# Vehicle registration plates of Illinois

The U.S. state of Illinois first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1907. Registrants provided their own license plates for display until 1911, when the state began to issue plates. As of 2023, plates are issued by the Illinois Secretary of State.
Front and rear plates are required on most vehicle types, with the exception of motorcycles, motor-driven cycles, and trailers. Plates were issued annually until 1979; multi-year plates have been issued ever since. Plates belong to vehicle owners, so they can be transferred from one vehicle to another.

## Early history: 1907–1939

Automobile owners in Illinois were first required to register their vehicles with the Secretary of State's office in 1907, paying a one-time registration fee of $2. Registrants were issued a numbered aluminum disc to place on their dashboard, but they had to provide their own license plates. Annual registration commenced in 1909.
The state began to issue license plates in 1911. Front and rear plates were required each year, along with an aluminum dashboard disc whose number matched the serial on the plate. The legislation authorizing the state issuance of license plates also provided for the registration and plating of motorcycles, and issued special licenses and plates to mechanics and chauffeurs.
Serials were all-numeric and originally ran to five digits. When 99999 was reached in 1914 and 1915, serials with one letter and four digits were issued. Six-digit all-numeric serials were introduced in 1916, followed in 1925 by seven-digit serials. Aluminum dashboard discs were discontinued after 1917.
Trucks received their own plates for the first time in 1920. Serials on these plates were all-numeric until 1930, when weight codes were introduced. Trailers received their own plates from 1924 onwards.
In 1927, the state issued its first graphic license plate, featuring an embossed state shape to the right of the serial.

## Mid-century history: 1940–1978

With the entry of the United States into World War II, and the subsequent introduction of measures to conserve metal for the war effort, Illinois manufactured its license plates for 1943 from wood-based fiberboard instead of steel. This practice continued each year up to and including 1948, despite the war ending in 1945 with the surrender of Japan. The state reverted to manufacturing its plates from steel in 1949, although the 1950 and 1951 plates were instead manufactured from aluminum.
License plates were placed under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of State in 1953. The 1954 plates were the first to feature the "Land of Lincoln" slogan, which continues to be used today.
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 (except those for motorcycles) at 6 inches (15 cm) in height by 12 inches (30 cm) in width, with standardized mounting holes. The 1956 (dated 1957) issue was the first Illinois license plate that fully complied with these standards: the 1955 (dated 1956) issue was 6 inches in height by 12 inches in width, but had non-standard mounting holes.

## Multiyear baseplates: 1979–present

In late 1966 the implementation of five year license plates, which would use renewal tabs annually, was proposed. Their use would also aid police in identifying drivers because the books that listed all license plate numbers were not available until halfway through the year. With fewer plate numbers changing, the books would be relevant for longer periods of time. Paul Powell, the Illinois Secretary of State, rejected the proposal stating that any cost savings would be minimized by additional record keeping costs. He also mentioned that some multiyear plates used in other states were not satisfactory. Powell further reiterated his position the following month by mentioning a University of Illinois study which recommended the annual change in license plate colors as an incentive for motorists to pay the annual registration cost, and that the initial cost of the longer term plates would be much more than regular plates. The University of Illinois study mentioned by Powell was conducted in 1957 and 1958, and also recommended the addition of letters to the Illinois license plate. In 1969 Powell backed a plan to implement two-year plates, which would have cost twice the annual registration price, but the plan did not pass the legislature.
In January 1975 it was recommended that Illinois retain the practice of issuing annual license plates by an advisory committee to Secretary of State Michael Howlett. Two year license plates and a staggered registration system were studied by the committee, but both proposals were rejected. Despite this recommendation Howlett appointed a task force in April 1975 to study how to implement multiyear plates. At the conclusion of the study in September 1975 Howlett stated he would propose to the legislature that Illinois begin issuing multiyear plates validated by an annual renewal sticker. The plates were expected to last five years, and they were to be made of aluminum stock that was twice as thick as the current plates in order to make them more durable. With the 1976 license plates already in production, and the 1977 license plate contract already awarded, the implementation of a multiyear license plate system was delayed.

### Issue of 1979

Legislation to implement a multiyear license plate was finally proposed in 1977. The bill to institute five-year plates passed the House Motor Vehicle Committee on March 16, 1977, and the state House on March 29, 1977. Alan Dixon, the Secretary of State, spoke in favor of passage of the bill. The Senate Transportation Committee passed the bill on April 28, 1977, and the full Senate on June 10, 1977. The bill was signed into law by Governor Jim Thompson on August 4, 1977. With the 1978 contract for license plates already awarded, multiyear plates would not be implemented until 1979. The cost savings from not issuing annual plates for the expected five year life of the plates was $21 million. One change made to the legislation before becoming a law gave the Secretary of State the discretion to determine how long the plates would last. This change would have long-term implications as there was not a statutory requirement to issue new license plates every five years.
The 1979 issue of new license plates was complicated by the fact that the state was converting to a staggered registration system at the same time it issued these plates. Under the multiyear system vehicle owners could obtain their new plates and register their vehicles for as few as nine months or as long as 23 months. At this time a full year registration cost $18, so the registration cost was prorated to the number of months that was chosen. A nine-month registration was $13.50 while a 23-month registration cost $34.50. Initially the month that a registration would expire was based upon the last two digits of a license plate number. For instance a plate ending in the number 11 allowed the vehicle owner to register for nine months ending on September 30, 1979 or they could choose an April 30, 1980 expiration. By limiting the choices for expiration to only two different months, the state ensured that registrations would be staggered.
Renewal stickers for the 1979 license plates were blue for 1979, red for 1980, green for 1981, brown for 1982, and orange for 1983.
The multiyear system also eliminated the need for current vehicle owners to replace license plates during the winter months as no registrations were set to expire in December, January, or February. Anyone who purchased a new or used vehicle in the winter months could still end up with license plates that needed to be renewed while it was cold outside. Many other types of vehicles, such as taxis, limousines, dealers, etc. continued to be issued a new plate annually.

### Issue of 1984

A new multi-year plate was introduced in 1984, replacing all the 1979 plates by the start of 1987. This plate consisted of embossed dark blue characters on a reflective white background, with a light blue band screened across the top containing the state name and the "Land of Lincoln" slogan. Serials on passenger plates issued to new registrants initially consisted of three letters and three numbers, while existing registrants with 1979 plates could retain the all-numeric and two-letter, four-number serials from these plates. After the three-letter, three-number format was completed in 1995, new formats were used consisting of one letter and up to six numbers.
Renewal stickers for these plates were as follows: purple for 1984, green for 1985, orange for 1986, blue for 1987, red for 1988, green for 1989, orange for 1990, maroon for 1991, white for 1992, blue for 1993, dark gray for 1994, red for 1995, white for 1996, green for 1997, gray for 1998, orange for 1999, blue for 2000 and finally red for 2001.

### Issue of 2001

The new multiyear baseplate, which began to be issued in July 2001, was the first fully graphic passenger plate issued by the state of Illinois. The design, dark red characters on a background that faded from white at the top to dark blue at the bottom, was chosen by Internet voters from among nine different designs. The word "Illinois" was centered in a script font at the top, the "Land of Lincoln" slogan was once more centered at the bottom of the plate, and a single sticker well, half the size of the former well, was at the top right corner. In the center of the plate was a silhouette of Abraham Lincoln. Approximately 8.5 million passenger plates were scheduled to be replaced in a single year although replacement plates for all vehicle types was scheduled to take place over three years. Approximately 6.5 million passenger plates were made in Illinois at Macon County Rehabilitation Facilities, Inc. in Decatur, and another 2 million plates were made by Waldale Manufacturing Ltd. of Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada in order to produce all of the passenger plates needed in a single year.

### Issue of 2017

On November 15, 2016 Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced that new Illinois license plates would begin to be issued in 2017. As before, the new license plates were announced in conjunction with a multiyear replacement program. The largest change to the plate was the complete replacement of the background image. The image of Abraham Lincoln was moved to the far left, was changed to a dark gray color, only showed the left half of his face, and was nearly the entire height of the plate. Additionally, the rest of the background showed a blue sky above a partial Chicago skyline including the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower); a barn with a windpump; and the dome of the Illinois State Capitol building; all of which are all in white. The serial number characters remained in dark red, and the word "Illinois" along with the "Land of Lincoln" slogan were changed to a black seriffed font. The replating program is scheduled to take place over 10 years ending in 2026.
The plate was designed by staff of the Illinois Secretary of State's office, and drew criticism immediately, Blair Kamin of the Chicago Tribune calling the design "busy and banal". Two changes were made to the plate's design within the first year of issuance, both in order to make the serial more readable: the serial's layout was changed from AB1 2345 to AB 12345 (the space coming after the letters instead of after the first digit), before the image of Abraham Lincoln was changed from a dark gray color to a much lighter gray.
In mid 2023, a change in production equipment was made. The serial on plates is now screened from a UV printer and then embossed, rather than embossed first and then roll-painted. With this change, new serial dies are being used which have a font similar to that used in North Carolina. The revised plates began to appear in August 2023, first on remakes of passenger combinations carried over from the previous base, and gradually spreading to new combinations of all types in the following months.

## Passenger baseplates
### Pre-state plates

| Image | Dates issued | Description | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
| | 1907–11 | Black on white; vertical "ILL" at right | 12345 | 1 to approximately 38300 | Front and rear plates provided by vehicle owner. Most were made of metal or leather. The serial number matched that on the aluminum disc provided to the owner by the state. Requests for low numbers caused the state to issue discs with letter prefixes and numbers 1–20 from 1907 through 1909, with all letters used except 'I'. |
| | 1907–11 | Black on white; vertical "ILL" at right | A12 | A1 to Z20 | Front and rear plates provided by vehicle owner. Most were made of metal or leather. The serial number matched that on the aluminum disc provided to the owner by the state. Requests for low numbers caused the state to issue discs with letter prefixes and numbers 1–20 from 1907 through 1909, with all letters used except 'I'. |

### 1911 to 1978

| First issued | Description | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
| 1911 | Black on white; vertical "ILL" at right | none | 12345 | 1 to approximately 38100 | Issued only from July 1 through December 31, 1911. |
| 1912 | White on black; "ILL 1912" at right | none | 12345 | 1 to approximately 67200 | First dated plate. Front plates were perforated in order to allow air to pass through to the vehicle's radiator, while rear plates were solid. |
| 1913 | Front: White with border and no background; "ILL 13" at right Rear: White on dark blue; "ILL 13" at right | none | 12345 | 1 to approximately 94100 | Front plates were stencil-like, again to facilitate passage of air to the vehicle's radiator. |
| 1914 | Green on white; "ILL 14" at right | none | 12345 | 1 to 99999 | Front plates had vertical slits between the characters of the serial; this practice continued through 1918. Letters H, K, P and R used in the A1234 serial format. |
| 1914 | Green on white; "ILL 14" at right | none | A1234 | H0001 to approximately R1000 | Front plates had vertical slits between the characters of the serial; this practice continued through 1918. Letters H, K, P and R used in the A1234 serial format. |
| 1915 | Dark blue on yellow; "ILL 15" at right | none | 12345 | 1 to 99999 | Letters H, K, P, R, T, U, X and Y used in the A1234 serial format. |
| 1915 | Dark blue on yellow; "ILL 15" at right | none | A1234 | H0001 to approximately Y9999 | Letters H, K, P, R, T, U, X and Y used in the A1234 serial format. |
| 1916 | Black on silver with border line; "ILL 16" at right | none | 123456 | 1 to approximately 249000 | |
| 1917 | White on black with border line; "ILL 17" at right | none | 123456 | 1 to approximately 339000 | Last year in which aluminum dashboard discs were required. |
| 1918 | Blue on gray with border line; "ILL 18" at right | none | 123456 | 1 to approximately 387000 | |
| 1919 | White on brown with border line; "ILL 19" at right | none | 123456 | 1 to approximately 473000 | |
| 1920 | Black on orange with border line; "ILL 20" at right | none | 123456 | 1 to approximately 494000 | |
| 1921 | White on black with border line; "ILL 21" at right | none | 123456 | 1 to approximately 579000 | |
| 1922 | Black on gray with border line; "ILL 22" at right | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 681-000 | |
| 1923 | White on green with border line; "ILL 23" at right | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 841-000 | |
| 1924 | Deep yellow on black with border line; "ILL 24" at right | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 977-000 | |
| 1925 | White on brown with border line; "ILL 25" at right | none | 1-234-567 | 1 to approximately 1-102-000 | |
| 1926 | White on dark blue with border line; "ILL 26" at right | none | 1-234-567 | 1 to approximately 1-180-000 | |
| 1927 | Black on orange with border line; embossed state shape at right containing debossed "ILL 27" in orange | none | 1-234-567 | 1 to approximately 1-249-000 | |
| 1928 | White on maroon with border line; "ILL 28" at right | none | 1-234-567 | 1 to approximately 1-313-000 | |
| 1929 | Red on black with border line; "ILL 29" at right | none | 1-234-567 | 1 to approximately 1-411-000 | |
| 1930 | White on black with border line; "ILL 30" at right | none | 1-234-567 | 1 to approximately 1-418-000 | |
| 1931 | Black on light green with border line; "ILL 31" at right | none | 1-234-567 | 1 to approximately 1-411-000 | |
| 1932 | Golden yellow on dark blue with border line; "ILL 32" at right | none | 1-234-567 | 1 to approximately 1-301-000 | |
| 1933 | White on dark blue with border line; "ILL 33" at right | none | 1-234-567 | 1 to approximately 1-277-000 | |
| 1934 | Yellow on black with border line; "ILL-34", "ILLINOIS-34" or "ILLINOIS-1934" at bottom (see right) | none | 1-234-567 | 1 to approximately 1-285-000 | Plates with serials 1 through 999 had "ILL-34" at the bottom; plates with serials 1000 through 9999 had "ILLINOIS-34"; and plates with serials 10-000 and up had "ILLINOIS-1934". The latter two groups were the first plates to feature the full state name. |
| 1935 | Blue on white with border line; "ILL-35", "ILLINOIS-35" or "ILLINOIS-1935" at top | none | 1-234-567 | 1 to approximately 1-351-000 | Plates with serials 1 through 999 had "ILL-35" at the top; plates with serials 1000 through 9999 had "ILLINOIS-35"; and plates with serials 10-000 and up had "ILLINOIS-1935". |
| 1936 | White on black with border line; "ILL-36", "ILL-1936" or "ILLINOIS-1936" at bottom | none | 1-234-567 | 1 to approximately 1-475-000 | Plates with serials 1 through 999 had "ILL-36" at the bottom; plates with serials 1000 through 9999 had "ILL-1936"; and plates with serials 10-000 and up had "ILLINOIS-1936". |
| 1937 | Black on yellow with border line; "19 - ILLINOIS - 37" at top | none | 1-234-567 | 1 to approximately 1-569-000 | |
| 1938 | White on green; "ILLINOIS 38" at bottom | none | 1234 567 | 1 to approximately 1579 000 | |
| 1939 | Yellow on black; "ILLINOIS 39" at top | none | 1234 567 | 1 to approximately 1639 000 | |
| 1940 | Cream on brown; "ILL 1940" or "ILLINOIS 1940" at bottom | none | 1234 567 | 1 to approximately 1723 000 | |
| 1941 | Black on golden yellow; "ILL 1941" or "ILLINOIS 1941" at top | none | 1234 567 | 1 to approximately 1827 000 | |
| 1942 | Golden yellow on black; "ILL 1942" or "ILLINOIS 1942" at bottom | none | 1234 567 | 1 to approximately 1750 000 | |
| 1943 | Cream on green fiberboard; "ILL. 43" or "ILLINOIS 43" at top | none | 1234 567 | 1 to approximately 1639 000 | Manufactured on fiberboard due to metal conservation for World War II. Plates continued to be manufactured in this manner through 1948. |
| 1944 | Cream on brown fiberboard; "ILL. 44" or "ILLINOIS 1944" at bottom | none | 1234 567 | 1 to approximately 1515 000 | |
| 1945 | Orange on black fiberboard; "ILL. 45" or "ILLINOIS 1945" at top | none | 1234 567 | 1 to approximately 1513 000 | |
| 1946 | White on maroon fiberboard; "ILL. 46" or "ILLINOIS 1946" at bottom | none | 1234 567 | 1 to approximately 1610 000 | |
| 1947 | Off-white on green fiberboard; "ILL. 47" or "ILLINOIS 1947" at top | none | 1234-567 | 1 to approximately 1747-000 | |
| 1948 | Black on orange fiberboard; "ILL. 48" or "ILLINOIS 1948" at bottom | none | 1234 567 | 1 to approximately 1949 000 | Last fiberboard plate. |
| 1949 | Canary yellow on dark blue; "ILL 49" or "ILLINOIS 1949" at top | none | 1234 567 | 1 to approximately 2079 000 | First steel plate since 1942. |
| 1950 | Ivy green on off-white; "ILL 1950" at bottom | none | 1234 567 | 1 to approximately 2287 000 | First aluminum plate. |
| 1951 | Maroon on unpainted aluminum; "ILL 1951" at top | none | 1234 567 | 1 to approximately 2403 000 | |
| 1952 | Midnight blue on burnt orange; "ILL 1952" at bottom | none | 1234 567 | 1 to approximately 2462 000 | |
| 1953 | Ruby red on buff; "ILL 1953" at top | none | 1234 567 | 1 to approximately 2580 000 | License plates placed under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of State. |
| 1954 | White on kelly green; "19 ILLINOIS 54" at bottom | Land of Lincoln | 1234 567 | 1 to approximately 2700 000 | First use of the "Land of Lincoln" slogan. |
| 1955 | Orange lettering on blue base; "19 ILLINOIS 55" at top | Land of Lincoln | 1234 567 | 1 to approximately 2849 000 | Issued in the colors of the University of Illinois. |
| 1956 | Ivy green lettering on powder gray base; "19 ILLINOIS 56" at bottom | Land of Lincoln | 1234 567 | 1 to approximately 2980 000 | First 6" x 12" plate. It is unconfirmed if this plate was issued to honor Illinois Wesleyan University, whose colors are actually green and white, as no period reference has been found. |
| 1957 | White lettering on red base; "19 ILLINOIS 57" at top | Land of Lincoln | 1234 567 | 1 to approximately 3075 000 | Issued in the colors of Illinois State University, in honor of its centennial. |
| 1958 | Purple lettering on white base; "19 ILLINOIS 58" at bottom | Land of Lincoln | 1234 567 | 1 to approximately 3104 000 | Issued in the colors of Northwestern University. |
| 1959 | White lettering on brown base; "19 ILLINOIS 59" at top | Land of Lincoln | 1234 567 | 1 to approximately 3224 000 | Issued in the colors of Quincy College, in honor of its centennial. |
| 1960 | Gold lettering on royal blue base; "19 ILLINOIS 60" at bottom | Land of Lincoln | 1234 567 | 1 to approximately 3307 000 | Issued in the colors of Augustana College and Wheaton College, in honor of their respective centennials. |
| 1961 | White lettering on red base; "19 ILLINOIS 61" at top | Land of Lincoln | 123 456 | 1 to 999 999 | Issued in the colors of North Central College, in honor of its centennial. Letters I, O, Q and Z not used in the AB 1234 serial format. |
| 1961 | White lettering on red base; "19 ILLINOIS 61" at top | Land of Lincoln | AB 1234 | AA 1000 to approximately NP 7000 | Issued in the colors of North Central College, in honor of its centennial. Letters I, O, Q and Z not used in the AB 1234 serial format. |
| 1962 | White lettering on orange base; "19 ILLINOIS 62" at bottom | Land of Lincoln | 123 456 | 1 to 999 999 | The orange base was specifically chosen for its visibility, but police officers complained that they could not read the white serials, especially at night. |
| 1962 | White lettering on orange base; "19 ILLINOIS 62" at bottom | Land of Lincoln | AB 1234 | AA 1000 to approximately PH 8000 | The orange base was specifically chosen for its visibility, but police officers complained that they could not read the white serials, especially at night. |
| 1963 | Yellow lettering on dark green base; "19 ILLINOIS 63" at top | Land of Lincoln | 123 456 | 1 to 999 999 | Issued in the colors of Moline-based Deere & Company, in honor of its 125th anniversary. |
| 1963 | Yellow lettering on dark green base; "19 ILLINOIS 63" at top | Land of Lincoln | AB 1234 | AA 1000 to approximately RD 6000 | Issued in the colors of Moline-based Deere & Company, in honor of its 125th anniversary. |
| 1964 | White lettering on purple base; "19 ILLINOIS 64" at bottom | Land of Lincoln | 123 456 | 1 to 999 999 | Issued in the colors of McKendree College and Rockford College, the two oldest colleges in Illinois. |
| 1964 | White lettering on purple base; "19 ILLINOIS 64" at bottom | Land of Lincoln | AB 1234 | AA 1000 to approximately SD 7000 | Issued in the colors of McKendree College and Rockford College, the two oldest colleges in Illinois. |
| 1965 | Green on white; "19 ILLINOIS 65" at top | Land of Lincoln | 123 456 | 1 to 999 999 | The colors were used to honor Secretary of State Charles Carpentier, who died in office on April 3, 1964. T and U not used as first letters in the AB 1234 serial format; this practice continued through 1968. |
| 1965 | Green on white; "19 ILLINOIS 65" at top | Land of Lincoln | AB 1234 | AA 1000 to approximately VE 5000 | The colors were used to honor Secretary of State Charles Carpentier, who died in office on April 3, 1964. T and U not used as first letters in the AB 1234 serial format; this practice continued through 1968. |
| 1966 | Red on reflective white; "19 ILLINOIS 66" at bottom | Land of Lincoln | 123 456 | 1 to 999 999 | First reflective plate. |
| 1966 | Red on reflective white; "19 ILLINOIS 66" at bottom | Land of Lincoln | AB 1234 | AA 1000 to approximately WG 3000 | First reflective plate. |
| 1967 | Black on reflective white; "19 ILLINOIS 67" at top | Land of Lincoln | 123 456 | 1 to 999 999 | Numbers 100–999 added for each series in the AB 1234 serial format. |
| 1967 | Black on reflective white; "19 ILLINOIS 67" at top | Land of Lincoln | AB 1234 | AA 100 to approximately SK 2000 | Numbers 100–999 added for each series in the AB 1234 serial format. |
| 1968 | Red on reflective white; "19 ILLINOIS 68" at bottom; "18" at top corners | Land of Lincoln | 123 456 | 1 to 999 999 | Commemorated Illinois' 150 years of statehood. Numbers 1–99 added for each series in the AB 1234 serial format. |
| 1968 | Red on reflective white; "19 ILLINOIS 68" at bottom; "18" at top corners | Land of Lincoln | AB 1234 | AA 1 to approximately SW 9000 | Commemorated Illinois' 150 years of statehood. Numbers 1–99 added for each series in the AB 1234 serial format. |
| 1969 | Dark blue on reflective orange; "19 ILLINOIS 69" at top | Land of Lincoln | 123 456 | 1 to 999 999 | T added as first letter in the AB 1234 serial format. |
| 1969 | Dark blue on reflective orange; "19 ILLINOIS 69" at top | Land of Lincoln | AB 1234 | AA 1 to approximately TP 4000 | T added as first letter in the AB 1234 serial format. |
| 1970 | Red on reflective yellow with border line; "19 ILLINOIS 70" at bottom | Land of Lincoln | 123 456 | 1 to 999 999 | |
| 1970 | Red on reflective yellow with border line; "19 ILLINOIS 70" at bottom | Land of Lincoln | AB 1234 | AA 1 to approximately TW 6000 | |
| 1971 | Black on reflective white with border line; "19 ILLINOIS 71" at top | Land of Lincoln | 123 456 | 1 to 999 999 | |
| 1971 | Black on reflective white with border line; "19 ILLINOIS 71" at top | Land of Lincoln | AB 1234 | AA 1 to approximately VT 8000 | |
| 1972 | Blue on reflective white with border line; "19 ILLINOIS 72" at bottom | Land of Lincoln | 123 456 | 1 to 999 999 | |
| 1972 | Blue on reflective white with border line; "19 ILLINOIS 72" at bottom | Land of Lincoln | AB 1234 | AA 1 to approximately WX 1000 | |
| 1973 | Green on reflective white with border line; "19 ILLINOIS 73" at top | Land of Lincoln | 123 456 | 1 to 999 999 | U added as first letter in the AB 1234 serial format following WY 9999. Total passenger plates issued exceeds five million for the first time. |
| 1973 | Green on reflective white with border line; "19 ILLINOIS 73" at top | Land of Lincoln | AB 1234 | AA 1 to WY 9999; UA 1 to approximately UX 2000 | U added as first letter in the AB 1234 serial format following WY 9999. Total passenger plates issued exceeds five million for the first time. |
| 1974 | Red on reflective white with border line; "19 ILLINOIS 74" at bottom | Land of Lincoln | 123 456 | 1 to 999 999 | Three-letter serials used for the first time on a trial basis. |
| 1974 | Red on reflective white with border line; "19 ILLINOIS 74" at bottom | Land of Lincoln | AB 1234 | AA 1 to WY 9999; UA 1 to UY 9999 | Three-letter serials used for the first time on a trial basis. |
| 1974 | Red on reflective white with border line; "19 ILLINOIS 74" at bottom | Land of Lincoln | ABC 123 | AAA 100 to approximately AML 500 | Three-letter serials used for the first time on a trial basis. |
| 1975 | Black on reflective yellow with border line; "19 ILLINOIS 75" at top | Land of Lincoln | 123 456 AB 1234 ABC 123 | | *Issued in the colors of Peoria-based Caterpillar Inc., in honor of its 50th anniversary. *Three-letter prefix program expanded from about 800 combinations in 1974 to 2,851. |
| 1976 | Blue on reflective white with red and blue United States Bicentennial graphics | Land of Lincoln | 123 456 AB 1234 ABC 123 | ? remakes of previously issued serials | Design chosen following a statewide grade and high school contest; the winner was 10-year-old Kelley Jordan of Normal, Illinois. |
| 1977 | Green on reflective white; "19 ILLINOIS 77" at top | Land of Lincoln | 123 456 AB 1234 ABC 123 | ? remakes of previously issued serials | Plates issued reach the six million mark. |
| 1978 | Black on reflective white with border line; "19 ILLINOIS 78" at bottom | Land of Lincoln | 123 456 AB 1234 ABC 123 | ? remakes of previously issued serials | Last single-year plate, and last year that all license plates in the state expire on the same date. |

### 1979 to present

| First issued | Description | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
| 1979 | Dark blue on reflective white; state name screened in dark blue at top | Land of Lincoln | 123 456 | 1 to 999 999 | First multi-year base, and first to feature monthly staggered registration. Manufactured in Texas using that state's serial dies, and issued in the colors of Illinois College in honor of its sesquicentennial. Vanity plates introduced 1980. Replaced 1984–86. |
| 1979 | Dark blue on reflective white; state name screened in dark blue at top | Land of Lincoln | AB 1234 | AA 1 to ZZ 9999 | First multi-year base, and first to feature monthly staggered registration. Manufactured in Texas using that state's serial dies, and issued in the colors of Illinois College in honor of its sesquicentennial. Vanity plates introduced 1980. Replaced 1984–86. |
| 1982 | Dark blue on reflective white; state name screened in dark blue at top | Land of Lincoln | ABC 123 | XAA 1 to ZZZ 999 | First multi-year base, and first to feature monthly staggered registration. Manufactured in Texas using that state's serial dies, and issued in the colors of Illinois College in honor of its sesquicentennial. Vanity plates introduced 1980. Replaced 1984–86. |
| 1983 | Dark blue on reflective white with light and dark blue stripes; state name screened in dark blue at top left | Land of Lincoln | ABC 123 | AAA 1 to ZZZ 999 | Seven letter vanity plates become available on January 1, 1984. |
| 1983 | Dark blue on reflective white with light and dark blue stripes; state name screened in dark blue at top left | Land of Lincoln | 123 456 AB 1234 | Reissues of 1979–82 serials | Seven letter vanity plates become available on January 1, 1984. |
| 1995 | Dark blue on reflective white with light and dark blue stripes; state name screened in dark blue at top left | Land of Lincoln | A 12 345 | B 1 to Z 99 999 (see right) | Letters B, C, D, F, J, S, T, Y and Z used in this serial format. |
| 1996 | Dark blue on reflective white with light and dark blue stripes; state name screened in dark blue at top left | Land of Lincoln | A 123 456 | B 100 000 to approximately Y 677 000 (see right) | Narrower serial dies. Letters B, C, D, F, J, T and Y used in this serial format. All plates on this base replaced 2001–02. |
| 2001 | Reflective gradient white-to-blue fade with Abraham Lincoln graphic at center; state name screened in blue at top | Land of Lincoln | 123 4567 | 100 0001 to 999 9999 | Design selected by voters on the state's web site. |
| 2001 | Reflective gradient white-to-blue fade with Abraham Lincoln graphic at center; state name screened in blue at top | Land of Lincoln | 123 456 AB 1234 ABC 123 A12 345 A12 3456 | Reissues of 1979–2001 serials | Design selected by voters on the state's web site. |
| 2006 | Reflective gradient white-to-blue fade with Abraham Lincoln graphic at center; state name screened in blue at top | Land of Lincoln | A12 3456 | A10 0001 to Z99 9999 (see right) | Letter progressed as follows: G, X, A, H, K, L, N, P, R, S, V, E, Y (70 0000 to 99 9999), Z and Q. I and O were not used, and M, U and W were reserved for Municipal, State Owned and Disabled plates respectively. T, J, F and B have also been found. |
| 2016 | Reflective gradient white-to-blue fade with Abraham Lincoln graphic at center; state name screened in blue at top | Land of Lincoln | AB1 2345 | ZZ1 1001 to approximately ZU9 3000 (see right) | Two-letter series progressed as follows: ZX, ZZ, ZY, ZV and ZU. This was to avoid conflicting with serials of the same format on the upcoming 2017 base (below). |
| 2017 | Reflective gradient blue-to-white with white Chicago and Springfield skyline and gray Abraham Lincoln graphic at far left; state name screened in black at top | Land of Lincoln | AB1 2345 | AA1 1001 to AF9 9999 | Mandatory ten-year plate replacement to be phased in with this base. I and O not used in two-letter series. |
| 2017 | Reflective gradient blue-to-white with white Chicago and Springfield skyline and gray Abraham Lincoln graphic at far left; state name screened in black at top | Land of Lincoln | AB 12345 123 456 | AG 11001 to AP 76000 | The seven-character format was briefly halted due to difficulty in reading the characters over the Lincoln graphic. To use up existing sheeting, numbers in 123 456 format were temporarily issued with the serial offset to the right. |
| 2017 | Reflective gradient blue-to-white with white Chicago and Springfield skyline and gray Abraham Lincoln graphic at far left; state name screened in black at top | Land of Lincoln | AB 12345 | AP 76001 to EN 76000 | Lincoln's portrait was faded from black and dark gray to light gray in order to improve the readability of the plate. Issue started in late 2017. |
| 2024 | Reflective gradient blue-to-white with white Chicago and Springfield skyline and gray Abraham Lincoln graphic at far left; state name screened in black at top | Land of Lincoln | AB 12345 | EN 76001 to FC 74850 (as of December 13, 2024) | New serial dies introduced similar to those used in North Carolina. The serials are screened from a printer rather than traditionally painted. Issue started in August 2023 on remade combinations, and February 2024 on new combinations. |

## Non-passenger plates

| Type | First issued | Design | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
| Antique Vehicle | 1968 | Black on cream with a white Illinois state shape outline | 123 1234 12 345A/V 123 456A/V | 100 to present | New plates were issued every two years until 1989, when they were replaced with multi-year plates and renewed with stickers on a five-year cycle. |
| B Truck | 1923 | White on green with border line; "TRUCK" embossed vertically at left; "ILL" over "23" embossed at right | 111-119 | 1 to 72726 | Format used 1922 – 1929 |
| B Truck | 1951 (Rear Plate) | Maroon on Aluminum; "ILL" and "1951" at top center; "REAR" embossed vertically at left | B 123 B1234 B12345 B123456 | B 1 to approximately B387 096 (as of 1969) | Front plate similar. Format used continuously from 1935 to 1969 with various changes in spacing. |
| B Truck | 1983 | Embossed black characters on reflective yellow; "Land of Lincoln" at top center; "JUN ILLINOIS 83" at bottom | 1234 B 12 345B 123 456B | 1 B to approximately 896 493B (as of 1984) | Format started in 1969 (dated Jun 1970) and ended June 1984; even years instead have slogan at bottom and date at top |
| B Truck | 1984 | Embossed black characters on yellow; "Land of Lincoln" in italics at bottom center; "JUN ILLINOIS 84" at top | 1234 B 12 345B 123 456B | Unknown | |
| B Truck | 1985 | Red on reflective white with red stripes; state name screened in red at top left; "B" embossed at right | 1234 B 12 345B 123 456B | 1B to 999 999B | First multiyear truck base. Began June 1984 with screened "85 JUN" expiration, stickers used on new plates every year onward. Replaced in 2003 |
| B Truck | 1985 | As above, but with "B TRUCK" embossed vertically at right | 1234 AB | 101 AA to 9999 ZZ | First multiyear truck base. Began June 1984 with screened "85 JUN" expiration, stickers used on new plates every year onward. Replaced in 2003 |
| B Truck | 2003 | Dark blue on reflective white with light blue Abraham Lincoln graphic at center; state name screened in red at top; "B TRUCK" screened vertically at right | 1234 A 12 345 A 1234567 | 1001 A to 99 999 Z; 1000001 to 2874000; plus remakes of previously issued serials | Being replaced by year of manufacture |
| B Truck | 2020 | Dark blue on reflective white with state name screened in red at top; "Land of Lincoln" screened in red at bottom | 1234567B | 2874000B to 4012956B (as of August 14, 2024); plus remakes of previously issued serials | Replacement of previous plates began in 2020. New serial dies began at approximately 3900000B. |
| Dealer | 1912 | Black serial on white background | D/L 1234 A D/L 1234 AB (variable number of digits) | | Plate number identifies the dealership. Plates are issued annually (no validation stickers used). The background color typically changes each year, with various shades of white or beige being most common. |
| Electric Vehicle | 2020 | Black serial on white with faded Lincoln graphic; Blue cursive state name at top | 12345 EL | 1 EL to 99999 EL | New serial dies began at approximately 80801 EL; with this, the letter suffix changed from embossed to flat. |
| Electric Vehicle | 2020 | Black serial on white with faded Lincoln graphic; Blue cursive state name at top | A1234 EL | A1001 EL to A5885 EL (as of December 9, 2024) | New serial dies began at approximately 80801 EL; with this, the letter suffix changed from embossed to flat. |
| Fire Department | | Red serial on white; Red state name centered at top; Gradient red band at bottom with 'Fire Department' centered in white | F/V 12-345 (variable number of digits) | | |
| Fleet Permanent | | Black serial on white with faded Lincoln graphic; Green cursive state name centered at top; Green slogan centered at bottom | F/P 123456 (variable number of digits) | F/P 1001 to F/P 269312 (as of May 27, 2024) | Used on rental cars, fleet telecom vans and delivery vehicles. New serial dies began at approximately F/P 246000; with this, the stacked letters changed from embossed to flat. |
| Motorcycle | 2003 | Similar to 2001 Abraham Lincoln passenger base | AB 1234 | AA 101 to FZ 9669 (as of May 2024) | Letters I, O and Q not used. |
| Municipal Police | | Dark blue serial on white; Blue state name and slogan centered at top; Blue gradient band at bottom with 'Municipal Police' centered in white | M/P 12 345 (variable number of digits) | M/P 10 to M/P 23 929 (as of May 2024) | |
| School Bus | 1967 | Black serial on white with faded Lincoln graphic; Blue cursive state name at top | 1234 SB 12 345 SB 123 456 S/B | 1001 SB to 101 866 S/B (as of December 31, 2021) | New plates were issued every two years until 1995, when they were replaced with multi-year plates and renewed with stickers on the same two-year cycle. |

## Temporary registration permits
### 1914 to 1982

The use of "License Applied For" windshield signs or similar devices can be traced back to at least 1914. Their use is likely back to 1911 when Illinois first began to provide state issued license plates. Defacing the signs was not taken lightly, and fines were handed out for tampering with them in even the most minor way. In 1933 many new cars were seen in Chicago without the required sign. There is little evidence of the use of "License Applied For" signs throughout the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, but no other system of temporary vehicle registration is known for these decades. In the early 1970s Illinois vehicle owners were again receiving a small piece of cardboard with the words "License Applied For" to be taped to the inside of the vehicle's windshield until their license plates arrived in the mail. These signs continued to be issued until the early 1980s.

### 1983 to 2000

By 1983 this had transitioned to a Temporary Registration Permit on blue banknote paper for state residents that purchased new or used cars. These permits were supposed to be displayed in the lower right corner of the windshield. If new plates did not arrive in the mail within 60 days, the permit could be renewed. State residents who privately purchased a new or used vehicle were required to place a copy of their registration application in the lower right corner of the windshield and place a copy of the bill of sale in the lower left window. There has never been a charge for these permits.
Each of these permits had a unique number at the bottom left hand corner. In 1984 a prefix was added to the permit number so that the location of where the permit was obtained could be identified. The following prefixes were used: B for agents of the Secretary of State; CX for currency exchanges; DL for Illinois vehicle dealers; and RM for licensed remittance agents.
A revised permit form and new codes were used beginning in 1986. The primary change to the form was the expiration date went from being the same size as most of the text on the form to becoming the prominent feature with characters at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) in size. The acronym "EXP" (expires) immediately proceeded the Month, Day, and Year boxes at the top of the form. This change provided much better visibility of when a temporary permit expired. The revised codes were CUR for currency exchanges; DLR for Illinois vehicle dealers; MVS for agents of the Secretary of State; and REM for licensed remittance agents. The code and the unique serial number continued to appear at the bottom of the form.
By 1993 this system had been changed to an orange Temporary Registration Permit that showed both a large expiration date and a large temporary registration number. This paper tag was three inches wide by eight inches long, and it was supposed to be displayed in the back window of the vehicle. Problems with this permit, as well as the previous blue permit, were that they could easily be altered, their small size made them difficult to read, the numbers were not entered into police databases of plate numbers, and with the increased popularity of tinted windows the orange permits were often nearly invisible to other motorists, pedestrians, and the police. Originally these permits were valid for 60 days, but circa 1998 the length of time they could be used was extended to 90 days.
In June 1998 it was announced that new Temporary Registration Permits would begin to be issued in March 1999. Stickers, the size of regular license plates, were to be placed in the same location as normal plates. They were designed to be difficult to alter, would shred if moved, and therefore could not be transferred to another vehicle. This system was never implemented, and it wasn't until June 2001 that the orange temporary permitting form was replaced with an entirely revised permitting system. The last of the orange permits did not expire until December 31, 2001.

### 2001 to present

"Responding to complaints that temporary vehicle tags help criminals escape detection, Secretary of State Jesse White announced a $2 million program [on] Tuesday [June 19, 2001] to introduce tamper-proof temporary license plates that will allow police to know the identity of vehicle owners." He also called the black on yellow permit design, "One of the finest devised by man." These tags were the size of regular license plates, they incorporated a hologram in a strip across the entire plate, they had numbers the same size as a regular license plate, and they were immediately entered into law enforcement databases upon being issued. The expiration date was under a clear film to make them tamper-proof. Plates were valid for 90 days, which was the same length as the old system, and only a single permit for the rear of the vehicle was issued. The first day of issue was June 12, 2001 with these earliest permits being distributed to drivers license facilities, auto dealers, and currency exchanges.
The main problem with the new temporary permit, which remain in use today and are colloquially known as a temporary plate, is that the cardboard plate easily darkens when it gets wet, usually from rain, snow, or car washes, and consequently many begin to look old when left attached to a vehicle for as few as 30 days. Changes to the design since being issued include the format of the serial number being updated (see below), the plates red lettering has been revised, the state seal has been removed, and the boxes that indicate the month of expiration have been separated into four different groups. Regular updates to the year boxes are necessary to keep the plates current. All vehicle types use this temporary registration permit with the exception of motorcycles and mopeds which use a smaller permit with a slightly modified format than the standard permit.
Initially the format used for the permit was the same as that of a passenger car license plate: three numbers followed by a space and then four more numbers (123 4567). For motorcycles and mopeds the format was three numbers followed by a space and then three more numbers (123 456). This led to there sometimes being the same number on both a permanent registration and a temporary registration. Eventually the inevitable mix-up happened, and a person with a permanent plate was pulled over for having the serial number of a temporary plate which was being looked for by the police. The proliferation of vanity plates and specialty plates, like the Environmental and Prevent Violence plates, some of which also carried the same serial number sequence as regular passenger plates, was also of concern.
The confusion caused by duplicate serial numbers led to a format change on the permits in the spring of 2003. The new format for passenger permits consisted of three numbers, a letter, and three more numbers (123 A 456); the format for motorcycle and moped plates was similar but with two numbers before the letter instead of three (12 A 345). In both cases, T was the first letter used, followed by A, B, C etc., with I, O and Q skipped. With the introduction of the new formats, the red state seal between the sets of characters was removed.
Starting in late 2020, a revised tag design was introduced along with a new serial format (123 AA 456). The previous format reached as high as 561 V 749 before the change.

## Specialty plates

In addition to regular passenger plates, Illinois offers a large variety of specialty plates to include plates for colleges, professional sports teams, law enforcement, hunting (sporting), medical research, and many other causes. The cost of each set of plates differs depending on the type of plate and the required donation amount to annually display these plates.
| Type | First issued | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
| Agriculture | 2009 | 1234 A/G | 1000 A/G to present | |
| Alzheimer's Association | 2018 | 1234 D/A | 1000 D/A to present | |
| America Remembers | 2002 | 1234 A/R | 1000 A/R to present | |
| Environmental | 1994 | E1234 E12345 E123456 | E1000 to present | The baseplate design and serial format changed in 2011, in order for the state to issue standard passenger plates beginning with the E prefix, which occurred around 2016. Motorists who elected to retain their plate number received the new baseplate with their existing 4-, 5-, or 6-digit numeric serial followed by the new E/N suffix. |
| Environmental | 2011 | 1234 E/N 12345 E/N 123456 E/N | 1000 E/N to present | The baseplate design and serial format changed in 2011, in order for the state to issue standard passenger plates beginning with the E prefix, which occurred around 2016. Motorists who elected to retain their plate number received the new baseplate with their existing 4-, 5-, or 6-digit numeric serial followed by the new E/N suffix. |
| Firefighters Memorial | 1996 | 123 F/F 1234 F/F 12345 F/F | 100 F/F to 99999 F/F | |
| Firefighters Memorial | 2019 | 1A 234F/F | 1A 100 to 9A 999, 1B 100 to 1J 088 (as of December 27, 2023) | This is only the second type of Illinois plate to intermingle numbers and letters. The other type is the Temporary Registration Permit. |
| State Police Heritage Foundation | 2014 | 1234 H/F | 1001 H/F to present | |
| Wildlife Prairie Park | 1996 | 123 W/P 1234 W/P | 100 W/P to present | |

## Special Event plates

Special Event plates are available to civic organizations and other groups. The event must be open to the public and it must promote the interests of Illinois citizens. Plates may be displayed for the 60 days prior to the last day of the event and the basic cost per set of two plates is $10. The full cost of the plate is determined by the number of colors, and at least 50 sets of plates must be ordered. The Illinois Secretary of State must approve the design of all plates.
| Image | Type | Design | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
| | 1987 Midwest Governor's Conference | White on pale blue | | | Used for 30–60 days. |
| | 1992 LPGA Chicago Challenge | Black on yellow | | | Used for 30–60 days. |