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| Current series | |
|---|---|
| Slogan | Evergreen State |
| Size | 12 in × 6 in 30 cm × 15 cm |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Serial format | ABC1234 |
| Introduced | July 1998 |
| Availability | |
| Issued by | Washington State Department of Licensing |
| History | |
| First issued | June 10, 1915 (pre-state plates from May 1905 through May 31, 1915)[1] |
The U.S. state of Washington first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1905. Registrants provided their own license plates for display until 1915, when the state began to issue plates.[2]
As of 2023[update], plates are issued by the Washington State Department of Licensing. Front and rear plates are required for most classes of vehicles, while only rear plates are required for motorcycles and trailers.
The plates have been manufactured by incarcerated workers managed by the Washington State Department of Corrections since 1923. They are primarily produced at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla, with some also made at the Monroe Correctional Complex in Monroe.[3]
- ^ "New Car Owners Must Have Short Licenses". The Tacoma Daily Ledger. June 3, 1915. p. 14.
The old law, which will be supplanted by the new auto code June 10, made all licenses expire on May 31. The new code, though not yet in effect, provides that on machines licensed up to May 31 no renewal shall be necessary until June 10, when it will be taken out under the schedule of the new code.
- ^ "Old Washington License Plates". LeatherLicensePlates.com. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
- ^ Zhou, Amanda (August 2, 2021). "Washington state grappling with license-plate shortage as pandemic slows production". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 5, 2021.