What Is the Oldest License Plate Design Still in Use?

Delaware’s black-and-gold “THE FIRST STATE” license plate, introduced in 1959, is widely recognized as the oldest continuing license plate design still being issued in the United States—and among the longest-running anywhere. While many jurisdictions refresh their plates every decade or two, Delaware has kept its iconic, minimalist look in continuous circulation for more than six decades.

The Delaware Plate That Never Went Out of Style

First issued in 1959, Delaware’s standard passenger plate features a black background with gold numbers and a gold border, topped by the legend “THE FIRST STATE.” The core design has remained intact ever since, with renewals indicated by validation stickers rather than wholesale reissues. This continuity—color scheme, layout, and the absence of a graphic background—sets the plate apart in a country where most states periodically overhaul their designs.

Collectors and historians point to the Delaware base’s uninterrupted run as the key distinction: it is not merely a longtime slogan or recurring motif, but the same base design that has been continuously issued to new registrants and renewed by existing motorists since 1959.

Why It’s Considered the Oldest

The designation hinges on continuity of the “base” design—the overall look and layout issued to the general driving public—rather than minor updates to materials, fonts, or reflective sheeting. Delaware’s plate clears that bar by maintaining its signature appearance for decades.

• Introduced in 1959 and never comprehensively redesigned for standard passenger issue.
• Continuously issued and renewed, with year-to-year validation handled by stickers rather than new base plates.
• Recognizable core elements—black field, gold characters and border, “THE FIRST STATE” legend—unchanged in everyday use.

Taken together, these factors mean Delaware’s plate is not just a long-lived theme but the same enduring base, making it the benchmark for longevity in U.S. plate design.

How It Compares With Other Long-Running Designs

Several jurisdictions have maintained consistent plate identities for long stretches, but typically with periodic base updates, graphic refreshes, or format changes. These examples show the landscape of “long-running” without matching Delaware’s uninterrupted lineage.

• Colorado: The green-and-white mountain motif has been a staple since the early 1960s, though the base and graphics have been refreshed multiple times.
• United Kingdom: The white front/yellow rear reflective color scheme has been standard since 1973, while number formats and fonts have evolved (most notably in 2001).
• Quebec, Canada: The “Je me souviens” legend has appeared since the late 1970s, with updates to typography and layouts over time.

These cases underscore how rare Delaware’s consistency is: others preserve motifs or color conventions, but few maintain an essentially unchanged base over such a long period.

What Counts as “the Same Design”?

In plate-collecting and transportation circles, “same design” generally refers to the base plate’s enduring appearance—core colors, layout, and legend—issued to the general public. Small tweaks such as material improvements, reflective coatings, or minor typographic adjustments do not necessarily reset the clock; a major graphic or structural redesign typically does.

Bottom Line

Delaware’s black-and-gold “THE FIRST STATE” plate, continuously issued since 1959, stands as the oldest license plate design still in use in the United States and one of the longest-running anywhere. Its longevity reflects a rare commitment to visual continuity in an arena where most designs change regularly.

Summary

Answer: Delaware’s black-and-gold “THE FIRST STATE” plate, introduced in 1959, is the oldest continuing license plate design still in active use. While other jurisdictions maintain long-running motifs, Delaware’s unbroken issuance of the same base design for more than six decades is unmatched in the U.S. and notable worldwide.

Which state has the oldest plate design?

As of 2025, the five oldest plate designs currently in use are those of Delaware (since 1959), Colorado (since 1960, continuously since 1978), Washington, D.C. (since 1975), Minnesota (since 1978), and North Carolina (since 1982).

Why is 74 banned on license plates?

What’s banned from the 74-reg number plates release? As Carwow’s banned list reveals, it’s the ‘4’ in ’74’ that causes many of the problems this time around, due to its similarity with the letter ‘A’ – meaning plates with combinations like ‘FA74 NNY’, ‘SH74 TDD’ and ‘BL74 WJB’ won’t ever see the light of day.

What is the oldest license plate in the US?

Key Takeaways. The first license plates in the U.S. appeared in 1901 and were made by car owners. Massachusetts issued the first state-made license plates in 1903, starting with plate number ‘1. ‘

What happens after 9ZZZ999?

The DMV told KSBW 8 that the “current 9-series configuration, which will end with 9ZZZ999, is projected to end sometime in 2026 due to the dwindling number of available combinations.” The next sequence of license plate numbers will follow a “Numeral Numeral Numeral Alpha Alpha Alpha Numeral” sequence.