Vehicle registration plates of Oregon
The U.S. state of Oregon first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1905. Registrants provided their own license plates for display until 1911, when the state began to issue plates.
Plates are currently provided by the Driver & Motor Vehicle Services branch of the Oregon Department of Transportation. Front and rear plates are required on all vehicles except for motorcycles.
Passenger baseplates
1911 to 1949
No slogans were used on passenger plates during the period covered by this subsection.| Image | Dates issued | Design | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
| 1911 | Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; vertical "ORE" and "1911" at left and right, respectively | 1234 | 1 to approximately 6200 | ||
| 1912 | Embossed black serial on light green plate with border line; vertical "ORE" and "1912" at left and right, respectively | 1234 | 1 to approximately 9999 | ||
| 1913 | Black serial on silver plate; vertical "ORE" and "1913" at left and right, respectively | 12345 | 1 to approximately 14000 | ||
| 1914 | Debossed white serial on blue plate; vertical "ORE" and "1914" at left and right, respectively | 12345 | 1 to approximately 16500 | ||
| 1915 | Debossed black serial on yellow plate; vertical "ORE" and "1915" at left and right, respectively | 12345 | 1 to approximately 22500 | ||
| 1916 | Embossed white serial on dark red plate; vertical "ORE" and "1916" at left and right, respectively | 12345 | 1 to approximately 34000 | ||
| 1917 | Embossed white serial on green plate; vertical "ORE" and "1917" at left and right, respectively | 12345 | 1 to approximately 49000 | ||
| 1918 | Embossed black serial on light blue plate; vertical "ORE" and "1918" at left and right, respectively | 12345 | 1 to approximately 70000 | ||
| 1919 | Embossed black serial on orange plate; vertical "ORE" and "1919" at left and right, respectively | 12345 | 1 to approximately 84000 | ||
| 1920 | Embossed white serial on red plate; "ORE 1920" at right | 123456 | 1 to approximately 104000 | ||
| 1921 | Embossed white serial on green plate; "ORE 1921" at right | 123456 | 1 to approximately 119000 | ||
| 1922 | Embossed black serial on golden yellow plate; "ORE 1922" at right | 123456 | 1 to approximately 135000 | ||
| 1923 | Embossed white serial on dark blue plate; "ORE 1923" at right | 123456 | 1 to approximately 168000 | ||
| 1924 | Embossed white serial on red plate; "ORE 1924" at right | 1 to approximately 197-000 | |||
| 1925 | Embossed black serial on yellow plate; "ORE 1925" at right | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 220-000 | ||
| 1926 | Embossed white serial on black plate; "ORE 1926" at right | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 236-000 | ||
| 1927 | Embossed white serial on black plate; "OREGON-1927" at bottom | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 261-000 | First use of the full state name. | |
| 1928 | Embossed black serial on white plate; "OREGON-1928" at bottom | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 256-000 | ||
| January 1, 1929 – June 30, 1930 | Embossed white serial on black plate; "OREGON-1929" at top | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 330-000 | Validated from January 1 through June 30, 1930 with windshield sticker. | |
| July 1, 1930 – June 30, 1931 | Embossed orange serial on black plate; "OREGON EXPIRES JUNE 30 1931" at bottom | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 296-000 | ||
| July 1, 1931 – June 30, 1932 | Embossed white serial on black plate; "OREGON JUNE 30 1932" at bottom | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 265-000 | ||
| July 1, 1932 – June 30, 1933 | Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "OREGON JUNE 30 1933" at top | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 250-000 | ||
| July 1 – December 31, 1933 | Embossed black serial on golden yellow plate with border line; "OREGON DEC. 31 1933" at bottom | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 218-000 | ||
| 1934 | Embossed black serial on gray plate with border line; "OREGON-1934" at bottom | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 249-000 | ||
| 1935 | Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "OREGON-1935" at top | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 272-000 | ||
| 1936 | Embossed black serial on silver plate with border line; "OREGON-1936" at bottom | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 276-000 | ||
| 1937 | Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "OREGON-1937" at top | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 293-000 | ||
| 1938 | Embossed black serial on silver plate with border line; "OREGON-1938" at top | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 327-000 | ||
| 1939 | Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "OREGON-1939" at bottom | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 344-000 | ||
| 1940 | Embossed blue serial on white plate with border line; "OREGON-1940" at top | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 359-000 | ||
| 1941 | Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "19 OREGON 41" at bottom | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 390-000 | ||
| 1942–45 | Embossed white serial on blue plate with border line; "19 OREGON 42" at bottom | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 495-000 | Revalidated for 1943, 1944 and 1945 with windshield stickers, due to metal conservation for World War II. | |
| 1946 | Embossed black serial on gray plate with border line; "46 OREGON 46" at bottom | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 480-000 | Only rear plates issued due to ongoing metal shortages. A windshield sticker was carried at the front of the vehicle. | |
| 1947 | Embossed black serial on unpainted aluminum plate with border line; "47 OREGON 47" at bottom | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 458-000 | ||
| 1948 | Embossed red serial on unpainted aluminum plate with border line; "48 OREGON 48" at top | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 511-000 | ||
| 1949 | Embossed black serial on unpainted aluminum plate with border line; "19 OREGON 49" at bottom | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 567-000 |
1950 to present
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 1955 issue was the first Oregon license plate that complied with these standards.All plates from 1955 until present are still valid, provided they are displayed on the vehicle to which they were originally issued.
| Image | Dates issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
| 1950 | Embossed black serial on unpainted aluminum plate with border line; "OREGON" centered at top; month of expiration at top left and "50" or "51" at top right | none | 123-456 | 1 to 710-000 | Monthly staggered registration introduced. Dated plates were generally issued to existing registrants, while all undated plates were issued to new registrants. All were revalidated with tabs each year until 1955. | |
| 1951–54 | As above, but without "50" or "51" | none | 123-456 | 710-001 to approximately 995-000 | Monthly staggered registration introduced. Dated plates were generally issued to existing registrants, while all undated plates were issued to new registrants. All were revalidated with tabs each year until 1955. | |
| 1955 | Embossed golden yellow serial on blue plate with border line; "OREGON" centered at top; month of expiration at top left and "56" at top right | none | 1A-1234 | Letter corresponds to month of expiration | Letters A through M were used for January through December respectively, followed by letters N through Z. All 1955–59 plates were revalidated with tabs each year until 1960 and with stickers thereafter, while all "Pacific Wonderland" plates were revalidated with stickers. | |
| 1956–59 | As above, but without "56" | none | 1A-1234 | Letter corresponds to month of expiration | Letters A through M were used for January through December respectively, followed by letters N through Z. All 1955–59 plates were revalidated with tabs each year until 1960 and with stickers thereafter, while all "Pacific Wonderland" plates were revalidated with stickers. | |
| 1960–63 | As above, but with shorter dies for the serial, state name and month of expiration | "PACIFIC WONDERLAND" at bottom | 1A-1234 | Letter corresponds to month of expiration | Letters A through M were used for January through December respectively, followed by letters N through Z. All 1955–59 plates were revalidated with tabs each year until 1960 and with stickers thereafter, while all "Pacific Wonderland" plates were revalidated with stickers. | |
| 1964–73 | Embossed golden yellow serial on blue plate; border line around plate and around registration year sticker spot at bottom right; "OREGON" centered at bottom; month of expiration at bottom left | none | ABC 123 | First letter corresponds to month of expiration | Letters A through M were used for January through December respectively. | |
| 1973–85 | Embossed blue serial on golden yellow plate; border line around plate and around registration year sticker spot at bottom right; "OREGON" centered at bottom; month of expiration at bottom left | none | ABC 123 | First letter corresponds to month of expiration | Serials for each month continued from where the 1964–73 plates left off. | |
| 1985 – June 1988 | As above, but without month of expiration and sticker spot border line | none | ABC 123 | NAA 001 to PDM 999 | Month coding discontinued. | |
| July 1988 – November 1989 | Embossed dark blue serial on mountain skyline with pale lavender mountains, light khaki sky and pale green Douglas Fir in the center; "Oregon" screened in pale blue centered at top | none | ABC 123 | PDN 001 to QNL 999 | Awarded "Plate of the Year" for best new license plate of 1988 by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association, the first time Oregon was so honored. | |
| November 1989 – February 2004 | Embossed dark blue serial on mountain skyline with lavender mountains, light blue sky and dark green Douglas Fir in the center; "Oregon" screened in dark blue centered at top | none | ABC 123 | QNM 001 to ZZZ 999 | Same design as previous, but with the colors changed in response to public criticism of the original colors. | |
| February 2004 – present | Embossed dark blue serial on mountain skyline with lavender mountains, light blue sky and dark green Douglas Fir in the center; "Oregon" screened in dark blue centered at top | none | 123 ABC | 001 BAA to 196 MGT | No change to design or colors. 'A' series of serials skipped to avoid confusion with optional Oregon Trail plates. |