Ohio License Plates

Ohio High Plates	Print

A new general issue base plate for Ohio that was tentatively proposed for release in April 2009 was scrapped, at least in that form, due to the recession. At least one million of the graphic sheeting blanks were produced. These plates became available on an optional basis for an additional $7.50 beginning November 23, 2009. They were produced from ERA 1000 through EUH 7299, excluding the ETS series, which was a special dealer prefix. Only regular issue plates were available at first. Initial and Personalized plates were not be available on the "Beautiful Ohio" plates when they first came into use, but all Initial, Personalized, and Specials ordered after June 7, 2010 will be on the "Beautiful" graphic. Specials will appear on a modified design with only the top portion of the graphics used on the regular plates.

Recent series:

Sunburst DAA - EQZ
Beautiful ERA - EUH
Sunburst EUJ - FAK
Beautiful FAL - present

Ohio uses the letters I and O in the second position only on passenger plates, but neither letter is used on any other standard type. The letter Q is used in the second and third position on passenger and non-passenger plates. The letter O is used in the first position on City and County plates.

Passenger, Family, Truck, Apportioned, Trailer, and Motorcycle plates are still embossed. Specials, Vanities, and most Non-Pass types other than Truck and Trailer are flat. Motorcycle Vanities are still embossed.

07 stickers are black on orange
08 stickers are black on white
09 stickers are white on black
10 stickers are black on red
11 stickers are black on blue (more turquoise than before)
12 stickers are black on orange

Commercial stickers are the reverse of passenger

The expiration day of the month now appears in tiny print along the bottom of the sticker below the month and year.

Fees for Initial and Personalized plates increased $15 as of Oct. 1, 2009. Initial plates increased from $10 to $25, and Personalized from $35 to $50.

Type	Plate	Notes	Reporter
2009 Beautiful Ohio	FEN 7244	Embossed Cuyahoga Co. First available Nov. 23, 2009. Originally intended to be a general issue, these plates are now being offered as an optional. Now the state has decided to make them the standard issue beginning Dec. 1, 2010, but they will remain optional until then, or until the Sunburst plates run out at each office. Initial, Personalized, and Special plates were not originally available on this new base yet, but they have been as of June 7. The distribution of these plates has not followed the usual pattern of recent bases. Series range: ERA 1000 through EUH 7299, excluding the ETS series, which has already been used as a special dealer prefix on the 1996 and 2004 bases. Sunburst plates resumed in the EUJ series and ran through the FAK series. Beautiful plates resumed in the FAL series. Prefixes spotted so far: ERA - Hamilton Co., Butler Co., Clermont Co., & Preble Co. ERB - Hamilton Co. ERC - Hamilton Co. ERD - Lucas Co. ERE - Franklin Co., Delaware Co., & Lucas Co. ERF - Franklin Co. & Hamilton Co. ERG - Franklin Co., Cuyahoga Co., & Hamilton Co. ERH - Cuyahoga Co., Ashtabula Co. & Medina Co. ERJ - Cuyahoga Co. ERK - Cuyahoga Co., Erie Co., Hancock Co., & Seneca Co. ERL - Lorain Co. & Marion Co. ERM - Allen Co., Summit Co., Cuyahoga Co., Lorain Co., & Lucas Co. ERN - Harrison Co. ERP - Summit Co., Portage Co., & Stark Co. ERQ - Harrison Co., Lucas Co. & Summit Co. ERR - Franklin Co. & Summit Co. ERS - Franklin Co., Clark Co., & Licking Co. ERT - Trumbull Co. ERU - Brown Co. & Clinton Co. ERV - Montgomery Co. & Fairfield Co. ERW - Montgomery Co. & Athens Co. ERX - Montgomery Co., Franklin Co., & Meigs Co. ERY - Fairfield Co. ERZ - Allen Co., Franklin Co., & Hamilton Co. ESA - Franklin Co., Fairfield Co., & Sandusky Co. ESB - Cuyahoga Co. & Sandusky Co. ESC - Cuyahoga Co. & Franklin Co. ESD - Franklin Co. & Delaware Co. ESE - Franklin Co. ESF - Franklin Co. ESG - Adams Co., Clinton Co., & Highland Co. ESH - Montgomery Co., Fayette Co., & Scioto Co. ESJ - Montgomery Co., Belmont Co., Hocking Co. & Ross Co. ESK - Franklin Co., Hamilton Co., & Clermont Co. ESL - Hamilton Co. & Warren Co. ESM - Lucas Co. & Defiance Co. ESN - Franklin Co. & Champaign Co. ESP - Franklin Co., Logan Co., Union Co., & Wyandot Co. ESQ - Clark Co. & Madison Co. ESR - Pickaway Co. ESS - Adams Co. EST - Montgomery Co. ESU - Cuyahoga Co. ESV - Hancock Co., Hardin Co., Marion Co., Medina Co., Morrow Co., Ottawa Co., Richland Co., Sandusky Co., & Wood Co. ESW - Mahoning Co. ESX - Hamilton Co. ESY - Hamilton Co. ESZ - Franklin Co. ETG - Crawford Co. ETH - Cuyahoga Co. ETK - ETM - Portage Co. ETV - Madison Co. ETW - Franklin Co. & Montgomery Co. ETX - Franklin Co. EUC - Franklin Co. EUE - Cuyahoga Co. EUG - Franklin Co. EUH - Franklin Co. FAV - Franklin Co. The sample plate used in official press releases and on the state web page is the usual AAA 0000, but Jeff Lee saw a sample with BBB 0000 in Orrville. Dan Mergard spotted the lowest so far, which was ERA 1001 in Butler Co. on 2010-02-15. This would be the 2nd plate issued.	John Farkas 8/24/10
1996 Base	CVV 4685	Embossed Some out of sequence series have been issued to dealers and leasing companies, such as: BIR, DAG, DLX, ETS, EUR, FAC, FJL, FJP, FLY, FVC, GAN, GFR, GLR, GNH, HOM, JAY, JSL, KAR, KFD, LAS, LEX, LJF, LXS, MAL, MBZ, MCH, MCT, MET, MGM, MVP, MWL, NON, SST, SUN, TOB, and WIN.	Robert 7/15/02
1996 Base through B	BIF 8668	Embossed Series jumped to CAA after BIF. Early C series plates have a much lighter gold stripe across the bottom, but it was darkened later. The slogan change from "The Heart of it All" to "Birthplace of Aviation" took place between ARR 5835 and ARR 5912. Spacing on these plates changed between ACV 8658 and ACW 4114. AAA through about ACV have the characters closer to the edges with more center space, but all plates from about ACW through the current D series have been standardized with more edge margin and less center space.
2002 Bicentennial	FC09KV	Embossed Franklin Co.	Kit Sage 3/04/09
2004 Sunburst	FAK 9942	Embossed Hamilton Co. Note: The series jumped from EQZ to EUJ. We now know that the new "Beautiful Ohio" base that was supposed to be the new general issue, but will now be an optional, was produced in the ERx, ESx, ETx (excluding ETS) series, and the EUx series through EUH 7299. (The ETS series is already in use as a special dealer prefix on the 1996 and 2004 bases.) The actual high in this type is still in the EZx series. The posted high reflects a mailout series from the central office in Columbus. FAE, FAF, and FAH have been used so far, but no lower FAx series plates have been seen. (FAC was a special dealer prefix.) Sunburst plates ended in the FAK series. "Beautiful" plates resumed in the FAL series. Sequential counter issue high - EZR 5502 Franklin Co. 2010-06-02 Kit Series began at DAA 1000. Regular issues are still embossed, but special types are flat. The "sunburst" design (from the state seal) that appears in the background is used on regular passenger, but not on other types. This is the new standard issue for new registrations and replacements, but older plates are still being revalidated unless the owner chooses to pay a fee for the new plates. The 1991 blue on white issue has officially expired and should no longer be in use, but Initial Reserve and Vanities on that base are still fairly commonly seen with current stickers. There appears to be no enforcement effort with respect to eliminating those plates.	Frank Foster 7/30/10
Non-passenger Plates
1996 Motorcycle	31 FYU	Embossed
2002 Motorcycle	XV4B	Embossed	Dan Mergard 7/24/06
2002 Trailer (Comm)	TND 9385	Embossed	Dan Mergard 3/18/10
2002 Trailer (Non-Comm)	RY53YJ	Embossed Series started at RA01AA.	Frank Foster 4/23/04
2004 Motorcycle	76THK	Embossed Franklin Co. Possibly started at HHA on the 2004 base, continuing in the same sequence as the 1996 base. The Bicentennial plates ran through at least HFY, but the HAA through HFY series do not have the Bicentennial slogan as the others do. Motorcycle vanities are still embossed.	Colin Taranovich 7/03/10
2004 Motorcycle - Veteran	V E T 93ZTV	Embossed Franklin Co. "VET" screened vertically in red before embossed blue registration characters.	Kit Sage 5/27/10
2009 Motorcycle (Beautiful)	37RAZ	Embossed Cuyahoga Co. First available Nov. 23, 2009.	John Farkas 7/11/10
Apportioned	PWL 5444	Embossed Series started at PUA on 1996 base. No county stickers on this type.	Martin Houle 6/05/09
Disabled Veteran	DV 9955	Flat Franklin Co. Sunburst base, red wheelchair in front of number, number in blue.	John Garko 6/22/10
Family	3738500	Embossed Cuyahoga Co. Series started at 3700000. Plates are red on yellow without graphics or legends. Only the state name appears on the plate at the top. Standard validation sticker and county sticker is used. These plates have been in use since 1967, but were rare until recent years. As of Jan. 1, 2004, judges are required to issue these plates to all drivers convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, but they are not strictly limited to DUI offenders. They have also been issued to those who drove without insurance. These plates allow limited driving privileges while under suspension, such as driving to and from work. Some recently issued Family plates were made and issued without the state name at the top. They just have the embossed numbers and should have county and expiration stickers.	John Farkas 5/26/10
Temporary	U112119		John Farkas 8/24/10
Temporary - Motorcycle	2N1809		Kit Sage 5/03/10
Trailer (Comm)	TPP 6925	Embossed Comm. Trailer plates do not have county number stickers, but Non-Comm Trailers do. Trailer plates on this latest base appear to have started at TNE 1000. "TRAILER" is embossed bottom center. Series went from TNZ to TPA, skipping O in the center position.	Dan Mergard 3/26/10
Trailer (Non-Comm)	SSK 1979	Embossed Butler Co. Non-Comm Trailer plates have county number stickers, but Comm. Trailers do not. Ohio usually uses the letter "O" in the middle position for passenger plates, but it appears that Non-Comm Trailer plates skipped from SNZ to SPA. Unlike the standard Trailer plate for commercial use that is embossed with "TRAILER" at the bottom, non-commercial Trailer plates are not marked as being for trailers. As with Truck plates, it is not unusual to see trailers that should have commercial plates using the less expensive non-commercial plates since there is very little enforcement.	Dan Mergard 3/24/10
Trailer - Non-Comm	SRX9643	unknown Co. This is the new optional graphic base that is currently available. It is scheduled to become the standard issue on Dec. 1, 2010.	John Garko 6/05/10
Truck	PHE9418	Embossed Truck plates do not have county stickers, but the rear plate has a white on brown weight class sticker in the lower left where a county sticker would otherwise appear. Non-Commercial Trucks use the standard Passenger plate. It is not unusual to see Commercial Trucks illegally using the less expensive Non-Commercial plates because there seems to be very little enforcement.	John Farkas 8/18/10
Specialty Plates
Specials	869YEK	Flat Franklin Co. Beautiful base Special issues (Wildlife, Lake Erie, etc.) are now using the same series. Most special types including personalized are now being issued as silk-screened flat plates. Regular issue plates will continue to be embossed. The high of 163 XKX stands in the original sequential issue for specials, but there was an unexplained jump to at least the XRF series in October 2005. It appears that the original sequential series is still progressing, but no reason is known for the split. Specials are now being issued on the modified Beautiful graphic, starting with the YDR series.	John Garko 8/25/10
Inactive Series
Passenger - 1991 base	YWA-946		Kit Sage 8/27/00

Ohio High Plates