Vehicle registration plates of Maine

Maine vehicle license plates

MaineCurrent series

Slogan| Vacationland
Size| 12 in × 6 in
30 cm × 15 cm
Material| Aluminum
Serial format| 123·ABC
Introduced| May 1, 2025 (2025-05-01)
Availability
Issued by| Department of the Secretary of State, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
History
First issued| June 1, 1905 (1905-06-01)

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The U.S. state of Maine first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1905. As of 2022[update], plates are issued by the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles, within the office of the Department of the Secretary of State. Front and rear plates are required for most classes of vehicles, while only rear plates are required for motorcycles and trailers.

Maine legislators effectively removed a potentially unconstitutional review process for vanity plates in 2015, which formerly was able to reject plates that were "obscene, contemptuous, profane or prejudicial."[1] Due to a proliferation of vulgar plates over the following years, the legislature directed the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to establish new rules for reviewing plates in 2021. The new rules ban profane or obscene language, language inciting violence, and derogatory references "to age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion or disability." A committee for vanity plates consults the online Urban Dictionary for assistance with "arcane lingo".[2]

## Passenger baseplates

[edit]

### 1905 to 1949

[edit]

Image  | Dates issued  | Design  | Slogan  | Serial format  | Serials issued  | Notes

|
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|
|
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1234

| 1905–11  | White serial on red porcelain plate; "MAINE" centered at bottom  | none | 12345  | 1 to approximately 10100  |

1234

| 1912  | Dark blue serial on yellow porcelain plate; "MAINE" centered at bottom  | none | 1234  | 1 to approximately 9200  |

1234

| 1913  | Yellow serial on dark blue porcelain plate; "MAINE" centered at bottom  | none | 12345  | 1 to approximately 11000  |

12345

| 1914  | White serial on dark blue porcelain plate; "MAINE 1914" at right  | none | 12345  | 1 to approximately 14500  | First dated plate.

12345

| 1915  | Dark blue serial on white porcelain plate; "MAINE 1915" at right  | none | 12345  | 1 to approximately 21500  |

12345

| 1916  | Embossed white serial on dark blue plate with border line; "MAINE 1916" at right  | none | 12345  | 1 to approximately 29000  |

12-345

| 1917  | Embossed dark blue serial on white plate with border line; "MAINE 1917" at right  | none | 12-345  | 1 to approximately 38-000  |
| 1918  | Dark green serial on white flat metal plate; "MAINE 1918" centered at bottom  | none | 12-345  | 1 to approximately 42-000  |

12-345

| 1919  | Embossed white serial on maroon plate with border line; "MAINE 1919" centered at bottom  | none | 12-345  | 1 to approximately 48-000  |

12345

| 1920  | Embossed maroon serial on white plate with border line; "MAINE 1920" centered at bottom  | none | 12-345  | 1 to approximately 54-000  |
| 1921  | Embossed white serial on maroon plate with border line; "MAINE 1921" centered at bottom  | none | 12-345  | 1 to approximately 68-000  |

12-345

| 1922  | Embossed white serial on dark blue plate with border line; "MAINE 1922" centered at bottom  | none | 12-345  | 1 to approximately 79-000  |

12-345

| 1923  | Embossed dark blue serial on white plate with border line; "MAINE 1923" centered at bottom  | none | 12-345  | 1 to approximately 90-000  |
| 1924  | As 1922 base, but with "MAINE 1924" at bottom  | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 105-000  |

123-456

| 1925  | As 1923 base, but with "MAINE 1925" at bottom  | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 115-000  |

123-456

| 1926  | Embossed golden yellow serial on dark blue plate with border line; "MAINE 1926" centered at bottom  | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 122-000  |
| 1927  | Embossed dark blue serial on golden yellow plate with border line; "MAINE 1927" centered at bottom  | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 130-000  |
| 1928  | Embossed dark blue serial on white plate with border line; "MAINE 1928" centered at bottom  | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 140-000  |

123-456

| 1929  | Embossed white serial on dark blue plate with border line; "MAINE 1929" centered at bottom  | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 145-000  |
| 1930  | Embossed white serial on red plate with border line; "MAINE 1930" centered at bottom  | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 150-000  |

123-456

| 1931  | Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "MAINE 1931" centered at bottom  | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 138-000  |

123-456

| 1932  | Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "MAINE 1932" centered at bottom  | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 164-000  |
| 1933  | Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "MAINE 1933" centered at bottom  | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 157-000  |

123-456

| 1934  | Embossed black serial on orange plate with border line; "MAINE '34" at bottom  | none | 1-234  | 1 to 9-999  | Small plates manufactured for 1934 and 1935 due to the Depression.[3] In both years, the state name and year were centered on plates with the 1-234 and A123 serial formats, and offset to the right on plates with the A/B123 format.
A123  | A1 to W999
A/B123  | A/A1 to approximately F/N999

123-456

| 1935  | Embossed white serial on blue plate with border line; "MAINE '35" at bottom  | none | 1-234  | 1 to 9-999
A123  | A1 to W999
A/B123  | A/A1 to approximately F/W999

123-456

| 1936  | Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "MAINE 1936" centered at top  | "VACATIONLAND" centered at bottom  | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 157-000  | First use of the "Vacationland" slogan.

123-456

| 1937  | Embossed white serial on dark green plate with border line; "MAINE 1937" centered at top  | "VACATIONLAND" centered at bottom  | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 162-000  |
| 1938  | Embossed dark green serial on light green plate with border line; "MAINE 1938" centered at top  | "VACATIONLAND" centered at bottom  | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 157-000  |
| 1939  | Embossed silver serial on dark green plate with border line; "MAINE 1939" centered at top  | "VACATIONLAND" centered at bottom  | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 160-000  |
| 1940  | Embossed dark green serial on silver plate with border line; "MAINE 1940" centered at top  | "VACATIONLAND" centered at bottom  | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 165-000  |

123-456

| 1941  | Embossed red serial on silver plate with border line; "MAINE 1941" centered at top  | "VACATIONLAND" centered at bottom  | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 170-000  |
| 1942–43 | Embossed black serial on beige plate with border line; "MAINE 1942" centered at top  | "VACATIONLAND" centered at bottom  | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 177-000  | Revalidated for 1943 with windshield stickers, due to metal conservation for World War II.
| 1944  | Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "MAINE 1944" centered at top  | "VACATIONLAND" centered at bottom  | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 155-000  |
| 1945  | Embossed dark blue serial on white plate with border line; "MAINE 1945" centered at top  | "VACATIONLAND" centered at bottom  | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 155-000  |
| 1946–47  | Embossed white serial on dark blue plate with border line; "MAINE 1946" centered at top  | "VACATIONLAND" centered at bottom  | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 204-000  | Revalidated for 1947 with windshield stickers.

123-456

| 1948–49  | Embossed orange serial on black plate with border line; "MAINE 1948" centered at top  | "VACATIONLAND" centered at bottom  | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 223-000  | Revalidated for 1949 with silver tabs.

### 1950 to present

[edit]

In 1956, the United States, Canada, and Mexico came to an agreement with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Automobile Manufacturers Association and the National Safety Council that standardized the size for license plates for vehicles (except those for motorcycles) at 6 inches (15 cm) in height by 12 inches (30 cm) in width, with standardized mounting holes.[4] The 1955 (dated 1956) issue was the first Maine license plate that complied with these standards.

Image  | Dates issued  | Design  | Slogan  | Serial format  | Serials issued  | Notes

|
|
|
|
|
|

| 1950–55 | Embossed black serial on reflective white plate with border line; "MAINE" at top, offset to left, with metal tab slots to right  | "VACATIONLAND" centered at bottom  | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 376-000  | Validated for 1950 with silver tabs, for 1951 with red tabs, for 1952 with green tabs, for 1953 with gold tabs, for 1954 with silver tabs, and for 1955 with blue tabs.
| 1956  | Embossed black serial on reflective gold plate with border line; "MAINE 56" centered at top, with metal tab slots either side of year  | "VACATIONLAND" centered at bottom  | 123-456 | 1 to
264-000  | Revalidated for 1957 with red tabs, for 1958 with green tabs, for 1959 with white tabs, for 1960 with dark blue tabs, and for 1961 with orange tabs.

| 1957–61  | As above, but without "56"  | 264-001 to approximately 463-000
| 1962  | Embossed black serial on reflective white plate with border line; "MAINE 62" at top, offset to left, with metal tab slots either side of year  | "VACATIONLAND" centered at bottom  | 123-456 | 1 to
384-000  | Revalidated for 1963 with yellow tabs, for 1964 with dark blue tabs, for 1965 with red tabs, for 1966 with yellow tabs, and for 1967 with black tabs.

| 1963–67  | As above, but without "62"  | 384-001 to approximately 617-000
| 1968  | Embossed black serial on reflective yellow plate with border line; "MAINE 68" at top, offset to left, with metal tab slots either side of year  | "VACATIONLAND" centered at bottom  | 123-456 | 1 to
395-000  | Revalidated with stickers; tab slots on 1968 plates never used.
| 1969–73  | As above, but without "68" and metal tab slots  | 395-001 to approximately 793-000
| 1974–75  | Embossed black serial on reflective white plate with border line; "MAINE 74" at top, offset to left  | "VACATIONLAND" centered at bottom  | 123-456 | 1 to
488-000;
502-001 to
510-000  |
| 1975–78  | As above, but without "74"  | 488-001 to
502-000;
510-001 to
875-000  | Embossed year replaced by revalidation stickers.
| 1978–79  | As above, but with "MAINE" centered at top  | 875-001 to
999-999  |
| 1979 – June 30, 1987  | 12345 A  | 1 A to
52000 N  |
| July 1, 1987 – May
1990  | Embossed navy blue serial on reflective white plate with border line; red American lobster screened behind serial, offset to right; "MAINE" screened in red centered at top  | "Vacationland" (with enlarged 'V') screened in red centered at bottom  | 12345 A  | 1 P to
99999 Z  |
May 1990 – April
1993  | 1234 AB  | 1 AA to
9999 ZZ;
1 AB to
9999 AY
(see right)  | Double-letter series issued first (AA, BB, CC, up to ZZ), followed by different-letter series (AB, AC, AD etc.) from September 1991.
April 1993 – June 30, 1999  | 1 AZ to
2999 ES  | Narrower serial dies introduced.
| July 1, 1999 – October 2023  | Embossed black serial on reflective white plate with border line; black-capped chickadee on pine cone and tassel screened at left and green pine forest silhouette screened at bottom; "MAINE" screened in black centered at top  | "Vacationland" screened in black in center of pine forest silhouette  | 1234 AB  | 1 GA to
9999 ZY  | Letter O not used in serials.
October 2023 – April 30, 2025  | 123·ABC  | 101·JAA to
691·JQJ (as of May 2, 2025)[5] | Initial letters A to E reserved for optional and certain non-passenger plate types; F to H reserved for alternative standard design since May 2025. The middle serial letter progresses first, followed by the final letter, and then the first one. Letters I and O not used in serials.
| May 1, 2025 – present  | Embossed dark blue serial on reflective white plate with border line; pine tree screened at left and blue five-pointed star screened on top left; "MAINE" screened in dark green centered at top  | "VACATIONLAND" screened in dark green centered at bottom  | 123·ABC  | 101·KAA to
present  | Design pays homage to the state flag used from 1901 to 1909.
| May 1, 2025 – present  | Embossed dark blue serial on reflective white plate with border line; "MAINE" screened in dark green centered at top  | "VACATIONLAND" screened in dark green centered at bottom  | 123·ABC  | 101·FAA to
present  | Alternative base; issued concurrently with the "pine tree" base.

## Optional plates

[edit]

All optional plates introduced from 2003 onwards use a 123·ABC serial format, with blocks of three-letter series assigned for each plate as required.

Image  | Type  | Dates issued  | Design  | Slogan  | Serial blocks assigned  | Notes

|
|
|
|
|
|

| Lobster  | May 1, 2003 – present  | Embossed navy blue serial on graphic plate featuring a coast scene with green cliffs, a grey boathouse and a red American lobster at left; navy blue border line around plate; "MAINE" screened in black centered at top  | "Lobster" screened in black centered at bottom  | AAA–ABZ, AEB–AEZ, AXA–AXZ, BEA–BEZ, BLA–BLZ  | Proceeds go towards the Maine Lobster Research, Education and Development Fund.
| Black Bear  | November 3, 2003 – present  | Embossed black serial on white and pale blue gradient plate with border line; logo of the Maine Black Bears screened at left; "MAINE" screened in light blue centered at top  | Light blue band screened at bottom with "The University of Maine" in black in the center  | ACA–ADZ  | Proceeds go towards the Maine Black Bears Scholarship Fund.
| Wabanaki  | August 12, 2005 – present  | Embossed black serial on graphic plate featuring Mount Katahdin; black border line around plate; "MAINE" screened in dark red centered at top  | "WABANAKI" screened in dark red centered at bottom  | AFA–AFZ  | Issued to members of the nations of the Wabanaki Confederacy.
| Agriculture  | October 1, 2007 – present  | Embossed black serial on graphic plate featuring an orange and yellow gradient sky, green hills, a farmhouse, a forest, and black silhouettes of an old man and a young girl at left; black border line around plate; "MAINE" screened in black centered at top  | "Support Local Agriculture" screened in white centered at bottom  | AGA–AGZ, ANA–ANZ, BCA–BCZ  | Proceeds go towards the Maine Agriculture Education Fund.
| Support Our Troops  | November 1, 2007 – present  | Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; dark green forest screened at bottom and yellow ribbon on dark green three-dimensional state icon screened at left; "MAINE" screened in black centered at top  | "We Support Our Troops" screened in yellow centered at bottom  | AJA–AJZ  | Proceeds go towards members of the Maine National Guard and their families.
| Sportsman  | April 7, 2008 – present  | Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; Mount Katahdin screened at top and moose and brook trout screened at left; "MAINE" screened in black centered at top  | "SUPPORT WILDLIFE" screened in black centered at bottom  | AKA–AKZ, ASA–ASZ, AVA–AVZ, BDA–BDZ, BHA–BHZ  | Proceeds go towards funds including the Fish Hatchery Maintenance Fund and the Maine Endangered and Nongame Wildlife Fund.
| Breast Cancer  | October 1, 2008 – present  | Embossed pink serial on white plate with border line; pink ribbon on magenta state icon screened at left; "MAINE" screened in purple centered at top  | "early detection saves lives" screened in purple centered at bottom  | ALA–ALZ, ATA–ATZ, AYA–AYZ  | Proceeds go towards the Breast Cancer Services Special Program Fund of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
| Animal Welfare  | October 1, 2009 – present  | Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; silhouettes of cat, dog, bird, rabbit and horse screened at right; "MAINE" screened in red centered at top  | Yellow band screened at bottom with "respect. love. adopt." in black offset to left  | AMA–AMZ, AWA–AWZ, BGA–BGZ  | Proceeds go towards Animal Welfare Auxiliary Fund and Companion Animal Sterilization Fund.
| The Barbara Bush Children's Hospital  | October 1, 2018 – present  | Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; Barbara Bush Children's Hospital logo screened at left; "MAINE" screened in black centered at top  | "The Barbara Bush Children's Hospital, At Maine Medical Center" screened centered at the bottom.  | BBA-BBZ, BJA–BJZ  | Proceeds go towards The Barbara Bush Children's Hospital.

## Non-passenger plates

[edit]

Image  | Type  | Dates issued  | Design  | Serial format  | Serials issued  | Notes

|
|
|
|
|
|

| Commercial  | July 1, 1987 – June 30, 1999  | As lobster passenger base; vertical embossed "COM" to left of serial  | 123456  | 350001 to approximately 570000  | Narrower serial dies used from 500000 onwards.
| July 1, 1999 – December 2007  | As chickadee passenger base, but with embossed "COMMERCIAL" in place of slogan  | 123-456  | 600-001 to
799-999  |
December 2007 – present  | 1A-2345  | 1A-0001 to
9C-1380 (as of June 23, 2022)
| Disabled  | July 1, 1999 – present  | As chickadee passenger base  |  12345  |  30000 to  76014 (as of May 14, 2022) |
| Low-Speed Vehicle  | 2003–present  | As chickadee passenger base, but with embossed "LOW–SPEED" in place of slogan  | 123·AEA | 101·AEA to present  |
| Motorcycle  | 1988–95  | Embossed blue serial on white plate with border line; "MAINE" at top; vertical "MC" at left  | 1234 A  | 4001 N to 9999 Z  |
1995–97  | 123 AB  | 1 AA to approximately 500 AR
| 1998 – mid 2012  | As above, with "RIDE SAFE" at bottom  | 1 AT to approximately 500 HV
| mid 2012 – present  | As above, but without "MC"  | 501 HV to 372 NT (as of June 27, 2022)
| Long term trailer  | 2001-2018  | Embossed green serial on white plate with border line; "MAINE" at top offset to left, "SEMI PERMANENT" at bottom; day of expiration at top right, vertical stacked "TLR" in between first two numbers and last 5 numbers  | 12 34567
12 3456A  | Coded by year of expiration (12)  | Registered in periods between 3 and 25 years.
| 2018-2021  | Embossed green serial on white plate with border line; "MAINE" and "SEMI PERMANENT" at top and bottom respectively; vertical stacked "TLR" between first two numbers and the rest of the serial
| 2022–present  | Embossed green serial on white plate with border line; "MAINE" and "LONG TERM TLR" at top and bottom respectively  | 123-4567 | 500-0000 to 509-7617 (As of November 29, 2022) |
| Trailer  | 1988–95  | Embossed blue serial on white plate with border line; "MAINE" and "TRAILER" at top and bottom respectively  | A 12345  | E 10001 to L 99999  |
1995–present  | A 123456  | A 100001 to C 249272 (as of June 5, 2022)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Sharp, David (May 6, 2022). "Maine close to ridding license plates of obscenities". Boston.com. Associated Press.
2. ^ Calvert, Scott (June 15, 2022). "What the BLEEP? Maine Is Cracking Down on Obscene License Plates". The Wall Street Journal.
3. ^ Tanner, Eric N. "Maine Passenger License Plates". allaboutlicenseplates.com. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
4. ^ Garrish, Christopher (October 2016). "Reconsidering the Standard Plate Size". Plates. Vol. 62, no. 5\. Automobile License Plate Collectors Association.
5. ^ "Maine License Plates". The High Road. Retrieved May 2, 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Maine license plates, 1969–present

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