issued by the

Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (Virginia DMV) is the governmental agency responsible for registering and titling automobiles and other motor vehicles as well as licensing drivers in the Commonwealth of Virginia Virginia, offic ...

(DMV). Front and rear plates are required for most classes of vehicles, while only rear plates are required for motorcycles and trailers.

Motor vehicle registration statistics

As of 2008, the DMV has 7,698,416 active registrations, 1,696,795 (22%) of which are special or personalized plates. In 2008, 1,624,146 pairs of license plates were sold, with 831,361 of them being personalized plates.

Passenger baseplates

1906 to 1972

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 first Virginia license plate that complied with these standards was issued eight years beforehand, in 1948. No slogans were used on passenger plates during the period covered by this subsection.

1973 to present

Non-passenger plates

Optional plates

Virginia offers 333 optional license plate

Most can be personalized for an additional fee.

Temporary plates

Virginia temporary tags, 1989.png, 1989

Type codes

References

External links

Virginia license plates, 1969−present
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vehicle Registration Plates Of Virginia Vehicle registration plates of the United States by state, Virginia Transportation in Virginia Virginia transportation-related lists