The U.S. state of

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

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 in 1905. Registrants provided their own

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 for display until 1915, when the state began to issue plates. , plates are issued by the

Washington State Department of Licensing Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

. Front and rear plates are required for most classes of vehicles, while only rear plates are required for motorcycles and trailers. The plates have been manufactured by incarcerated workers managed by the

Washington State Department of Corrections The Washington State Department of Corrections (WADOC) is a department of the government of the state of Washington (state), Washington. WADOC is responsible for administering adult corrections programs operated by the State of Washington. This in ...

since 1923. They are primarily produced at the

Washington State Penitentiary Washington State Penitentiary (also called the Walla Walla State Penitentiary) is a Washington State Department of Corrections men's prison located in Walla Walla, Washington. With an operating capacity of 2,200, it is the second largest priso ...

Walla Walla Walla Walla can refer to: * Walla Walla people, a Native American tribe after which the county and city of Walla Walla, Washington, are named * Place of many rocks in the Australian Aboriginal Wiradjuri language, the origin of the name of the town ...

, with some also made at the

Monroe Correctional Complex Monroe Correctional Complex is a Washington State Department of Corrections men's prison located in Monroe, Washington, United States. With an operating capacity of 2,500, it is the second largest prison in the state. It opened in 1910, 21 year ...

in Monroe.

Passenger baseplates

1915 to 1949

1950 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 first Washington license plate that complied with these standards was a modification of the 1954 plate, introduced in January 1956.

Non-passenger plates

County coding

Specialty plates

References

External links

Washington license plates, 1969–present
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vehicle Registration Plates Of Washington

Transportation in Washington (state) Washington (state) transportation-related lists