The U.S. state of Michigan first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1905. Registrants provided their own license plates for display until 1910, when the state began to issue plates.
, plates are issued by the Michigan Secretary of State. Only rear plates have been required since 1981. For an extra charge, drivers can request a personalized plate serial as well as a second duplicate plate. Since January 1, 2015, drivers have been required to replace their plates every ten years.
Passenger baseplates
1910 to 1970
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 Michigan license plate that complied with these standards.
County coding
Michigan used two-letter county codes from 1940 to 1969, after using county coding blocks from 1933 to 1939. The letters I, O and Q were not used in these codes.
1971 to present
Optional plates
Disability plates
Non-passenger plates
Special plates
The Michigan Secretary of State has for many years issued specialized themed vanity license plates, e.g. "Save Our Lights" with White Shoal Light, the block "M" of the University of Michigan, or "Sparty" from Michigan State University. These are available for an extra fee.