The U.S. state of Oklahoma first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1915. As of 2024, plates are issued by Service Oklahoma. Only rear plates have been required since 1944.
Prior to July 1, 2019, plates belonged to the car, not the owner. As a result of lost turnpike toll revenue and law enforcement having trouble tracking vehicle owners, the law was changed, meaning plates now belong to vehicle owners and can be transferred from a previous vehicle to a new vehicle.
Passenger baseplates 1915 to 1978 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 Oklahoma license plate that complied with these standards.
ImageDates issuedDesignSloganSerial formatSerials issuedNotes123451915Embossed blue serial on white plate; vertical "OKLA" and "1915" at left and right respectivelynone123454001 to approximately 33500, with gapsSingle series of serials used for all classes of vehicles, with blocks reserved for non-passenger classes. This practice continued in one form or another through 1938.123451916Embossed white serial on blue plate; vertical "OKLA" and "1916" at left and right respectivelynone123452501 to approximately 60500, with gaps1234561917Embossed white serial on brown plate; vertical "OKLA" and "1917" at left and right respectivelynone1234566501 to approximately 118500, with gaps1234561918Embossed yellow serial on green plate; vertical "OKLA" and "1918" at left and right respectivelynone12345618001 to approximately 1315001234561919Embossed green serial on yellow plate with border line; vertical "OKLA" and "1919" at left and right respectivelynone1234568001 to approximately 1565001234561920Embossed white serial on blue plate with border line; vertical "OKLA" and "1920" at left and right respectivelynone1234568001 to approximately 2120001234561921Embossed white serial on brown plate with border line; vertical "OKLA" and "1921" at left and right respectivelynone12345610001 to approximately 231500, with gaps123-4561922Embossed black serial on turquoise plate with border line; vertical "OKLA" and "1922" at left and right respectivelynone123-45611-001 to approximately 261-000, with gaps123-4561923Embossed white serial on maroon plate with border line; vertical "OKLA" and "1923" at left and right respectivelynone123-45618-001 to approximately 313-0001924Embossed white serial on olive green plate with border line; vertical "OKLA" and "1924" at left and right respectivelynone123F456123.456Plates with an 'F' in the serial were issued on Fords. This practice continued through 1928.No image1925Embossed silver serial on black plate; silver lines at top and bottom borders; "1925 OKLA" at rightnone123F456123.456No image1926Embossed black serial on yellow plate; black lines at top and bottom borders; "OKLA 1926" at bottomnone123F456123-456123F4561927Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "OKLA 1927" at bottomnone123F45630F001 to approximately 375F000123-456495-001 to approximately 674-000123F4561928Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; vertical "OKLA" and "1928" at left and right respectivelynone123F45635F001 to approximately 370F000123-456480-001 to approximately 727-000123-4561929Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "OK–29" centered at topnone123-45650-001 to approximately 571-000123-4561930Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "OKLA–1930" centered at bottomnone123-45660-001 to approximately 597-000123-4561931Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "OKLA–1931" centered at bottomnone123-45660-001 to approximately 564-000123-4561932Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "OKLAHOMA-1932" at topnone123-45660-001 to approximately 464-000First use of the full state name.1933Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "OKLAHOMA-1933" at bottomnone123-45660-001 to approximately 481-000123A4561934Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "OKLAHOMA-1934" at topnone123A45660A001 to approximately 507A000123A4561935Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "1935-OKLAHOMA" at bottomnone123A45660A001 to approximately 510A000 1936Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "1936-OKLAHOMA" at topnone123-45660-001 to approximately 516-000Front and rear plates required; rear plates used an 'R' as the separator in the serial. 1937Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "1937-OKLAHOMA" at bottomnone123-45660-001 to approximately 528-000Front plates used an 'F' as the separator in the serial, while rear plates used an 'R'.1938Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "OKLAHOMA-1938" at topnone123-45660-001 to approximately 546-0001939Embossed black serial on silver plate with border line; "OK–39" at bottom, offset to rightnoneA/B123County-coded (A/B)No image1940Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "OKLA–1940" at topnone1-1234510-1234County-coded (1 or 10)No image1941Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "OKLA—1941" at bottomnone1-1234510-1234County-coded (1 or 10)Embossed dark blue serial on white plate with border line; "OKLA-1942" at topnone1-1234510-1234County-coded (1 or 10)Revalidated for 1943 with windshield stickers, due to metal conservation for World War II.No image1944Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "OKLAHOMA–44" at topnone1-1234510-1234County-coded (1 or 10)Only rear plates issued; this practice continues today.No image1945Embossed orange serial on black plate with border line; "OKLAHOMA–45" at bottomnone1-1234510-1234County-coded (1 or 10) 1946–47Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "OKLAHOMA–46" at topnone1-1234510-1234County-coded (1 or 10)Revalidated for 1947 with yellow tabs.No image1948Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "OKLAHOMA–48" at bottomnone1-1234510-1234County-coded (1 or 10)No image1949Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "49–OKLAHOMA" at topnone1-1234510-1234County-coded (1 or 10)No image1950Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "50–OKLAHOMA" at bottomnone1-123451-A123410-123410-A123County-coded (1 or 10)No image1951Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "51–OKLAHOMA" at topnone1-123451-A123410-123410-A123County-coded (1 or 10)1952Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "52–OKLAHOMA" at bottomnone1-123451-A123410-123410-A123County-coded (1 or 10)1953Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "OKLAHOMA–53" at topnone1-123451-A123410-123410-A123County-coded (1 or 10)1954Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "54-OKLAHOMA" at bottomnone1-123451-A123410-123410-A123County-coded (1 or 10)1955Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "55" at top right"VISIT OKLAHOMA" at top, offset to left1-123451-A123410-123410-A123County-coded (1 or 10)No image1956Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "56" at bottom right"VISIT OKLAHOMA" at bottom, offset to left1-12345610-12345County-coded (1 or 10)No image1957Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "57" at top right"VISIT OKLAHOMA" at top, offset to left1-12345610-12345County-coded (1 or 10)1958Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "58" at top right"VISIT OKLAHOMA" at top, offset to left1-12345610-12345County-coded (1 or 10)1959Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "59" at top right"VISIT OKLAHOMA" at top, offset to left1-12345610-12345County-coded (1 or 10)1960Embossed black serial on white plate; "19" at top left and "60" at top right"VISIT OKLAHOMA" centered at top1-12345610-12345County-coded (1 or 10)1961Embossed white serial on black plate; "19" at top left and "61" at top right"VISIT OKLAHOMA" centered at top1-12345610-12345County-coded (1 or 10)1962Embossed black serial on white plate; "19" at top left and "62" at top right"VISIT OKLAHOMA" centered at top1-12345610-12345County-coded (1 or 10)1963Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "19 OKLAHOMA 63" at topnoneAB-1234County-codedTwo-letter county codes introduced. Serials with numbers below 1000 used leading zeros; this happened again in 1964.1964Embossed black serial on white plate; "19 OKLAHOMA 64" at topnoneAB-1234County-coded1965Embossed white serial on black plate; "19 OKLAHOMA 65" at topnoneAB-1234County-coded1966Embossed black serial on white plate; "19 OKLAHOMA 66" at topnoneAB-1234County-coded1967Embossed red serial on reflective white plate; "67" at top left"OKLAHOMA IS OK" at top, offset to rightAB-1234County-codedIssued in the colors of the University of Oklahoma.1968Embossed black serial on reflective orange plate; "68" at top left"OKLAHOMA IS OK" at top, offset to rightAB-1234County-codedIssued in the colors of Oklahoma State University.1969Embossed red serial on reflective white plate; "69" at top left"OKLAHOMA IS OK" at top, offset to rightAB-1234County-codedIssued in the colors of the University of Oklahoma.1970Embossed green serial on reflective white plate; "70" at top left"OKLAHOMA IS OK" at top, offset to rightAB-1234County-coded1971Embossed red serial on reflective white plate; "71" at top left"OKLAHOMA IS OK" at top, offset to rightAB-1234ABC-1234County-codedThree-letter county codes introduced in some counties that had exhausted their two-letter allocations.1972Embossed green serial on reflective white plate; "72" at top left"OKLAHOMA IS OK" at top, offset to rightAB-1234ABC-1234County-coded1973Embossed red serial on reflective white plate; "73" at top left"OKLAHOMA IS OK" at top, offset to rightAB-1234ABC-1234County-codedCarried over into 1974 after the plate shop at Oklahoma State Penitentiary was hit by fire during a riot in July 1973, destroying the supply of 1974 plates (below).1973–74As above, but with border lineSupplemental plates manufactured by Polyvend Inc. of Arkansas while the prison plate shop was being repaired.(1974)Embossed green serial on reflective white plate; "74" at top left"OKLAHOMA IS OK" at top, offset to rightAB-1234ABC-1234County-codedMost of these plates were destroyed in the prison plate shop fire of July 1973 (above); salvaged plates were not issued.1975Embossed green serial on reflective white plate with border line; "75" at top left"OKLAHOMA IS OK" at top, offset to rightAB-1234ABC-1234County-codedManufactured by Polyvend Inc. while the prison plate shop was being repaired.1976Embossed red serial on reflective white plate with border line; "19 OKLAHOMA 76" at top"1776 BICENTENNIAL 1976" at bottomAB-1234ABC-1234County-coded1977Embossed green serial on reflective white plate with border line; "77" at top left"OKLAHOMA IS OK" at top, offset to rightAB-1234ABC-1234County-coded1978Embossed red serial on reflective white plate with border line; "78" at top left"OKLAHOMA IS OK" at top, offset to rightAB-1234ABC-1234County-coded
1979 to present