The U.S. state of Missouri 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.
, plates are manufactured at the Jefferson City Correctional Center and are issued by the Missouri Department of Revenue. Front and rear plates are required for most classes of vehicles, while only rear plates are required for motorcycles and trailers, and only front plates are required for trucks licensed in excess of twelve thousand pounds.
Passenger baseplates
1911 to 1948 ImageDates issuedDescriptionSerial formatSerials issuedNotes1911Embossed unpainted aluminum serial on yellow plate; "MISSOURI 1911" at bottom123451 to approximately 165001912Embossed white serial on red plate; "MO 12" at right123451 to approximately 245001913Embossed white serial on dark blue plate; "MO 13" at right123451 to approximately 360001914Embossed black serial on white plate; "MO 14" at right123451 to approximately 510001915Embossed black serial on bright green plate; "MO 15" at right123451 to approximately 730001916Embossed white serial on black plate; "MO 16" at right1234561 to approximately 1030001917Embossed black serial on gold plate; "MO 17" at right1234561 to approximately 1510001918Embossed blue serial on white plate; "MO 18" at right1234561 to approximately 1850001919Embossed white serial on dark blue plate with border line; "MO 19" at right1234561 to approximately 2430001920Embossed black serial on light green plate with border line; "MO. 1920" centered at bottom1 to approximately 309-0001921Embossed red serial on white plate with border line; "MO. 1921" centered at bottom123-4561 to approximately 350-0001922Embossed white serial on brown plate with border line; "MO. 1922" centered at bottom123-4561 to approximately 355-0001923Embossed light blue serial on black plate with border line; "MO. 1923" centered at bottom123-4561 to approximately 431-0001924Embossed black serial on orange plate with border line; "MO. 1924" centered at bottom123-4561 to approximately 495-0001925Embossed white serial on dark green plate with border line; "MO. 1925" centered at bottom123-4561 to approximately 550-0001926Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "MO. 1926" centered at bottom123-4561 to approximately 595-0001927Embossed white serial on dark blue plate with border line; "MO. 1927" centered at bottom123-4561 to approximately 606-0001928Embossed purple serial on orange plate with border line; "MO. 1928" centered at bottom123-4561 to approximately 631-0001929Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "MO. 1929" centered at bottom123-4561 to approximately 662-0001930Embossed white serial on brown plate with border line; "MISSOURI 1930" at bottom123-4561 to approximately 699-0001931Embossed black serial on gray plate with border line; "1931 MISSOURI" at bottom123-4561 to approximately 659-0001932Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "MISSOURI 1932" at bottom123-4561 to approximately 657-0001933Embossed beige serial on brown plate with border line; "1933 MISSOURI" at bottom123-4561 to approximately 598-0001934Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "MO–1934" centered at bottom123-4561 to approximately 627-0001935Embossed white serial on dark green plate with border line; "MO–1935" centered at top123-4561 to approximately 655-0001936Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "MISSOURI-1936" at bottom123-4561 to approximately 678-0001937Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "19 MISSOURI 37" at top123-4561 to approximately 697-0001938Embossed black serial on buff plate with border line; "19 MISSOURI 38" at bottom123-4561 to approximately 715-0001939Embossed buff serial on black plate with border line; "MISSOURI-1939" at top123-4561 to approximately 731-0001940Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "MISSOURI-1940" at bottom123-4561 to approximately 767-0001941Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "MISSOURI-1941" at top123-4561 to approximately 821-000Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "MISSOURI-1942" at bottom123-4561 to approximately 820-000Embossed plates revalidated for 1943 with green tabs due to metal conservation for World War II; fiberboard plates manufactured for the same reason.Black serial on white fiberboard plate; "MISSOURI-1942" centered at bottom820-001 to approximately 865-0001944Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "MISSOURI-1944" at top123-4561 to approximately 696-0001945Embossed black serial on buff plate with border line; "MISSOURI-1945" at bottom123-4561 to approximately 697-0001946Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "1946-MISSOURI" at bottom123-4561 to approximately 774-0001947Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "MISSOURI-1947" at top123-4561 to approximately 828-0001948Embossed white serial on maroon plate with border line; "MISSOURI-1948" at bottom123-4561 to approximately 871-000
1949 to 1966 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 in height by in width, with standardized mounting holes. The 1955 (dated 1956) issue was the first Missouri license plate that complied with these standards. ImageDates issuedDescriptionSerial formatSerials issuedNotesEmbossed white serial on maroon plate with border line; "MISSOURI" centered at top; month of expiration at top left123-4561 to905-000Monthly staggered registration introduced. All plates validated for 1949 with orange tabs, for 1950 with green tabs, for 1951 with white tabs, and for 1952 with black tabs. Plates expiring between January and August were validated for 1953 with maroon tabs, while those expiring between September and December were validated for that year with stickers. All plates were then validated for 1954 and 1955 with stickers.A12-345Letter corresponds to month of expiration1955–60Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; month of expiration at top left and "MO" at top right123-4561 to999-999Validated with stickers each year until 1961 expiration.A12-345AB1-234First letter corresponds to month of expiration1961–66Embossed white serial on maroon plate with border line; "MISSOURI" centered at top; month of expiration at top left and white box at top right containing debossed "62"First letter corresponds to month of expirationValid without stickers until 1962 expiration, then revalidated with stickers each year until 1967 expiration.
1967 to 1978 ImageDates issuedDescriptionSloganSerial formatSerials issuedNotes1967Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; month of expiration, "MISSOURI" and "68" at bottomnoneFirst letter corresponds to month of expiration1968Embossed green serial on white plate with border line; "69", "MISSOURI" and month of expiration at topnoneAB1-234First letter corresponds to month of expiration1969Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; month of expiration, "MISSOURI" and "70" at bottomnoneA1B-234First letter corresponds to month of expiration1970Embossed white serial on maroon plate with border line; month of expiration, "MISSOURI" and "71" at topnoneAB1-234First letter corresponds to month of expiration1971Embossed blue serial on reflective white plate with border line; month of expiration, "MISSOURI" and "72" at topnoneA1B-234First letter corresponds to month of expiration1972Embossed maroon serial on reflective white plate with border line; month of expiration, "MISSOURI" and "73" at bottomnoneAB1-234First letter corresponds to month of expiration1973Embossed black serial on reflective white plate with border line; "74", "MISSOURI" and month of expiration at topnoneA1B-234First letter corresponds to month of expiration1974Embossed blue serial on reflective white plate with border line; "75", "MISSOURI" and month of expiration at bottomnoneAB1-234First letter corresponds to month of expiration1975Embossed reflective (glass-beaded) yellow serial on blue plate with border line; month of expiration, "MISSOURI" and "76" at topnoneA1B-234First letter corresponds to month of expiration1976Embossed reflective (glass-beaded) white serial on red plate with border line; embossed white stylized "76" and flag stripes centered at top; "MO" at top left and "77" and month of expiration at top right"200 YRS" at top left, below state abbreviationAB1-234First letter corresponds to month of expiration1977Embossed reflective (glass-beaded) yellow serial on black plate with border line; "78", "MISSOURI" and month of expiration at topnoneA1B-234First letter corresponds to month of expiration1978Embossed reflective (glass-beaded) white serial on blue plate with border line; month of expiration, "MISSOURI" and "79" at bottomnoneAB1-234First letter corresponds to month of expiration
1979 to present ImageDates issuedDescriptionSloganSerial formatSerials issuedNotes1979–96Embossed reflective (glass-beaded) white serial on maroon plate with border line; "MISSOURI" centered at top; month of expiration at top left"SHOW-ME STATE" centered at bottomABC 123First letter corresponds to month of expiration1986–96A1B 2341995–961A2 34B1997 – early 2006Embossed dark blue serial on reflective white, blue and green gradient plate; "MISSOURI" screened in green, with wavy dark blue underline, centered at top"SHOW-ME STATE" screened in dark blue centered at bottom123 ABC001 AAA to 999 ZZZLetters I, O, Q, U and V not used in serials, and D used only as the first letter.early 2006 – June 15, 20081AB 23C0AA 01A to approximately 9DG 99GJune 16, 2008 – October 14, 2018Embossed dark blue on reflective light blue gradient fade with bluebird graphicShow Me StateAB1 C2DFirst letter corresponds to month of expirationLetters I, O and Q not used in serials.October 15, 2018 – November 2024Embossed dark blue on reflective white with red waves at top, blue waves at bottom and state seal in center"BICENTENNIAL" centered at top; "1821 * 2021" centered at bottomAB1 C2DFirst letter corresponds to month of expirationNovember 2024 – present"SHOW-ME STATE" centered at top
Month coding
Missouri implemented a monthly staggered registration system in 1949, when it introduced its first multi-year passenger plate. At first, serials were in an all-numeric format, with a block allocated to each month. When these were exhausted, a new format was introduced, featuring a one-letter prefix corresponding to the month. When new multi-year plates were introduced in 1955, the same all-numeric and one-letter serial formats were used, with some months then exhausting their one-letter serials and introducing a two-letter format (the first letter still corresponding to the month).
MonthAll-numeric serials, 1949–54All-numeric serials, 1955–60Letter codeJanuary1 to 75-0001 to 75-000AFebruary75-001 to 150-00075-001 to 160-000BMarch150-001 to 225-000160-001 to 245-000CApril225-001 to 300-000245-001 to 330-000EMay300-001 to 375-000330-001 to 415-000HJune375-001 to 450-000415-001 to 500-000KJuly450-001 to 525-000500-001 to 585-000MAugust525-001 to 600-000585-001 to 670-000PSeptember600-001 to 675-000670-001 to 755-000SOctober675-001 to 750-000755-001 to 840-000XNovember750-001 to 825-000840-001 to 925-000YDecember825-001 to 905-000925-001 to 999-999Z
Two-letter serial formats were used exclusively from 1961 through 1978, including the twelve-year period in which Missouri reverted to the use of single-year plates (1967–78). An ABC 123 format was introduced in 1979 with the maroon "Show-Me State" plate, which was issued through 1996; months which exhausted their allocations subsequently used the A1B 234 and 1A2 34B formats.