The U.S. state of Idaho first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1913. , plates are issued by the Idaho Transportation Department through its Division of Motor Vehicles. Front and rear plates are required for most classes of vehicles, while only rear plates are required for motorcycles and trailers.
Passenger baseplates 1913 to 1967 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 1956 (dated 1957) issue was the first Idaho license plate that fully complied with these standards: the issues from 1952 through 1955 (dated 1953 through 1956) were all 6 inches in height by 12 inches in width, but had non-standard mounting holes.
ImageDates issuedDesignSloganSerial formatSerials issuedNotes1913Embossed white serial on blue plate; "IDAHO 1913" at rightnone12341 to approximately 25001914Embossed white serial on red plate; "IDAHO 1914" at rightnone12341 to approximately 35001915Embossed red serial on white plate; "IDAHO 1915" at rightnone12341 to approximately 80001916Embossed black serial on yellow plate; "IDAHO 1916" at rightnone123451 to approximately 130001917Embossed yellow serial on black plate; "IDAHO 1917" at rightnone123451 to approximately 250001918Embossed white serial on brown plate; "IDAHO 1918" at rightnone123451 to approximately 350001919Embossed yellow serial on dark green plate; "IDAHO 1919" at rightnone123451 to approximately 40000As above, but with "IDA 1919" at right40001 to approximately 430001920Embossed white serial on dark blue plate with border line; "IDA 1920" at rightnone123451 to approximately 550001921Embossed black serial on orange plate; black lines at top and bottom borders; "IDAHO 1921" at rightnone123451 to approximately 650001922Embossed orange serial on black plate; orange lines at top and bottom borders; "IDA 1922" at rightnone12-3451 to approximately 60-0001923Embossed orange serial on silver plate with border line; "IDA 1923" at rightnone12-3451 to approximately 62-0001924Embossed black serial on yellow plate; "IDA X-24" at rightnone12-3451 to 60-000;70-001 to approximately 72-000Serials 60-001 through reserved for trucks.1925Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "IDAHO X-25" at bottomnone12-3451 to approximately 74-0001926Embossed black serial on orange plate with border line; "IDAHO X-26" at bottomnone12-3451 to approximately 87-0001927Embossed orange serial on dark blue plate, "IDAHO–27" at bottomnone12-3451 to approximately 95-0001928Debossed green serial within embossed tan potato graphic on green plate with border line; "1928" at bottom right"IDAHO POTATOES" at bottom, offset to left12-3451 to approximately 99-9991929Embossed golden yellow serial on black plate with border line; "IDAHO - 1929" at bottomnone123-4561 to approximately 120–0001930Embossed black serial on golden yellow plate with border line; "1930 - IDAHO" at bottomnone123-4561 to approximately 112–0001931Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "IDAHO – 1931" at topnone123-4561 to approximately 115–0001932Embossed black serial on orange plate with border line; vertical "IDA" at right and "1932" centered at topnone 1–234Coded by county of issuance ()1933Embossed orange serial on black plate; "19 - IDAHO - 33" at bottomnone1A-12-34Coded by county of issuance (1A)1934Embossed black serial on golden yellow plate; "19 - IDAHO - 34" at bottomnoneCoded by county of issuance (1A)1935Embossed golden yellow serial on black plate; "19 - IDAHO - 35" at topnone1A-12-345Coded by county of issuance (1A)1936Embossed black serial on golden yellow plate; "19 - IDAHO - 36" at bottomnone1A-12-345Coded by county of issuance (1A)1937Embossed black serial on silver plate with border line; "IDAHO - 1937" at bottomnone1A-12-345Coded by county of issuance (1A)1938Embossed white serial on maroon plate with border line; "IDAHO - 1938" at bottomnone1A-12-345Coded by county of issuance (1A)1939Embossed yellow serial on blue plate; "IDAHO - 1939" at bottomnone1A-12-345Coded by county of issuance (1A)1940Embossed green serial on gold plate; "1890 IDAHO 1940" centered at bottom"50 YEARS STATEHOOD" centered at top1A-12-345Coded by county of issuance (1A)1941Embossed black serial on yellow plate; "1941" at bottom right"SCENIC IDAHO" at bottom, offset to left1A-12-345Coded by county of issuance (1A)Embossed dark blue serial on white plate; "42" at bottom right"SCENIC IDAHO" at bottom, offset to left1A-12-345Coded by county of issuance (1A)Revalidated for 1943 and 1944 with windshield stickers, due to metal conservation for World War II.1945Embossed black serial on golden yellow plate with border line; "45" at bottom right"SCENIC IDAHO" at bottom, offset to leftA-12-340A-12-345Coded by county of issuance (A or 0A)Current county-coding system introduced.1946Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "46" at bottom right"SCENIC IDAHO" at bottom, offset to leftA-12-340A-12-345Coded by county of issuance (A or 0A)1947Embossed white serial on dark blue plate with border line; embossed graphic in the center featuring a skier and mountains; "19 IDAHO 47" centered at top"Vacation Wonderland" centered at bottom 1234 12345Coded by county of issuance ( or )1948–49Embossed black serial on silver plate; baked potato sticker in the center; "IDAHO 48" centered at top"World Famous POTATOES" centered at bottom 1234 12345Coded by county of issuance ( or )Revalidated for 1949 with silver tabs.1950Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "IDAHO 50" centered at topnone 1234 12345Coded by county of issuance ( or )1951–52Embossed white serial on maroon plate with border line; "IDAHO 51" centered at topnone 12345 12345Coded by county of issuance ( or )Revalidated for 1952 with silver tabs.1953Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "IDAHO 53" centered at top"WORLD FAMOUS POTATO" at bottom 12345 12345Coded by county of issuance ( or )1954Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "IDAHO 54" centered at bottomnone 12345 12345Coded by county of issuance ( or )1955Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "IDAHO 55" centered at bottomnone 12345 12345Coded by county of issuance ( or )1956Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "IDAHO 56" centered at top"WORLD FAMOUS POTATO" at bottom 12345 12345Coded by county of issuance ( or )1957Embossed white serial on light green plate with border line; "IDAHO 57" centered at top"FAMOUS POTATOES" centered at bottom 12345 12345Coded by county of issuance ( or )1958Embossed dark green serial on white plate with border line; "IDAHO 58" centered at top"FAMOUS POTATOES" centered at bottom 12345 12345Coded by county of issuance ( or )1959Embossed white serial on dark green plate with border line; "IDAHO 59" centered at top"FAMOUS POTATOES" centered at bottom 12345 12345Coded by county of issuance ( or )1960As 1958 base, but with "IDAHO 60" at top"FAMOUS POTATOES" as on 1958 base 12345 12345Coded by county of issuance ( or )1961As 1959 base, but with "IDAHO 61" at top"FAMOUS POTATOES" as on 1959 base 12345 12345Coded by county of issuance ( or )1962As 1958 base, but with "IDAHO 62" at top"FAMOUS POTATOES" as on 1958 base 12345 12345Coded by county of issuance ( or )1963As 1959 base, but with "IDAHO 63" at top"FAMOUS POTATOES" as on 1959 base 12345 12345Coded by county of issuance ( or )1964As 1958 base, but with "IDAHO 64" at top"FAMOUS POTATOES" as on 1958 base 12345 12345Coded by county of issuance ( or )1965As 1959 base, but with "IDAHO 65" at top"FAMOUS POTATOES" as on 1959 base 12345 12345Coded by county of issuance ( or )1966As 1958 base, but with "IDAHO 66" at top"FAMOUS POTATOES" as on 1958 base 12345 12345Coded by county of issuance ( or )1967As 1959 base, but with "IDAHO 67" at top"FAMOUS POTATOES" as on 1959 base 12345 12345Coded by county of issuance ( or )
1968 to present ImageDates issuedDesignSloganSerial formatSerials issuedNotes1968–70Embossed green serial on white plate with border line; "IDAHO 68" centered at top"FAMOUS POTATOES" centered at bottom 12345 12345 A1234Coded by county of issuance ( or )1971–73As above, but with simply "IDAHO" centered at top1974Embossed green serial on white plate with border line; "IDAHO 74" centered at top"FAMOUS POTATOES" centered at bottom 12345 A1234 12345 A1234 AB123Coded by county of issuance ( or )1975–82As above, but with simply "IDAHO" centered at top1982–85Embossed green serial on white plate; "IDAHO" screened in green centered at top, with the 'A' resembling a mountain peak"Famous Potatoes" screened in green centered at bottomSerials in each county continued from where the 1974–82 plates left off.1985–87Embossed green serial on white plate; screened green lines above and below serial; screened green Sawtooth Mountains graphic on top line at the right; "IDAHO" screened in green to left of graphic, with the 'A' resembling a mountain peak"Famous Potatoes" screened in green centered below serial, just above bottom lineSerials in each county continued from where the 1982–85 plates left off.1987–89 12345 12345 A1234 123456 Coded by county of issuance ( or )Top line cut off at the left, allowing for taller county-code characters. This plate replaced all 1974–87 plates; serials in each county thus restarted from 1.1989 – September 1991Narrow serial dies introduced, allowing for six-digit serials in Canyon County. (Ada County had already gone over to one-letter, four-digit serials after reaching 99999.)September 1991 – June1997Embossed dark blue serial on mountain scene with red and white gradient sky, pale blue mountains and dark blue forest; tall dark blue tree screened at far right; "IDAHO" screened in white centered at top"Scenic" screened in white to left of state name, giving "Scenic Idaho"; "FAMOUS POTATOES" screened in white centered at bottom 123456 123456Coded by county of issuance ( or )Modification of the optional Centennial base introduced in 1987 (see Optional plates below). Awarded "Plate of the Year" for best new license plate of 1991 by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association, the second time Idaho was so honored. June 1997 – April2008As above, but with tall dark blue tree removed and red section of sky reduced in heightA 1234560A 123450A A12340A AB1230A 1A2341A 1234A1A 123AB10B 123410B A123Coded by county of issuance (A or 0A)Full-size county codes introduced in addition to design modifications, all for better visibility. Serials in each county continued from where the 1991–97 plates left off, but were now restricted to seven characters (including the county-code characters). April 2008 – December 2020As above, but with screened black serial and full white border around plateSerials in each county continued from where the 1997–2008 plates left off.December 2020 – presentA 1234UA A123UK AB12U0A 1234U0A A123U0A AB12U0A ABC1U10B 123U10B A12UNew serial formats introduced in each county. Canyon County uses a P suffix instead of U as with every other county.
Ada County has progressed from the U suffix to the V suffix.
County coding The current county-coding system on standard-issue Idaho license plates has been in use since 1945. The naming convention is the order of the county in an alphabetical list followed by the first letter of the county name. For example, 2T indicates the second county beginning with T in an alphabetical list, or Twin Falls County. If only one county begins with a particular letter, the letter alone serves as the county code. Specialty and vanity license plates do not use county codes; some non-passenger types are county-coded, while others are not.