The U.S. state of Arizona first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1912. Registrants provided their own license plates for display until 1914, when the state began to issue plates.

Plates are issued by the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) through its Motor Vehicle Division (MVD). Only rear plates have been required since 1989.

In Arizona, the license plate belongs to the vehicle owner. This allows for the transfer of a plate from one vehicle to another.

The existing style was introduced in 1996 and was designed by Walter Punzmann.

Passenger baseplates

1914 to 1955 ImageDates issuedDesignSloganSerial formatSerials issuedNotes1914Embossed white serial on blue plate; "ARIZ 1914" at rightnone12341 to approximately 50001915Embossed black serial on white plate; "ARIZ 1915" at rightnone12341 to approximately 75001916Embossed black serial on copper plate with border line; vertical "ARIZ" and "1916" at left and right respectivelynone123451 to approximately 125001917Embossed white serial on black plate; embossed steer head graphic at left with "ARIZ" above and "1917" belownone123451 to approximately 200001918Embossed dark blue serial on olive-gray plate; "1918 ARIZ" at rightnone123451 to approximately 240001919Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "ARIZ 1919" at leftnone123451 to approximately 290001920Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; vertical "ARIZ" and "1920" at left and right respectivelynone123451 to approximately 350001921Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; stylized "ARIZ" and "21" at rightnone123451 to approximately 360001922Embossed green serial on white plate with border line; vertical "ARIZ" and "1922" at left and right respectivelynone1-1234510-1234Coded by county of issuance (1 or 10)1923Embossed dark blue serial on white plate with border line; stylized vertical "ARIZ" and "23" at leftnone1-1234510-1234Coded by county of issuance (1 or 10)1924Embossed white serial on dark blue plate with border line; "24" and stylized vertical "ARIZ" at leftnone1-1234510-1234Coded by county of issuance (1 or 10)1925Embossed black serial on copper plate with border line; "ARIZONA" at bottom, offset to left; vertical "1925" at rightnone1-1234510-1234Coded by county of issuance (1 or 10)First use of the full state name.1926Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "ARIZONA" at bottom, offset to left; vertical "1926" at rightnone1-1234510-1234Coded by county of issuance (1 or 10)1927Embossed black serial on copper plate with border line; "ARIZONA" at bottom, offset to left; vertical "1927" at rightnone1-1234510-1234Coded by county of issuance (1 or 10)1928Embossed red serial on copper plate with border line; "ARIZONA" at bottom, offset to right; vertical "1928" at leftnone1-1234510-1234Coded by county of issuance (1 or 10)1929Embossed slanted orange serial on black plate with border line; slanted "19 ARIZ 29" centered at bottomnone123-456Issued in blocks by county1930Embossed slanted black serial on white plate; slanted "ARIZONA" and "1930" centered at top and bottom respectively; letter at top left denoting county of issuancenoneIssued in blocks by county1931Embossed slanted black serial on orange plate; slanted "1931" and "ARIZONA" centered at top and bottom respectively; letter at top left denoting county of issuancenone12-34-56Issued in blocks by county1932Embossed slanted white serial on copper plate; slanted "ARIZONA-1932" at topnone1AB11A1BAA12A1A2Coded by county of issuance (1 or A)1933Debossed slanted copper serial within embossed black rectangle on copper plate; slanted "ARIZONA-1933" at bottomnone1AB11A1BAA12A1A2Coded by county of issuance (1 or A)1934Debossed slanted copper serial within embossed light blue rectangle on copper plate; slanted "ARIZONA-1934" at topnone1AB11A1BAA12A1A2Coded by county of issuance (1 or A)1935Embossed slanted black serial within black rectangular outline on copper plate; slanted "ARIZONA-1935" at bottomnone1AB11A1BAA12A1A2Coded by county of issuance (1 or A)1936Embossed black serial on copper plate; vertical "ARIZ" and "1936" at left and right respectively; county name centered at bottomnone1A B11A 1BAA 12A1 A2Coded by county of issuance (1 or A)1937Embossed black serial on copper plate with border line; "ARIZONA-37" and county name centered at top and bottom respectivelynoneA1-234Coded by county of issuance (A)1938Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "ARIZONA-38" and county name centered at top and bottom respectivelynoneA1234Coded by county of issuance (A)1939Embossed black serial on copper plate; "ARIZONA" centered at top; vertical "1539" and "1939" at left and right respectively"MARCOS DE NIZA" centered at bottomA12345Coded by county of issuance (A)Commemorated the 400th anniversary of the expedition of Fray Marcos de Niza.1940Embossed dark blue serial on white plate; "ARIZONA-40" centered at top"GRAND CANYON STATE" at bottomA12345Coded by county of issuance (A)First use of the "Grand Canyon State" slogan.1941Embossed black serial on copper plate; "ARIZONA-41" centered at bottom"GRAND CANYON STATE" at topA12345Coded by county of issuance (A)Embossed black serial on white plate; "42-ARIZONA" centered at top"GRAND CANYON STATE" at bottomA1231A23412A345Coded by county of issuance (A)Revalidated for 1943 and 1944 with windshield stickers, due to metal conservation for World War II.1945–46Embossed black serial on white plate; "ARIZ. 45" centered at topnoneA1234Coded by county of issuance (A)Revalidated for 1946 with windshield stickers.1947Embossed red serial on unpainted aluminum plate; "ARIZ. 47" centered at top"GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottom 1234Coded by county of issuance ()1948Embossed black serial on unpainted aluminum plate; "ARIZ. 48" centered at top"GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottom 1234Coded by county of issuance ()1949Embossed green serial on waffle-textured unpainted aluminum plate; "ARIZONA 49" centered at top"GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottomA-12345Coded by county of issuance (A) 1950–51Embossed black serial on white plate; "ARIZONA 50" centered at top"GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottomA-12345Coded by county of issuance (A)Revalidated for 1951 with aluminum tabs. 1952–53Embossed white serial on black plate; "ARIZONA 52" centered at top"GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottomA-12345Coded by county of issuance (A)Revalidated for 1953 with black tabs. 1954–55Embossed black serial on white plate; "ARIZONA 54" centered at top"GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottomA-12345Coded by county of issuance (A)Revalidated for 1955 with aluminum tabs.

Since 1956 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 in height by in width, with standardized mounting holes. The 1955 (dated 1956) issue was the first Arizona license plate that complied with these standards.

ImageDates issuedDesignSloganSerial formatSerials issuedNotesEmbossed white serial on black plate with border line; "ARIZONA 56" centered at top"GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottomA-12345Coded by county of issuance (A)Revalidated for 1957 and 1958 with stickers.1959–60Embossed white serial on blue plate with border line; "ARIZONA 59" centered at top"GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottomABC-123AAA-001 to approximately BDY-999Revalidated for 1960 with stickers. Letters I, O and Q not used in serials; this practice continued through 1965.1961–63Embossed blue serial on white plate with border line; "ARIZONA 61" centered at top"GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottomABC-123CAA-001 to approximately DMC-999Revalidated for 1962 and 1963 with stickers.1964–65Embossed white serial on blue plate with border line; "ARIZONA 64" centered at top"GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottomABC-123EAA-001 to approximately FMJ-999Revalidated for 1965 with stickers.1966–68Embossed black serial on reflective white plate with border line; "ARIZONA 66" centered at top"GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottomABC-123HAA-001 toJZZ-999;NAA-001 to approximately NEF-999Revalidated for 1967 and 1968 with stickers. Letters I, O, Q and U not used in serials; this practice continues today.1969–72Embossed black serial on reflective yellow plate with border line; "ARIZONA 69" centered at top"GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottomABC-123KAA-001 toMZZ-999;YAA-001 to approximately YDF-999Revalidated for 1970, 1971, and 1972 with stickers.1973–80Embossed green serial on reflective pale orange plate with border line; "ARIZONA 73" centered at top"GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottomABC-123PAA-001 to approximately WNJ-999Revalidated with stickers until 1990.1980–96Embossed reflective white serial with saguaro cactus separator on maroon plate with border line; "ARIZONA" centered at top"GRAND CANYON STATE" centered at bottomABC-123AAA-001 to approximately NXG-200Front and rear plates issued until around the ETT series (1989); rear plates only thereafter. Still currently revalidated.1996 – January 2008Embossed dark green serial on reflective graphic plate with desert scene featuring turquoise, white, and orange gradient sky, white setting sun and purple mountains (in the shape of Four Peaks) and cacti; "ARIZONA" screened in turquoise, with white outlines, centered at top"GRAND CANYON STATE" screened in dark green below serial, offset to right123·ABC001·AAA to 999·ZZZAwarded "Plate of the Year" for best new license plate of 1996 by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association, the first time Arizona was so honored.January 2008 – April 2020As above, but with serial screened, security threads added to center of plate, and saguaro cactus added to the left of the serialABC1234AAA0001 to approximately CWX9999CWL0001 to CWX9999 used on rental cars since 2020. April 2020 – January 2021 Various formats, including ABC1DEF AAA0AAA to approximately SXA6DTA Also called "Alphabet Soup" plates, this switch occurred after ADOT introduced a new computer coding system for plates, the old system having dated from the mid-1980s. These were reported as "random" combinations but actually increment in a non-standard order. Except for the fourth digit in each plate, which is always a number, all other positions can be either letters or numbers; each position uses the letters A–Z followed by the numbers 0–9. February 2021 – present Various formats, including ABC 1DE AAA 0AA to N1A 378

County coding County1922-231924-281930-311932-361937-381939-44 Maricopa 1 1 A 1-7 A-E A Cochise 2 2 B 8, 9 G C Pima 3 3 C A-E J, K B Gila 4 4 D F, G M F Yavapai 5 5 E H, J, K N D Yuma 6 6 F L, N R E Pinal 7 7 G P, R S G Graham 8 8 H S T K Santa Cruz 9 9 J T U N Mohave 10 10 K U V L Coconino 11 11 L V W H Navajo 12 12 M X X J Apache 14 14 N Y Y P Greenlee 13 15 P Z Z R Note: La Paz County was not formed until 1983, by which time the county-coding policy had ended.

Non-passenger plates Since 1997