Vehicle registration plates of Ohio
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| Current series | |
|---|---|
| Name | Ohio Pride |
| Slogans | Birthplace of Aviation (46 total) |
| Size | 12 in × 6 in 30 cm × 15 cm |
| Material | Galvanized steel |
| Serial format | ABC 1234 |
| Introduced | April 15, 2013 |
| Designer | Aaron Roberts |
| Availability | |
| Issued by | Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles |
| Manufactured by | Ohio Penal Industries |
| History | |
| First issued | July 11, 1908 |
License plates are issued in the U.S. state of Ohio for several types of vehicles by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, part of the Department of Public Safety. Most types of plates are issued in pairs, to be displayed in the front and rear of the vehicle. They are made of galvanized steel and manufactured by inmates at Ohio Penal Industries at the Lebanon Correctional Institution. The Bureau of Motor Vehicles issues a new license plate design about every five years, or with each new administration in the state government.
On May 19, 1902, Cleveland became one of the first cities in the country to require motorists to display government-issued registration numbers on their vehicles. In the following years, various local governments in Ohio issued standard metal plates of varying design or numerals (to be mounted on a dark background), including:
In 1906, the state attempted to take over auto registration under the Ward Automobile Law, but litigation delayed the program until the Ohio Supreme Court ruled in favor of the law. The Ohio Secretary of State's Automobile Division, precursor to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, was established in 1907. The Ward Law went into effect on June 11, 1908, but the Automobile Division did not begin issuing plates for another 30 days due to a manufacturing defect. Locally issued and owner-provided license plates were phased out by 1909 for automobiles, but local plates continued to be used for motorcycles until 1914. One effect of the Ward Law was to eliminate a significant revenue stream for cities like Cincinnati, which took in about $5,000 a year (equivalent to $133,000 today) from auto registrations.
Various Ohio license plate designs from 1908 to 1921 used distinctive monograms instead of a fully spelled-out state name.
Passenger number plates were always issued in pairs, with the exception of 1944–1946, during World War II. In 1953, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles issued special pairs of license plates to commemorate the state's sesquicentennial. The back plate listed the years 1803 and 1953, while the front plate bore a special design instead of the license number, with the word "sesqui-centennial" [sic] below. Windshield stickers were issued along with the previous year's plates in 1943 and 1952. A sticker was used to renew the 1974 plates for 1975. Multi-year licence plates, renewable with decal stickers, replaced single-year plates beginning in 1976.
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