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Kentucky License Plates

Several special types, as well as Handicapped, are now using the generic 1234 A/A series. Jacob Newkirk reports that Kentucky uses a special registration code (not displayed on the plate) in conjunction with these plates that denotes the plate type to avoid confusion.

Jacob Newkirk reports that Kentucky is using a different type of reflective sheeting now, probably supplied by Avery Dennison. The blue fade background is considerably brighter than the earlier issues. The "squiggle" hologram appears to be gone, and the old silhouette of the state with the year the plate was made is gone, replaced by an outline of the state with "KY" inside it.

Stickers

11 - black on yellow

12 - black on green

13 - black on red

14 - black on yellow

15 - black on green

15 - black on white (Print On Demand type)

16 - black on red

16 - black on white (Print On Demand type)

17 - black on white (Print On Demand type)

New Print On Demand stickers are now in use in some counties. The date format has the month and year with KY vertically stacked in between. Examples - a May expiration for 2016 is coded 05KY6, and an October expiration is coded 10KY6. (The 6 is for 2016.) The numbers for the month and year are now larger than on previous stickers. The plate number also appears on the sticker. It appears that black on white will be the standard color now. Since there were already some original style stickers for 16 in black on red, there are two types of Exp. 16 stickers in use.

Charles Humphrey reports that some 15 stickers also appeared in the black on white Print On Demand type. They were coded with the same format, except that 5 appeared in the last position to denote Exp. 15.

Standard Passenger Plates

2020 Series

K6J377
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Flat.

Charles Humphrey - 24 Apr ’24

2022 Series

H1N101DAVIESS
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"Team Kentucky"

Jacob Newkirk - 31 Oct ’23

Non-passenger Plates

Disabled

2390JTPARKING
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Unbridled Spirit issue

A/E, A/F, B/R, B/T, C/V, C/W, C/X, C/Z series used before D/D

No county coding or county stickers on this type. The word "PARKING" appears where a county sticker would be.

Back to all new dies, same spacing as early double-letter ones (A/F through B/R used some old dies, wide spacing.)

At least as of the D/H series they are back to the "wide" spacing again ... wheelchair far left, serial spaced to the far right.

Jacob Newkirk - 13 Apr ’21

Farm

F3S109
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Completely redesigned; "KENTUCKY" and "FARM" are yellow outlined in blue, w/ Kentucky Proud, FFA & 4-H logos at left. C/B, C/H, and C/R series used, now C/S.

Chris Scott - 26 Feb ’24

Motorcycle

0KC951
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Upon reaching 9999Z, the series changed to AA000.

Johnathan Baker - 6 Jun ’23

Motorcycle - Disabled

M626
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Red letter with mini wheelchair

Gary Whitt - 6 Sep ’08

Official

N1431
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There have been some big jumps in Official plates, leading us to believe that they may be coded for use by different state agencies. So far, official sources will not comment. Does anyone know? Jacob Newkirk reports that some agencies are putting different decals over the state seal.

Jacob reports N 6072, which is not a high, yet it has the new dies. The current high has the old dies.

Ethan Massengale - 22 Dec ’23

Temporary

C332685
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Kyle Wasson - 1 Apr ’24

Truck

J3T08210000
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Note:  The former 6000 LB. Truck plate is no longer being issued.  Passenger plates are now issued to those vehicles unless the owner chooses to move up to the 10000 LB. Truck plate, which have changed from an annual dated issue in the 1AB-234 format to a stickered base with Passenger dies in a six digit all-numeric format.  These plates still have 10000 embossed at the bottom and have the same dies as Unbridled Spirit plates, although some have been appearing randomly with the old dies.

Dan Mergard observes that the plate numbers increase with the weight class, so tracking a single high for Trucks will probably be impossible now.

Old dies high (10000) - 382025

New dies low (10000) - 402740  through at least 439271, but 446240 is back the the original pass. dies.  474685 is back to new dies.

The former purple on white series ended at 5000-JM.

Chris Scott - 8 Mar ’24

Specialty Plates

Bobcat

4230
ES
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New edition with Unbridled Spirit logo at top.

Newer issues have the state name in solid black. Earlier issues had the state name in black outlined white lettering.

Brett Weisbrot - 5 May ’22

Butterfly

D2V726
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It appears that the new butterfly plate has replaced the Warbler plate as the "Nature's Finest" issue. The Warbler plate is no longer shown on the state web site. Series began at 00 001 and ran through 09 999, then 90 001 through 99 999, now 40 000 and up. The latest series to show up is the current C0 000 series and then F0 000.. Charles Humphrey reports that the butterfly numbers appear to be duplicating the 2003 issue of horse plates, except for the space between the numbers. He has a horse plate with C1407 on it in use on his car.

Jacob Newkirk - 31 Oct ’23

Cardinal

C4K558
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New style. White background fades to light blue right.

Jacob Newkirk - 19 Jul ’23

Cumberland Falls (Nature)

7512
dl
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B/D and B/F series also used, now B/W.

From Jacob Newkirk: Sometime in the C-series, the background was changed (presumably because except up close, the plates were virtually illegible). Now there is a light gray box behind the serial, which works much better, although the falls are less visible.

Jacob Newkirk - 18 Jun ’12

Eastern Kentucky University

4738
GD
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Redesigned for 2008

Danny K. - 22 Jun ’23

Firefighter

1226
BP
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Willie C. Brock, Jr. - 6 Jan ’16

Hummingbird

8104
BL
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Charles Humphrey reports seeing Hummingbird plates with a mixture of old and new number dies on the same plate.

Also used the B/G series.

David R. Wilson - 11 Jul ’10

Kentucky Colonel

3214
bs
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Jacob Newkirk reports that this plate has dies unlike any other KY plates he has seen.

Charles Humphrey reports the A/A suffix on Share the Road plates as well.

Colonels advanced from the A/A suffix to A/B. Now in B/S.

Jacob Newkirk - 30 Nov ’10

Kentucky Horse Council

8923
EZ
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Redesigned with pale blue sky and clouds; horse lying in grass as before.

Now using the new numbering format.

Previous format was A1234. It appears that the series progressed from C to E since no D plates have been reported, then F and G, H, and K. It appears that J was skipped, at least on this type.

Willie C. Brock, Jr. - 20 Jun ’15

Kentucky Wesleyan College

G9N392
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New design with dark blue background (night sky) and the same view of the President's Hall tower as before. Serial is now white.

Slight modification: Numbers now centered, with a definite space between them and the letters.

Jacob Newkirk - 31 Oct ’23

Louisville Zoo

2749
JA
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A/Z, B/R, B/S used previously

Brandon Stahl - 9 May ’21

Quail Unlimited

6650
FB
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This is a new type.

David R. Wilson - 4 Jul ’14

Ryder Cup

5197
BV
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Plate commemorates Kentucky's 2008 hosting of the Ryder Cup. B/R and B/S were also used.

Charles Humphrey - 9 Nov ’14

Spay/Neuter

G9N095
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New dies

Gary Whitt reports 33306 with old dies, so there is still some switching back and forth between new and old dies.

Jacob Newkirk - 31 Oct ’23

University of Kentucky

J2N603
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A123 format, then AB12 (with CB76 reported as a high), now generic format used by several types.

Completely new style, with "Go Big Blue!" legend at bottom and UK logo at left. A/S, A/T, A/V, A/W, B/P, D/G used, now D/N.

The new-style "Go Big Blue!" plate has already been slightly redesigned and is brighter; whereas the original new plate was more silver, this one is white in the middle and fades into silver toward the edges.

Ethan Massengale - 11 Apr ’24

University of Louisville

4735
fg
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Formerly Dx12 format (with DY47 reported as a high), now generic format used by several types. A/R suffix was used, now A/S.

Jacob Newkirk - 3 May ’14

Military Veteran Plates

Military

5069
dm
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All military plates use same base but different decals for branch of service or a particular war, currently serving or retired, etc. Lots of types, but numbers not broken out by type.

Jacob Newkirk - 1 Jul ’12

Former Series (no longer issued but still valid)

2005 Series

BCC 495
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Jefferson Co.

The high in the A series before advancing in a jump to the B series was ATE 880.

The current base began issue in 2005, and replaced the previous base by the end of 2006.

003 AAA is the current low, reported by Mark O'Neil.

The current high has the newer dies that have been appearing on Specials. This appears to be a permanent change.

Original dies high: 838 JCB Marion Co.

New dies low: 981 JCB Marion Co.

Jacob Newkirk reports on 2008-03-28 that it appears the design on passenger plates has been changed slightly, as the blue along the bottom of each plate is now brighter than that on older plates. County decals have also been changed, with a new font and brighter blue color.

New, lighter blue county decals began around the PZx series.

In God We Trust plates, at least in Daviess and Ohio counties, still use older, darker blue county decals.

The S series was skipped. Plates advanced from RZZ to TAA.

The U series was skipped. Plates advanced from TZZ to VAA.

Guest - 27 Jan ’24

Inactive Series (retired)

1998 Series

525 HYJ
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Evan Couture - 3 Mar ’23

2003 Series

950 PSX
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Vincent Perillo - 17 May ’06

Nature’s Finest - Warbler

32297
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Superseded by Butterfly plate

Bradley Gallagher - 28 Nov ’01