The U.S. state of

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

first required its residents to register their

motor vehicle A motor vehicle, also known as a motorized vehicle, automotive vehicle, automobile, or road vehicle, is a self-propelled land vehicle, commonly wheeled, that does not operate on railway track, rails (such as trains or trams), does not fly (such ...

s in 1903. Registrants provided their own

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

s for display until 1909, when the state began to issue plates. , plates are issued by the

Minnesota Department of Public Safety The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) is a department of the State of Minnesota in the United States. DPS is an enforcement, licensing and services agency that develops and operates programs in the areas of law enforcement, traffic saf ...

through its Driver and Vehicle Services Division. Front and rear plates are required for most classes of vehicles, while only rear plates are required for motorcycles and trailers.

Passenger baseplates

1909 to 1954

1955 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 501(c)(3) nonprofit trade association based in Arlington, Virginia that operates in the United States and Canada on behalf of motor vehicle licensing and registration agencies. ...

, the

Automobile Manufacturers Association The Automobile Manufacturers Association was a trade group of automobile manufacturers that operated under various names in the United States from 1911 to 1999. It was replaced by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. Early names A differen ...

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 congress ...

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

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike; uni (if one-wheeled); trike (if three-wheeled); quad (if four-wheeled)) is a lightweight private 1-to-2 passenger personal motor vehicle Steering, steered by a Motorcycle handlebar, handlebar from a saddle-style ...

s) at in height by in width, with standardized mounting holes. The 1954 (dated 1955) issue was the first Minnesota license plate that complied with these standards. Since 1989, Minnesota law has required license plates to be replaced every seven years, due to deterioration of the reflective material.

Optional plates

Non-passenger plates

References

External links

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

Transportation in Minnesota 1909 in transport Minnesota transportation-related lists