Rick Kretschmer's License Plate Archives

AlabamaGod Bless America (POW)

The Alabama former prisoner of war plate is the granddaddy of all "God" plates. This plate type is reported to have been introduced in 1981 or so, and has always had the textGod Bless America. Several different versions have been made over the years; I believe the plates shown at left and below represent the four generations issued to date. I do know that the third and fourth generation designs, at least, are also available with a wheelchair grapic located between the letters and numbers; a third gen wheelchair plate is shown below.

Alabama POW plates are often seen in use, or found in used condition, without any expiration stickers attached. It turns out that Alabama allows motorists qualifying for such plates to registrer one vehicle free of charge, and the corresponding plate is issued and used without expiration stickers. Second and subsequent vehicles owned by an ex-POW may also receive these same plates, but the registration isn't free, and they're used with expiration stickers like any other plate.

Additional versions

AlabamaGod Bless America

Alabama introduced this no-extra-cost optional issue in October 2006, and it quickly became quite a popular choice. When I visited Alabama in June 2007 I saw them everywhere. I know of at least six variations of the first-generation plate. Early issues like the top one shown at left had embossed serial characters, but the majority were completely flat. These plates could have either serial prefixes or suffixes; in both cases, the letters began at "AM" and have progressed from there. The letters got into the early Bx series before the first-generation plate was discontinued.

There's also two versions of the graphic sheeting on the first-gen plate; one with sticker boxes larger than the actual stickers, and the other without visible sticker boxes. As far as I know, the sticker box version was introduced after the serial numbers went flat, but since then, the state seemed to alternate between the two versions of sheeting.

The second generation of this plate came out in the beginning of 2014, and as the older plates expired during 2014, they were replaced with the new version. The second-gen plate has black plate numbers with letters in positions five and six, starting from "AA" and progressing upward. The flag graphic in the background is also less obtrusive, just touching the tops of the plate number digits.

Additional versions

AlaskaIn God We Trust

Alaska'sIn God We Trustspecialty plate made its debut in 2012 and costs an extra $30 per year in addition to the normal registration fees. This type is offered only with vanity plate numbers. BULRNR would seem to refer to someone who participated in the world-famous Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain. Alaska uses expiration stickers both front and back; for some reason this plate never had stickers applied and was never used on a vehicle.

ArizonaIn God We Trust

The ArizonaIn God We Trustplate was introduced in March 2012 and costs $25 per year in addition to the normal registration fees. The stylized rays coming from the rising (or setting) sun are meant to resemble the design of the Arizona state flag. Otherwise, I find it a refreshing change to see a God-themed plate depict a scene from nature rather than symbols of national or state pride.

ArkansasIn God We Trust

Arkansas'In God We Trustplate went with a state pride theme rather than the usual patriotic theme. Shown in the graphic are the state capitol building and the state flag, but the American flag is nowhere to be found. The strange, all-alphabetic plate number isn't a vanity; these plates are sequentially issued this way, I presume starting at A/R AAAA.

FloridaIn God We Trustspecialty plate

Florida introduced itsIn God We Trustspecialty plate in the fall of 2008. It features the U.S. (left) and state (right) flags along the bottom edge of the plate. Desipite its attractive and clean design, this plate hasn't been an especially popular choice for two reasons: First, it was rather expensive for the motorist in its early years, or so I've been told; second, just a few months after its introduction, the state began offering standard design plates with the same slogan at no extra cost (seen immediately below). Proceeds from this plate benefit ... wait for it ... the In God We Trust Foundation, which apparently is a charitable organization that supports a variety of worthy causes.

FloridaIn God We Trustno-extra-cost plate

Since early 2009, Florida has offered this standard-base design with the legendIn God We Trustembossed at the bottom as a no-extra-cost alternative to similar plates with either the state nicknameSunshine Stateor the name of the motorist's county. The standard-base "God" plates originally had the serial format000*0xx, with the first letter initially "G" and progressing alphabetically for a while, but eventually skipping all over the alphabet.

The top two plates at left differ slightly in that the orange graphic on the topmost plate has a brown stem, while the plate just below it has a green stem. This change was made as a cost-cutting measure. There are now two additional versions out there, both introduced in 2018, and both shown at bottom left. First, the dies used to stamp theIn God We Trusttext at the bottom were version were changed to be taller and more squared off. Then, a few months later, the plate number dies were also changed, or at least the dies for some letters and numbers were changed. At approximately the same time, the numbering format changed briefly to a single-letter "Z" suffix. It didn't take long to reach 999*99Z; after that, the format has beenx00*0xx; the first letter was initially "Z" and at this writing is now "Y", so the first serial character would seem to be going backwards through the alphabet.

GeorgiaIn God We Trust

Rather than issue a separate plate, since the beginning of 2011 Georgia has allowed motorists to affix anIn God We Truststicker at the bottom of their otherwise-standard plates, instead of displaying the county name. The gray plate at top is an older design with the new sticker placed overtop of the existing county sticker, while the white plate second from the top was issued in 2011 with a "natural" (no other sticker underneath)In God We Truststicker instead of a county sticker.

In May 2012, Georgia discontinued theGeorgia.gov板设计,开始发布两个新乘客car plate designs in its place. These are the two plates shown at bottom left. The fully graphicPeach Stateis the standard-issue plate, but the white-background plate is a no-cost option. Both of these plates are flat with screened serial numbers, and also have screened county names in the usual location at the bottom center. TheIn God We Truststicker may be placed over the screened county name if desired, as was done on both of these plates. Georgia is now also screening the wordsIn God We Trustonto some plates at the time of manufacture, and I've been told that these plates do not cost extra. Plate number CDG8044, shown below as a thumbnail, is one of these. Click on it to see a larger image.

Despite its busy design, thePeach Stateplate is reasonably legible, though a space between the letters and numbers would have helped. However, I'm sure the legibility of the new white-background plate must be an issue for law enforcement. The peach graphic in the center of the plate interferes with the readability of the third letter and first number.

In about 2015, Georgia switched suppliers for the sheeting used to make its plates. The difference isn't evident in the photos, but the new plates have much crisper, more detailed graphics. At about the same time, the font of the plate numbers was changed slightly, with two versions, one with slightly taller characters than the other and different spacing. A white-background plate with the new sheeting and a widely-spaced font is shown as a thumbnail below, which may be enlarged by clicking on it.

Additional versions

IowaGod Bless America

Iowa worked overtime on the patriotic theme of this plate design. There's a U.S. map outline, the American flag, and the Statue of Liberty all in a single image. By contrast, theGod Bless Americalegend is rather subtle. But Iowa gets extra credit for being the first state outside of the Bible Belt with the guts to issue a God plate. Shown are both the full-sized and motorcycle versions. Also shown is a close-up of the rather tiny graphic on the motorcycle plate.

I believe these are now being made with black state and county names and black plate numbers, but I haven't actually seen one to confirm this.

IndianaIn God We Trust

Indiana introduced this plate type with the blue background in 2007 as a no-extra-cost optional plate, and as in Alabama, it became quite popular. The stacked prefix letters were reported to cause difficulties for law enforcement; the letters varied from plate to plate, and their small size made them hard to read at any distance. Some time after this plate was introduced, a small recycling logo was added to the lower left corner. The "10" and "69" stickers in the lower right corners of these plates indicate that the motorists resided in Clark and Ripley Counties, respectively.

Indiana replaced its plates every five years, and so in 2012, the blue backgroundIn God We Trust盘子被替换为白人background design. This one uses full-sized letters in the plate number. All elements are screened onto the plate – including not only the initial expiration year at the upper right corner, but also the expiration month and day at the upper left corner, and the county number at the lower right corner. County number "02" is Allen County, and county number "73" is Shelby County.

At some point, the mostly-white background design was revised slightly. The bar code was moved from under the words "God We" to under the blue part of the flag. However, the most striking difference when actually holding one of these plates is that the surface is now textured, and the hologram running down the center of the plate consists of little lines and dots that are slightly raised. The hologram itself has also changed, with the DNA-like strand shifted to a little bit left of center, and circles about the size of a half dollar containing the letters "US" running down the center. You can see the holograms better by clicking on the plate images at left to see larger versions of them.

它's now early 2020, and the 2012 base continues to be issued, so I don't know what has become of the five year replacement schedule.

KansasIn God We Trust

I don't claim to know much about KansasIn God We Trustplates. They've been around at least since 2010, possibly longer, but there doesn't seem to be much information about them online. Until recently, they were difficult for an east coast collector like me to find. Now, in early 2015, that seems to have changed, though I'm not sure why. It's not like Kansas has done a statewide replacement of this plate design.

The wheat graphic on these plates brings to mind regular Kansas plates from the 1980s and '90s. The state name and the national mottoIn God We Trustare easy to read up close, but the white letters with a blue outline are unfortunately illegible at any distance.

KentuckyIn God We Trustno-extra-cost plate

Kentucky introduced an optional, no-extra-costIn God We Trustplate at the start of 2011 with the design at the upper left. It looks much like the standard plate of the time, except that the graphic that includes the state name, horse logo, andUnbridled SpiritandBluegrass Statelegends was made significantly smaller in order to accommodate theIn God We Trustlegend. Plate numbers for this type began in the "L" series, but otherwise use the same serial format and plate number ranges as the standard plates. In 2019, the000 xxxserial format was exhausted, and plate numbers flipped to the new formatxxx 000.

Then in 2020, Kentucky introduced a revised design for both its standard and optional IGWT plates, shown at lower left, where the state shape was moved to the left, the horse logo andUnbridled Spiritwere abolished, and the plate and its numbers were made completely flat. The optional design differs from the standard deisgn only by the addition of theIn God We Trust文本的底部板、拥挤清纯甜美ty name. Plate numbers continued sequentially from the previous design, but without a space separator. But less than a year later in 2021, when numbering was barely into the "C" series, the state inexplicably changed to a new formatx0x000. On some of the new flat plates, there's a blank white space at bottom center, over which the motorist's county name sticker is placed, but on others, the county name is integral to the plate.

Additional versions

KentuckyROCK Caresspecialty plate

这个盘子可以促进和支持关心Fo的磐石undation, which promotes decency, moral virtue, and human dignity, and provides care for individuals harmed by human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Obviously, they're quite patriotic as well. There's also now a newer version of this plate where the state name andIn God We Trustslogan are much easier to read, on which I believe the plate number is flat.

MississippiGod Bless America

Mississippi takes the prize for making God's name the most prominent. Proceeds from the sale of this plate benefit the Sunflower Consolidated School Preservation Commission. Examples shown are an embossed 1997 base and a flat 2002 base. The "30" sticker in the upper right corner of the latter plate is a county code which identifies the motorist as a resident of Jackson County.

I suspect there's a newer version of this plate, but if there is, I haven't seen it.

MississippiWilliam Carey College / University

Ordinarily, I don't collect collegiate plates, not even for Christian colleges and universities. However, these three for William Carey College and University actually mention God in the logo. They readExpect great things from God; attempt great things for God.Obviously, the school changed its name somewhere along the way. The "24" stickers on the bottom two plates is a code for Harrison County.

I do know there's also an earlier version of this plate that has a blue background fading to white.

MississippiIn God We Trust

In 2019, Mississippi introduced a new standard plate design that included the state seal. Along the blue outer ring of the seal are the wordsThe Great Seal of the State of Mississippi – In God We Trust. This plate is now the second completely standard passenger car plate to include God's name in the design, after Ohio.

MissouriGod Bless America

Missouri introduced the first-generationGod Bless Americaspecialty plate in 2002. The second-generation plate replaced it in about 2008. One of each is shown at left; the major difference between the two is the state name font, which corresponds to the state name font used on regular passenger plates. I expect there will be a third-generation plate out soon. Sales of this plate benefit a World War II Memorial fund.

Missouri special interest plates aren't available with sequential plate numbers; they're only issued with vanity plate numbers. Some motorists who don't really have anything to say on a vanity plate request a vanity number that "looks" sequential, such as plate number GBA 7 shown at left.

On the second-gen plate, the year sticker is sideways because it was designed to be affixed vertically in the center of standard plates, but is supposed to be placed horizontally in the lower right corner of vanity plates. I gather that all Missouri specialty plates now have July expiration months.

MontanaIn God We Trust

Montana joined the God plate bandwagon in about 2009 or 2010 with the version 1In God We Trustplate featuring the bald eagle. It wasn't too many years later that they completely changed the design to the version 2 plate featuring the Liberty Bell. I have no idea what prompted the change after only a relatively short time. In any case, this plate is sponsored by and benefits the Montana Family Institute; their website is rather vague about what they actually do.

Montana specialty plates all share this xxx000 numbering format, but there's no block of letters or numbers reserved for each plate type. Each specialty plate made, regardless of type, is assigned the next available number. I'm not sure when the plate number font changed relative to the background design change; I assume that one or the other of these designs were made with both fonts. Montana uses expiration stickers on the rear plate only; obviously, then, these are both front plates.

MontanaGod's Country

Montana introduced a second God plate type in about 2019 or 2020. This is the only U.S. plate thus far that features the sloganGod's Country. This special interest plate is sponsored by and benefits the Billings Christian School Education Foundation. I like the focus of this plate being God's creation rather than patriotism.

North CarolinaIn God We Trustspecialty plates

Shown at left are both embossed and flat versions of the first generation plate, issued between 2006 and early 2013, and also the second generation plate issued since early 2013. The original design may still be renewed if desired. North Carolina began using screened serial numbers on its special interest plates in the summer of 2008, and then stopped doing so in the fall of 2011.

Proceeds from these plates benefit the North Carolina National Guard Soldiers and Airmen Assistance Fund, hence the "S/A" suffix letters, for "Soldiers and Airmen". The image of the yellow ribbon on the old-school version bears the wordsSupport Our Troops. This plate, with the legendIn God We Trustacross the top, is the only North Carolina plate with the biplane graphic that doesn't sayFirst in Flight.

You would think that the new version with the bald eagle graphic would be much more popular than the original ever was, but neither design has been particularly popular with North Carolina motorists.

North CarolinaIn God We Trustno-extra-cost plate

In 2019, North Carolina introduced what I call the "mottoes" plate as the third plate design available at no extra cost. Motorists may now choose between theFirst in FlightorFirst in Freedomdesigns, or this design, all for the same charge.

This plate features the textIn God We Trust, which is the official motto of the United States, across the top, over a graphic image of the U.S. flag in the background. It also has the text'To Be Rather Than to Seem'bounded by single quotes, which is the English translation of the Latin official motto of the state of North Carolina, just above the state name at the bottom. The numbering format is the same as theFirst in FlightandFirst in Freedomplates, with numbering starting at TAA-1001.

OhioOne Nation Under God

This plate is probably the least interesting-looking of all the God plates issued by various states. It didn't take much creativity to slap a flat, generic U.S. flag graphic onto the left side of the plate. The design with the red band at top was issued sometime during or after 2004 through 2010, but may still be renewed. The design with the light blue across the top is what was issued from mid-2010 until mid-year 2013; this particular plate was for the front of a vehicle and therefore has no expiration sticker. The design with the red triangle at top is the design that's been issued since 2013. The "48", "23", and "70" stickers in the lower left corners indicate that the motorists resided in Lucas County, Fairfield County, and Richland County, respectively.

(Since about 2016, Ohio has also issued a similar plate with the mottoIn God We Trustalong the bottom. That plate features a graphic image of U.S. and state flags on a flagpole and waving in the breeze.)

OhioWith God All Things Are Possible

close-up of passenger car plate close-up of motorcycle plate

Congratulations to Ohio for daring to put God's name on their standard license plates! Ohio introdued this design as its standard plate in April 2013. Printed on the background of the plate are numerous Ohio-related slogans and references to Ohio symbols, landmarks, and historical events. One of the slogans isWith God All Things Are Possible, which is the official state motto.

Passenger car plate numbers began at the letter prefix FWA and have progressed sequentially. On plate numbers starting with "F", the word "God" is completely hidden by the crossbar of the "F", but it's mostly visible on plate numbers starting with "G", as shown above. The word "God" fares slightly better on motorcycle plates; it's almost completely visible immediately to the left of the number "6".

The "79" sticker in the lower left corner of the full-sized plate means the motorist lived in Tuscarawas County. The "04" sticker at the bottom left of the motorcycle plate identifies the motorcyclist as residing in Ashtabula County.

OhioIn God We Trust

Ohio apparently wasn't content with having only one God specialty plate. Since about 2016, Ohio has also issued this similar plate with the mottoIn God We Trust在底部,美国的图形图像. and state flags on a flagpole and waving in the breeze. This background design was issued until early 2022 or so. The textIn God We Trustappears to be gray in the photo, but it's really a dark maroon color on the plate. I couldn't fix it with my photo-editing software without messing up the rest of the photo.

OklahomaIn God We Trust

Oklahoma introduced this extra-cost optional plate in 2010. You can readily see that the design is essentially the same as the first-generation IndianaIn God We Trustplate, which I'm sure made for even more headaches for law enforcement.

PennsylvaniaGeneva College

Here's a plate for another Christian college. This one has a logo with the Holy Bible in the center, surrounded by the textPro Christo et Patria, which translated from Latin reads "For Christ and Country". This blue-background, fully-embossed design is from the 1990s or possibly the late 1980s. I'm sure there are newer versions on the fade band base and the "Visa card" base.

South CarolinaIn God We Trust

South Carolina introduced this plate in 2003 as an optional issue at no additional cost. It's been quite popular with South Carolina motorists since day one. The graphic image is a U.S. flag on a pole with the state flag underneath. In about late 2007, the state began making all plates, including this design, with flat, rather than embossed, serial characters.

A redesigned version of this plate, with a solid white background and the flags to the left of the plate number was introduced in 2016, and the two earlier versions have now been replaced with the new design. Numbering continued uninterrupted from the previous version.

TennesseeIn God We Trustspecialty plate

This plate is an extra-cost special interest plate promoting the American Eagle Foundation, as evidenced by thewww.eagles.orgweb address under the state name. This group, according to their web site, is "dedicated to the preservation and protection of the majestic Bald Eagle, the U.S.A.'s National Symbol". A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this plate support the group's public education and eagle care and recovery efforts.

TennesseeIn God We Trustno-extra-cost plate

In 2017, Tennessee introduced a no-extra-cost, optional variation of its standard passenger car plate. This optional plate is identical to the standard plate, with the exception of the textIn God We Trustadded to the center of the plate, in green, above and below the state shape separator. That, and the optional plates use a different numbering format than do the standard standard plates. This plate became so popular that the state actually issued more of these than the standard plate.

In 2022, the state introduced a new passenger car plate design, with both plain andIn God We Trustversions. This new design consists of white numbers on a solid dark blue background. It will replace the previous green-background design plates as they expire. Again, the two versions of the new design are identical except for the addition of the slogan in the center of the plate and the numbering formats. The plain version uses formatxxx 0000while the IGWT version uses000 xxxx. They gave the IGWT version the format with more possible combinations because it outsells the plain version.

TexasGod Bless America

Texas has not used expiration stickers on their plates since 1994, instead using a windshield sticker to indicate that a vehicle's registration is current. Proceeds from this extra-cost specialty plate benefit the Texas Department of Transportation's Safe Routes to School Program. These were originally issued with blue serial characters and state name, then later with black. A motorcycle version of this plate is also available.

TexasGod Bless Texas

Not only does Texas implore God to bless America, but also to specifically bless Texas. This is the one of the few plate designs where God is associated with state pride rather than national patriotism. Texans have never lacked state pride, that's for sure. This is another extra-cost specialty plate that also benefits the Texas Department of Transportation's Safe Routes to School Program. These were originally issued with blue serial characters and state name, then later with black. A motorcycle version of this plate is also available.

TexasOne Nation Under God

This plate is a special interest plate that promotes the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic men's fraternal service organization, and provides financial support to its charitable programs. I imagine there's now also a black-numbered version of this plate design.

TexasOne State Under God

This plate was introduced in March 2012 and is one of many Texas specialty plate designs available from MyPlates, which is a company with a contract with the Texas DMV to "design, market, and sell new specialty license plates". MyPlates plates are completely street-legal vehicle license plates. This is one of very few U.S. license plates depicting an image of the Christian cross.

TexasDaughters of the American Revolution

The Daughters of the American Revolution is a non-profit service organization comprised of women directly descended from a person who helped the United States secure its independence. This plate hit the streets of Texas in 2015. My interest in it, of course, are the wordsGod • Home • Countryat the bottom.

TexasIn God We Trust

Yet another Texas God plate made its debut in September 2017, with the wordsIn God We Trustinside a large state map. Proceeds from this plate benefit the Texas Veterans Commission.

UtahIn God We Trust

Utah introduced theIn God We Trust / United We Standplate design in 2013 as an extra-cost specialty plate. Like other Utah specialty plates, the graphic design at left and the slogan at the bottom were decals applied to the plate. Then, at the beginning of 2017, the state eliminated the additional fee for this plate, making it a no-extra-cost optional plate. They also began screening the graphic design and slogan directly onto the plate. The plate shown at top left is the old version with the decals, and the plate at bottom left is the new verision with the graphics and text integrated into the sheeting. Yes, I know the two versions are indistinguishable in photos. Thex000xnumbering format has been exhausted, and new issues now use format0x0xx.

VirginiaIn God We Trust

Virginia'sIn God We Trust特殊利益板块在2012年首次亮相。它costs the motorist an additional $10 each year to use this plate design rather than standard passenger car or motorcycle plates. Sequentially-numbered full-sized plates used numbering format0000xxwith a variety of letter suffixes, initially "HM", but later also "HZ", "PZ", "TG", "TR", and possibly others. The full-sized plate shown at top left is half of the 44th pair made in this design, and was a gift from a vistor to this site. Thanks, Jack!

After exhausting multiple suffixes with four-digit numbers, the state revised the full-sized numbering format to have five-digit numbers followed by letter suffux "HM", in the format000-00HM. The four-digit, two-letter suffix format is used by most of Virginia's specialty plates, and they were probably concerned about running out of suffix letters. Unlike most specialty plate designs, this one has room for a longer plate number, so it was a good candidate for this five-digit format. This is reported to have occurred in 2018, which makes the 2015 sticker on the example shown obviously incorrect.

I knew that this design was also available on a motorcycle plate from the beginning, but I don't recall actually seeing one until I found this one for sale in 2021. Obviously, the serial format is000HM, and almost certainly "HM" was the first (if not only) suffix, making this plate the 204th motorcycle plate made with this design. That's assuming numbering began at 101HM, which is likely since Virginia doesn't use leading zeros in its plate numbers.

WisconsinIn God We Trust

This patriotic plate is available to Wisconsin motorists for a $40 initial fee and a $25 annual fee at time of renewal. $25 each year benefits Wisconsin Veteran Homes member care. I'm not sure how long it's been on the road, but at least since 2013. This is a front plate; rear plates get expirations stickers. The suffix letters G/T are fixed, and numbering began at 10001.

Abia, NigeriaGod's Own State

U.S. states are not the only places in the world that put God's name on their license plates. At least two states in the African nation of Nigeria have done so as well. I have no idea whether that practice poses any potential conflict with Nigeria's constitution. I assume it does not.

This plate is a standard passenger car plate issued between 1992 and 2013. All Nigerian passenger car plates from this period look the same, except for the state name and any slogan a state might want to put below their name (not all do). The flag in the upper left corner is the Nigerian national flag. I expected this plate to have metric dimensions, but it measures exactly 12-1/8 inches wide by 5-3/8 inches high.

This plate is from the state of Abia. Nigeria's official language is English, and Abia plates bear the sloganGod's Own State. Apparently, Abia doesn't offer an alternate plate design without the slogan for anyone who might object. Unfortunately, both the state name and the word "God" are smeared a bit on this particuar example, no doubt a manufacturing defect.

PhilippinesChristianization

This plate doesn't contain the word "God" directly, but it belongs on this page nevertheless. A government-issued license plate that celebrates Christianity certainly counts. Most, if not all, 1965 Philippines plates proudly proclaimed (in English!) that year to beChristianization's 4th Centennial. I presume the event being celebrated was the arrival of Spanish missionaries in the year 1565, who did what missionaries do, and proceeded to convert the native population to Christianity. It would seem that 400 years later, Filipinos still considered that to be a good thing.

Though I normally try to collect passenger car "God" plates, I'm perfectly happy with this plate, which is designated by its "E" prefix to be for a tax exempt vehicle. Philippines passenger car plates from this era don't indicate the country name, but rather the name of the province or chartered city. I prefer seeing the country name on the plate, which was done on various low volume non-passenger plate types. Since the Philippines had another plate type specifically for government vehicles, I'm working on the assumption that tax exempt plates were issued to vehicles owned by churches and charities. Plates for church vehicles is another type of plate that I collect, so this is a win-win.