Vehicle registration plates of Idaho
The U.S. state of Idaho first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1913. Plates are currently issued by the Division of Motor Vehicles of the Idaho Transportation Department. Front and rear plates are required on all vehicles except 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 at in height by in width, with standardized mounting holes. The 1956 issue was the first Idaho license plate that fully complied with these standards: the issues from 1952 through 1955 were all six inches in height by twelve inches in width, but had non-standard mounting holes.| Image | Dates issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
| 1913 | Embossed white serial on blue plate; "IDAHO 1913" at right | none | 1234 | 1 to approximately 2500 | ||
| 1914 | Embossed white serial on red plate; "IDAHO 1914" at right | none | 1234 | 1 to approximately 3500 | ||
| 1915 | Embossed red serial on white plate; "IDAHO 1915" at right | none | 1234 | 1 to approximately 8000 | ||
| 1916 | Embossed black serial on yellow plate; "IDAHO 1916" at right | none | 12345 | 1 to approximately 13000 | ||
| 1917 | Embossed yellow serial on black plate; "IDAHO 1917" at right | none | 12345 | 1 to approximately 25000 | ||
| 1918 | Embossed white serial on brown plate; "IDAHO 1918" at right | none | 12345 | 1 to approximately 35000 | ||
| 1919 | Embossed yellow serial on dark green plate; "IDAHO 1919" at right | none | 12345 | 1 to approximately 40000 | ||
| 1919 | As above, but with "IDA 1919" at right | none | 12345 | 40001 to approximately 43000 | ||
| 1920 | Embossed white serial on dark blue plate with border line; "IDA 1920" at right | none | 12345 | 1 to approximately 55000 | ||
| 1921 | Embossed black serial on orange plate; black lines at top and bottom borders; "IDAHO 1921" at right | none | 12345 | 1 to approximately 65000 | ||
| 1922 | Embossed orange serial on black plate; orange lines at top and bottom borders; "IDA 1922" at right | none | 12-345 | 1 to approximately 60-000 | ||
| 1923 | Embossed orange serial on silver plate with border line; "IDA 1923" at right | none | 12-345 | 1 to approximately 62-000 | ||
| 1924 | Embossed black serial on yellow plate; "IDA X-24" at right | none | 12-345 | 1 to 60-000; 70-001 to approximately 72-000 | Serials 60-001 through reserved for trucks. | |
| 1925 | Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "IDAHO X-25" at bottom | none | 12-345 | 1 to approximately 74-000 | ||
| 1926 | Embossed black serial on orange plate with border line; "IDAHO X-26" at bottom | none | 12-345 | 1 to approximately 87-000 | ||
| 1927 | Embossed orange serial on dark blue plate, "IDAHO–27" at bottom | none | 12-345 | 1 to approximately 95-000 | ||
| 1928 | Debossed green serial within embossed tan potato graphic on green plate with border line; "1928" at bottom right | "IDAHO POTATOES" at bottom, offset to left | 12-345 | 1 to approximately 99-999 | ||
| 1929 | Embossed golden yellow serial on black plate with border line; "IDAHO - 1929" at bottom | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 120-000 | ||
| 1930 | Embossed black serial on golden yellow plate with border line; "1930 - IDAHO" at bottom | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 112-000 | ||
| 1931 | Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "IDAHO – 1931" at top | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 115-000 | ||
| 1932 | Embossed black serial on orange plate with border line; vertical "IDA" at right and "1932" centered at top | none | A/1 1-234 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| 1933 | Embossed orange serial on black plate; "19 - IDAHO - 33" at bottom | none | 1A-12-34 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| 1934 | Embossed black serial on golden yellow plate; "19 - IDAHO - 34" at bottom | none | Coded by county of issuance | |||
| 1935 | Embossed golden yellow serial on black plate; "19 - IDAHO - 35" at top | none | 1A-12-345 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| 1936 | Embossed black serial on golden yellow plate; "19 - IDAHO - 36" at bottom | none | 1A-12-345 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| 1937 | Embossed black serial on silver plate with border line; "IDAHO - 1937" at bottom | none | 1A-12-345 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| 1938 | Embossed white serial on maroon plate with border line; "IDAHO - 1938" at bottom | none | 1A-12-345 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| 1939 | Embossed yellow serial on blue plate; "IDAHO - 1939" at bottom | none | 1A-12-345 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| 1940 | Embossed green serial on gold plate; "1890 IDAHO 1940" centered at bottom | "50 YEARS STATEHOOD" centered at top | 1A-12-345 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| 1941 | Embossed black serial on yellow plate; "1941" at bottom right | "SCENIC IDAHO" at bottom, offset to left | 1A-12-345 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| Embossed dark blue serial on white plate; "42" at bottom right | "SCENIC IDAHO" at bottom, offset to left | 1A-12-345 | Coded by county of issuance | Revalidated for 1943 and 1944 with windshield stickers, due to metal conservation for World War II. | ||
| 1945 | Embossed black serial on golden yellow plate with border line; "45" at bottom right | "SCENIC IDAHO" at bottom, offset to left | A-12-34 0A-12-345 | Coded by county of issuance | Current county-coding system introduced. | |
| 1946 | Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "46" at bottom right | "SCENIC IDAHO" at bottom, offset to left | A-12-34 0A-12-345 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| 1947 | Embossed 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 | A 1234 0/A 12345 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| 1948–49 | Embossed black serial on silver plate; baked potato sticker in the center; "IDAHO 48" centered at top | "World Famous POTATOES" centered at bottom | A 1234 0/A 12345 | Coded by county of issuance | Revalidated for 1949 with silver tabs. | |
| 1950 | Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "IDAHO 50" centered at top | none | A 1234 0/A 12345 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| 1951–52 | Embossed white serial on maroon plate with border line; "IDAHO 51" centered at top | none | A 12345 0/A 12345 | Coded by county of issuance | Revalidated for 1952 with silver tabs. | |
| 1953 | Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "IDAHO 53" centered at top | "WORLD FAMOUS POTATO" at bottom | A 12345 0/A 12345 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| 1954 | Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "IDAHO 54" centered at bottom | none | A 12345 0/A 12345 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| 1955 | Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "IDAHO 55" centered at bottom | none | A 12345 0/A 12345 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| 1956 | Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "IDAHO 56" centered at top | "WORLD FAMOUS POTATO" at bottom | A 12345 0/A 12345 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| 1957 | Embossed white serial on light green plate with border line; "IDAHO 57" centered at top | "FAMOUS POTATOES" centered at bottom | A 12345 0/A 12345 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| 1958 | Embossed dark green serial on white plate with border line; "IDAHO 58" centered at top | "FAMOUS POTATOES" centered at bottom | A 12345 0/A 12345 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| 1959 | Embossed white serial on dark green plate with border line; "IDAHO 59" centered at top | "FAMOUS POTATOES" centered at bottom | A 12345 0/A 12345 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| 1960 | As 1958 base, but with "IDAHO 60" at top | "FAMOUS POTATOES" as on 1958 base | A 12345 0/A 12345 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| 1961 | As 1959 base, but with "IDAHO 61" at top | "FAMOUS POTATOES" as on 1959 base | A 12345 0/A 12345 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| 1962 | As 1958 base, but with "IDAHO 62" at top | "FAMOUS POTATOES" as on 1958 base | A 12345 0/A 12345 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| 1963 | As 1959 base, but with "IDAHO 63" at top | "FAMOUS POTATOES" as on 1959 base | A 12345 0/A 12345 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| 1964 | As 1958 base, but with "IDAHO 64" at top | "FAMOUS POTATOES" as on 1958 base | A 12345 0/A 12345 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| 1965 | As 1959 base, but with "IDAHO 65" at top | "FAMOUS POTATOES" as on 1959 base | A 12345 0/A 12345 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| 1966 | As 1958 base, but with "IDAHO 66" at top | "FAMOUS POTATOES" as on 1958 base | A 12345 0/A 12345 | Coded by county of issuance | ||
| 1967 | As 1959 base, but with "IDAHO 67" at top | "FAMOUS POTATOES" as on 1959 base | A 12345 0/A 12345 | Coded by county of issuance |
1968 to present
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.| County | 1934-44 | 1945–present |
| Ada | 1A | |
| Adams | 2A | |
| Bannock | 3A | |
| Bear Lake | 4A | |
| Benewah | 5A | |
| Bingham | 6A | |
| Blaine | 7A | |
| Boise | 8A | |
| Bonner | 9A | |
| Bonneville | 1P | |
| Boundary | 2P | |
| Butte | 3P | |
| Camas | 4P | |
| Canyon | 5P | |
| Caribou | 6P | |
| Cassia | 7P | |
| Clark | 8P | |
| Clearwater | 9P | |
| Custer | 1H | |
| Elmore | 2H | |
| Franklin | 3H | |
| Fremont | 4H | |
| Gem | 5H | |
| Gooding | 6H | |
| Idaho | 7H | |
| Jefferson | 8H | |
| Jerome | 9H | |
| Kootenai | 1K | |
| Latah | 2K | |
| Lemhi | 3K | |
| Lewis | 4K | |
| Lincoln | 5K | |
| Madison | 6K | |
| Minidoka | 7K | |
| Nez Perce | 8K | |
| Oneida | 9K | |
| Owyhee | 1R | |
| Payette | 2R | |
| Power | 3R | |
| Shoshone | 4R | |
| Teton | 5R | |
| Twin Falls | 6R | |
| Valley | 7R | |
| Washington | 8R |