Campaign commercials and radio announcements depict Michigan as adventurous and rustic. In August 2012, Secretary of State Ruth Johnson unveiled new license plates using the Pure Michigan logo. These plates were released to the public in April 2013. The logo is also used on retail projects sold in the state. Need Vintage License Plates for your collection? Looking for that special license plate for your project? We are a dedicated seller of rare, collectors, and hard to find, license plates. Shop our inventory of over 6000 products and find that special plate. That depends on where you are. EU plates and the Mercosul countries use FE-Schrift or relatives. The UK uses Mandatory (as did Brazil until recently). Norway just uses Myriad.
| Minnesota 1970 passenger issue (1968 base). This was a variation of the 1968 baseplate, with the state name and slogan embossed rather than debossed on the plate. These were produced later in the plate's run, mostly in 1970. This variation was probably due to supplemental 1968/70 plates being made at the same time that the 1971 base was being produced. |
| Minnesota 1972 passenger issue (1971 base). This plate follows the standard 1AB-234 format of the time and was issued in district one. This baseplate was used from the end of 1970 through the end of 1973. Early issues of this base from district one were stamped using a serif on the '1' die in '71'. This was later dropped in order to match the other non-serif '1' dies in '19' and '10,000'. |
| Minnesota 1972 passenger issue (1971 base). Later-issue plate with the non-serif die in the '71' portion of the embossed year. |
| Minnesota 1972 passenger issue (1971 base). This is the mail-order version of the 1971 baseplate, starting with 'M' rather than a district code. This coding practice was discontinued after these plates were replaced at the end of 1973. |
| Minnesota 1975 passenger issue (1974 base). These plates switched to a two-alpha, four numeric numbering format and did away with the district coding that had been in use since 1956. Staggered registration and month stickers were introduced with this base. Three different die variations of the 1974 plate exist, with some plates in this series produced by Polyvend in Arkansas and used their seemingly omnipresent dies of the mid to late '70s. Plates were also produced in-state using the same dies as the 1972 and earlier bases, and later plates on the base used narrower Texas dies. |
| Minnesota 1975 passenger issue (1974 base). Continuation of the above series. This is an example of a 1974-base plate the standard dies used by Minnesota prior to 1974. Plates of this type were issued from the beginning of the EE series through the end of the KZ series. |
| Minnesota 1976 passenger issue (1974 base). Polyvend took over plate production again starting in the LA series through the NM series, resulting in plates that are more or less identical to the initial Polyvend run from AA through ED. |
| Minnesota 1977 passenger issue (1974 base). Another Polyvend plate from within the LA through NM block, this one represents a sub-type with oval-shaped boltholes instead of round. |
| Minnesota 1977 passenger issue (1974 base). Another short run of plates were produced in the block between NN and NZ using the standard Minnesota dies. This type was a repeat of the earlier Minnesota-die run from EE through KZ. |
| Minnesota 1977 passenger issue (1974 base). The last variation on this base, these plates were made with thinner Texas dies. These dies were later adopted permanently by Minnesota starting with the 1978 graphic base. These plates were used through 1977. |
| Minnesota 1978 passenger issue. In 1978, Minnesota issued new plates, some of a basic blue on white design like this one, and some with a lake scene. This non-graphic series was used up to the mid-C series of numbers (these plates marked the first true ABC-123 format Minnesota plates, starting at AAA-001). They were used with validation stickers up through 1988. Most issues on this non-graphic base (up through CEM-999) used older pre-1974 Minnesota dies. |
| Minnesota 1978 passenger issue. This was a late-period issue on the non-graphic blue base, using the same Texas die set first seen on late 1974-base plates and to be used going forward on the 1978 graphic base. Only plates in the serial block from CEN-001 through CGZ-999 used these dies, making this a relatively rare issue. |
| Minnesota 1978 passenger issue. This is the graphic variety of the 1978 baseplate, featuring a lake scene with a canoe and a small island at the top. This plate design came into use starting with the 'CHA' series of plates. Variations of this graphic base are still in use today, although this particular base was only used until 1988. Original 1978 expirations on this base were not issued stickers, as a white-on-blue '78' box was screened onto the bottom of the plate. |
| Minnesota 1982 passenger issue. This was a continuation of the base above, adding a state-shaped separator between the numbers and letters. The series in use on these plates jumped to 'LAA' at the time that the state-shaped divider was added as well. This was done in anticipation of a general plate reissue that did not end up occurring until 1987-88, when this base was also replaced. |
| Minnesota 1988 passenger issue. In 1987-88, all previous 1978-87 plates were replaced with a variation of the lake graphic scene. This plate used a slightly deeper blue for the water, different typeface for the '10,000 Lakes' slogan, and added the word 'Explore' ahead of the state name. The series started at 100-AAA and continued to use the state shaped separator. These plates are currently on a seven-year replacement cycle, so any plates initially issued from 1987 through 1996 should have been replaced by now. Plates that are less than seven years old can still be in use on this base. |
| Minnesota 1994 passenger issue. This was another variation of the lake graphic, albeit a minor one. In 1993, the graphic was changed to have the white midsection of the plate fade slowly into the blue at the bottom, as opposed to the straight line used to border the two colors on the earlier 'Explore' bases. This design change was implemented to reduce the number of manufacturing rejects due to crooked stamping of the serial. A slight angle to the number is less noticeable with a gradual fade than it would be with a straight line directly below. |
| Minnesota 1998 passenger issue. Same baseplate as above, but in 1997 Minnesota changed the numbering format from 123-ABC to ABC-123. This was odd because the state hadn't run out of numbers in the other sequence yet, and in fact was only up through about the 'P' series at the time. These reverse-series plates are also the first Minnesota issues in this time period to be made out of aluminum instead of steel, so the manufacturing change may have had something to do with the new format as well. |
| Minnesota 2000 passenger issue. Yet another tweak to this baseplate, the fade from white to blue at the bottom of the plate on recent issues has been made even more gradual, with very little blue left at the bottom of the plate. These newer issues also use a slightly different die set than previous issues. |
| Minnesota 2009 passenger issue. Starting in mid-2008, Minnesota switched their standard passenger plates to a new design using 3M's digital flat plate technology. The baseplate gave a facelift to the older graphic design, featuring a different shade of blue background and a new revised font for the state name and slogan. The serial was also printed in black for the first time as opposed to the older blue color. These plates use a 3M serial font introduced on South Dakota plates and used on several other states' plates since. This font was supposedly based on the Minnesota die set, so makes sense for it to finally be put in use there. |
| Minnesota 2009 passenger issue. Initial issues of the flat Minnesota passenger issue were split between mail ordered plates and over-the-counter issues, with mail orders receiving plates starting in the B series. The plates were otherwise identical, although this one also features the newer-style blue-on-white month sticker. |
| Minnesota 2010 passenger issue. Continuation of the above series, once the over-the-counter reached the end of the A series, the sequence skipped directly to the C series. This plate is featured mostly to illustrate that the mail-order and over-the-counter issues were both produced separately, as the breakpoint for the next design change occurred both within the B series for mail order plates and the C series for over-the-counter (see next.) |
| Minnesota 2010 passenger issue. In late 2009, Minnesota added '.com' to the end of the state name, joining the ever-growing list of states advertising their web sites on their plates. The trees in the graphic were also squashed to the right as a result. This change occurred in the later C series of over-the-counter plates and the early B series (by BEV, at least) of the mail-order plates, which the state was still perplexingly issuing and producing as a separate series. Another blue-on-white month sticker, with newer Minnesota plates featuring screened expiration months eliminating the stickers altogether. |
| Minnesota 2010 passenger issue. Example of an over-the-counter plate in the C series featuring the '.com' addition to the background. |
| Minnesota 2018 passenger issue. Aside from some excitement around month sticker fonts and an odd screened 2014 issue, the flat Minnesota plate stayed pretty much the same from 2010 through late 2017, when the 123-ABC series was replaced once again by a reversed ABC-123 series. Plates stayed otherwise unchanged. |
| Minnesota 2019 passenger issue. During 2018, Minnesota switched to 3M's revised 'HD' sheeting, resulting in a slightly different looking plate with a textured reflective surface. The sheeting also has columns of raised security marks and batch codes to the left and right sides of the plate. This change occurred in the B series of standard passenger plates. |
Additional Minnesota information provided by: Steve Riner
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| Michigan 1972 passenger issue (1971 base). This was the first of Michigan's multi-year issues, being used from the end of 1970 through the end of 1972. |
| Michigan 1974 passenger issue (1973 base). These plates were used for a year longer than the 1971 issue, featuring dual sticker boxes at the bottom corners for 1974 and 1975 stickers. This plate was used from the end of 1972 through the end of 1975. |
| Michigan 1977 passenger issue (1976 base). Michigan issued this plate at the end of 1975 to commemorate the Bicentennial of the United States. This was one of the most impressive designs of its time and won the ALPCA Best Plate of the Year Award for 1976. These plates were current at about the time that I started collecting, and they were a big influence on my interest in plates. These plates remained in use through the end of 1978. |
| Michigan 1980 passenger issue (1979 base). Michigan followed up their spectacular Bicentennial issue with this white on black base, same general format as the plates previous to the 1976 base, which was used from the end of 1978 through the end of 1983. Staggered registration and month stickers were also introduced during this time, with 1980 plates only expiring in November or December. |
| Michigan 1980 passenger issue (1979 base). Another exp. 1980 on this base, showing a variation in slogan die sizes which occurred with these plates. Some earlier issues on this base used a smaller version of the Great Lake State die, such as on the BBH-series plate above, while others in the series used a larger die such as seen on this plate. I can't swear that there's an official 'early vs. late' break between the dies, but the larger one seems to be the most common. |
| Michigan 1983 passenger issue (1979 base). This was a late-period passenger issue on this baseplate. In late 1982, the state exhausted the last of the available ABC-123 format combinations, so they switched to this reverse 123-ABC format. Production of the upcoming 1984 base was already underway, also using the 123-ABC format, so the state started these plates at ZZZ and worked backwards to avoid conflicting with the serials used on the upcoming plate. |
| Michigan 1984 passenger issue. The plain white on blue base was first available in 1982, starting with 100-AAA. Larger dies than previously used were introduced, and the slogan was shortened to 'Great Lakes'. Plates were used with only month stickers in 1984, then with year stickers thereafter. Plates in the early series used this large die for the state name. These plates remain valid today. |
| Michigan 1984 passenger issue. Another undated exp. 1984 issue, by this point in the sequence the state name die was replaced with a smaller version. The plate remained unchanged otherwise. |
| Michigan 1985 passenger issue. Plates in the FAA through GPZ series were made of aluminum, while others were steel. Plates such as this in the 'F' series had wide bolt slots rather than round holes as seen on most plates on this base. The combination of these wide slots and the thinner metal made these plates susceptible to popping right off their bolts, kind of like a button in a buttonhole. The design was changed shortly thereafter. |
| Michigan 1985 passenger issue. Back to good ol' galvanized steel and round bolt holes by this point in the sequence. This plate is identical to the second 1984 plate above. |
| Michigan 1990 passenger issue. Another 123-ABC format white-on-blue plate. Plates in this 'Q' series were actually issued out of sequence after the 'Z's to facilitate more numbers in this format. This bought the state a few more months before the format was changed. |
| Michigan 1991 passenger issue. Once the ZZZ and QZZ series were exhausted in 1990, the state flipped the numbering format over to an ABC-123 format. This remains the current format as of mid-2002, although the sequence is nearing the end of the alphabet. |
| Michigan 1997 passenger issue. Continuation of the ABC-123 series on this base. Note the different die being used for 'Q' from the '91 plates, presumably for visibility reasons. The die used for the 'Great Lakes' slogan was also made larger during this period. |
| Michigan 1998 passenger issue. Michigan switched from using separate month and year stickers in late 1997 (for late 1998 expirations) to issuing a single sticker, printed at the time of registration and containing the plate number at the top. This system discourages fraudulent use of stickers, and is also less expensive than printing separate month and year stickers. |
| Michigan 1999 passenger issue. At some point at or near the beginning of the 'Q' series of plates, the sticker wells were removed from the bottom of the plate. Since there was only one sticker in use and it was larger than the size of the well, no point having either remain, I guess. |
| Michigan 2002 passenger issue. Another standard white-on-blue plate. Starting with the UDU series of passenger plates in 2001, Michigan started using the same narrow dies found on optional and vanity plates on the standard passenger series as well. This was probably done to simplify manufacturing (one set of dies for all plates), although it also came in handy as Michigan switched over to a seven-digit ABC1234 format after the end of the ZZZ series was reached. |
| Michigan 2004 passenger issue. More minutia for the collector, but somewhere in the mid-X series of plates, the debossed sticker well was returned to the lower right corner of the plate. It was the same sticker well as found on previous issues, meaning that it still isn't large enough to accommodate the current sticker size, but that's OK. This style has carried over to the new seven-digit ABC1234-format plates as of late 2004. |
| Michigan 2005 passenger issue. As predicted, Michigan started issuing seven-digit passenger plates in late 2004, upon the exhaustion of the ABC-123 format plates after ZZZ 999. The new format started at AAA1000 and is formatted across the center of the plate without any spaces or dividers of any kind. This arrangement hasn't worked out so well for a few states in the past, so we'll see how Michigan does with it. |
| Michigan 2007 passenger issue. Well, as it happened, the seven-digits, no space format wasn't particularly well received in Michigan's case either. In 2006, reportedly starting with plate number AFP 9000, the state changed to a different die set and added a space between the letters and numbers on the plate. These dies are similar to those used in Florida and are narrow enough to accomodate the seven digits and space easily. |
| Michigan 2007 passenger issue. Michigan began their first general reissue of license plates since 1983 in January of 2007. By the end of 2007, the state will have replaced all the previous white-on-blue plates with a new blue-on-white issue featuring the state name in a blue band at the top and the state's web address at the bottom. The new issue uses the same Florida-like dies as the last blue plates and continues the ABC-1234 format, starting in the BAA series. I've got to say, considering that the state had 24 years to mull things over, this is a pretty lame design. |
| Michigan 2014 passenger issue. Michigan released a revised version of their standard graphic in 2013, implementing the use of the state tourism slogan and logo 'Pure Michigan' at the top. The bottom features a wave-like blue band again containing a website address, this time for the state tourism website instead of the main state government site. This series begain in the DAA series, skipping over much of the Cxx series unused on the previous base, which remains valid. |
Additional Michigan information provided by: Jeff Ellis, Jeff Heget
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