Indiana License Plates: What The Numbers Mean
I think that Hoosiers are smart people for this reason alone: They don't need to have the county printed on their license plates in order to know exactly where in Indiana a particular driver is from.
Did you know that?
It's a bit of trivia that has always impressed my husband (who is not from Indiana; I am), so I figured it might interest some others too...
Jim was always fascinated that we could be in Florida, driving past a car with Indiana tags, and yet I could remark with confidence, "Oh, they're from Fort Wayne!" or "They're from Wabash!" just by looking at their license plate.
You see, I used to live in Indiana. I was born in "71", but grew up in "52". I hung with all the military brats who lived on the base in "9". I shopped in "34" (or drove an hour-and-a-half to "2" if I wanted a "real mall"). I went to college in "53".
How Indiana's Numbering System Works
It's based on an alphabetical listing of all 92 counties within the state of Indiana. For example, license plates issued in Miami County start with the prefix "52" because it's the fifty-second county in the alphabetical listing.
If you're wondering which number represents which county, check out this alphabetical list of all 92 Indiana counties. (Click on a county to see which cities are located in that particular county.)
UPDATE: The above site no longer works, but here's a listing of Indiana counties and the cities they include.
If you're wondering where a particular county is in Indiana, check out this state map with all Indiana counties. (Click on a county to view the demographics and key facts about that particular county.)
Here are some interesting facts about Indiana license plates and their changes through the years.
Florida tried to incorporate a similar numbering strategy, but ended up ditching the idea. Here's how Florida used numbers on their license plates to depict different counties from 1938 to 1975.
So there you have it!... A way to impress your friends the next time you pass a car with Indiana tags on it.
UPDATE 7/31/08
From my friend Suzie:
It's the end of an era with Indiana license plates. No longer do they have the county number in the license plate number! It's 3 numbers and 3 letters -- all the same size -- with no spaces. The county is on a sticker above that (number and name) but too small to see. You can't read it from another car. Who made that decision? I already hate it. I see lots of Indiana cars of people who work around here and I ALWAYS look for the county number to see where they're from. Bummer."
More about Indiana license plates.
I had this on a wallet card from one of the candidates running for one of the Indiana political offices. I found it came in handy at that time, although NOW 8/5/2009 it's mute point given the county BMV branch downsize and no individual city branch within that county is referenced on location any longer.
Here is the listing that I had before the change:
1A,D,R Decatur 1B Berne 1C Geneva
2A-H,P,T,V-Z Fort Wayne 2J,S Grabill 2K,L,N,R New Haven
3A,,D,G,R,W Columbus 3C,H Hope
4A Fowler 4B,R Boswell
5A Hartford City 5B Montpelier
6A,B,R Lebanon
7A,R Nashville
8A,B,R Delphi
9A,B,L,R Logansport
10A,B,R Jeffersonville 10C Charleston 10D,E Sellerurg
11A,C,D,P,R,S Brazil 11B Clay City
12A,B Frankford
13A,C,R English
14A,C,E,R Washington 14B,P Ogden
15A Lawrenceburg 15B,R Aurora
16A,R Greensburg
17A,E,R Auburn 17B Butler 17C,D Garrett
18A-Z (except G) Muncie 18G Albany
19A,B,C,P,R Jasper
20A,B,H,L,W Goshen 20C,D,E,F,J Elkhart 20G,R Napanee
21A,B,R Connersville
22A,B,C,R New Albany
23A Covington 23B Attica 23C Veedersburg
24A Brookville
25A,R Rochester
26A,B,C Princeton
27A,B,E,R Marion 27C,F Fairmount 27D,G Gas City
28A,R Bloomfield 28B Jasonville 28C Linton
29A,D,R Noblesville 29B,H Carmel 29C Sheridan
30A,C Greenfield 30B Fortville
31A,R Corydon
32A,D,E,F Danville 32E Brownsburg 32C,L,R Plainfield
33A,B,R New Castle 33C,K Knightsville 33D,M Middletown
34A-R Kokomo
35A,B,R Huntington 35C Warren
36A Brownstown 36B Crothersville 36C,W Seymour
37A,B,R Rensselar
38A Portland 38B Dunkirk
39A,B,R Madison
40A,R North Vernon
41A,D Franklin 41B Edinburg 41C,E,L,T Greenwood
42A,B,N,R,X Vincennes 42C Bicknell
43A,B,R Warsaw 43C Syracuse
44A LaGrange
45A-Z Lake County
46A,B,F,G LaPorte 46C,D,E,H,G Michigan City
47A,B Bedford 47C,R Mitchell
48A-D,S,P,Y,Z Anderson 48E Alexandria 48F,X Elwood 48G,J,R Pendleton 48H Summitville
49A-Z Indianapolis
50A-R Plymouth
51A,R Sholas
52A,B,R Peru 52C Converse
53A,B,D,P,R Bloomington 53C Ellettsville
54A,B Crawfordsville
55A,C Martinsville 55B,R Mooresville
56A Kentland 56B Morocco
57A Albion 57B Kendallville 57C Ligioner
58A Rising Sun
59A Paoli
60A,B Spencer
61A,B Rockville
62A Tell City
63A Petersburg
64A,B,R Valparaiso 64C,E,F Portage 64D,G Chesterton
65A Mount Vernon 65B Poseyville
66A Winamac
67 (Putnam County)
68A,R Winchester 68B,P Parker 68C,E Union City
69A,R Batesville 69B Versailles
70A,P,R,S Rushville 70B Carthage
71A-Z (except L,V) South Bend-Mishawka 71L,W Walkerton
72A,R Scottsburg
73A,B,R Shelbyville
74A Rockport 74B Dale
75A Knox 75B North Judson
76A Angola
77A,C,D,E,R Sullivan 77B,F,G,H,J Farmersburg
78A Vevsy
79A-R Lafayette
80A Tipton
81A Liberty
82A-Y Evansville
83A Cayuga 83B Clinton
84A-X Terre Haute
85A,B,R,S Wabash 85C North Manchester
86A Williamsport 86B,R Pine Village
87A,R Boonville 87B,C Newburg
88A,R Salem
89A,B,C,F,G, Richmond 89D Cambridge City 89E Hagerstown
90A,C,R Bluffton
91A,B,C,R Monticello
92A,C,D,E,R Columbus City 92B,F Churubusco
93A,B,C,N,P,R RESERVES 93D-Z (except N,P,R) Indianapolis
94A-Z Lake County
95B-Z Indianapolis
96A-Z Lake County
97A-W Indianapolis 97X,Y,Z RESERVES
98A,B RESERVES 98C-Z Indianapolis
99A-Z Indianapolis
the in.gov website changed. here is the link you'll need to have updated as your reference link for standard passenger plate info. http://www.in.gov/bmv/4639.htm You are correct in the state doing away with the county branch numbers example: 83 A #### (vermillion county) Also when the gov't "downsized" on the county branches, it also elimated the letters going along with the county numeric listings. Another example: 83 A (cayuga branch in vermillion county) 83 B (clinton branch in vermillion county) Same for Terre Haute in Vigo county. No longer does Vigo have the separate branches 84 A-X)
Just as you mentioned (& to verify your statement via in.gov website) about the county numbers and county names listed along the top of the plate. updated 8/5/2009
you have been able to go to any bmv for years and not be in your county and get tags for all countys tags have for years
to the person saying that we do not have the county number on the plates is wrong we have 2 plates to choose from ones with the county number and then 3 numbers and 3 letters we
have a choice
Quoted from above "You can't read it from another car. Who made that decision?"
#1: If you can't read that sticker you shouldn't be driving! I need glasses and can read it from 4 car lengths away.
#2: you, the taxpayer and Dear Mitch decided that...... we can however Ditch Mitch in a few weeks....
Part of the reason for the change was to make it easier for people to go to a different branch to get their plates, the only way to do it was switch to this method.
Just stumbled across this website when I was trying to figure out why a particular address in Converse, Indiana was in the format: 1234 N 800W -27. I remembered that Converse sits on the Miami/Grant county line & thought, "I wonder if the 27 in the address means it's on the Grant County side?" Sure thing. 27 is the Grant County plate prefix... Strange they'd put it in the postal address, though. Anyway, I grew up in the "34" & lived in both the "48" and "49" (though I had a "93" plate at that time!) I haven't lived in the Hoosier state for many years but I understand this quirky Indiana thing is ending with the newest license plates being issued. Across the top, there's a white strip with the county number AND name. The game of "guess where they're from" was fun while it lasted!
Counties with larger populations required additional prefixes to accomodate all the licensed vehicles. The particular county license branch dispenses the plates according to their own plan, so in some cases the different prefixes maybe by location or district or some other totally different method. In my county for example they issue plates by request in the following groups P-police, F-fireman, D-democrat, R-republican. The normal issues for our county are A, C, and Q. Since truck plates do not follow this convention and the county population is less than 30,000 this is sufficeint for our needs.
can you tell me what the pre fix on the tags in posey co. was in 1954? was it HH or HD or what. I am wanting a posey plate for that year for my father.thanks Scott.
Now that we've cleared up that Lake county has a couple different numbers, I was curious how the areas for each number are chosen. Last year I was a 96 and this year they switched me to a 45 and I live at the same address....I'm confused :)
Carol -
I'm told they are just random letters.
It's like they go through the alphabet with various combinations of letters in order to account for so many different license plates... A,B A,C A,D etc.
Hope that helps.
I have Miami County license plates. Just before the number are two letters W and underneath is E. Do you know what these letters mean?
84 - vigo
22 - floyd
10 - clark
31 - harrison
49 - marion
82 - vanderburgh
11 - clay
Love your site!! When I was in Junior High I worked summers at the local newspaper office putting together the little booklets that listed all the license plate numbers in Indiana. This was in the late 60's, don't know if they still put them out every year or not. I lived in Posey County, our prefixes were 65A or B. Vanderburgh County (mostly Evansville) was 82 and went through half the alphabet... They still use the same numbers, 'cept most have vanity plates now and this year you can get a really nice plate for no extra charge, Stars and Stripes with an Eagle and says In God We Trust to the far left. If you go to the BMV someone else has listed you can see all of the plates and prices that are available in Indiana. I live in Canada now and our plates are really boring...
I think that license plates help the police find out who you are and were you come from when you dont want to stop.
That's funny
I think that license plates help the police find out who you are and were you come from when you dont want to stop.
1950 started letters and numbers on plates. Do you know area the letters mean?
For example, I'm trying to find out what city in Indiana from 1950 had plates CL 9898 and CF 997.
Thank you so much,
Lynn McKee
These are the actual county numbers for indiana.
http://www.in.gov/bmv/platesandtitles/coprefix.html
This is the page for the Indiana BMV.
P Dils -
The 93, 97 and 99 alone means that each vehicle is from Marion County, Indiana.
As for what the letters next to the numbers stand for... According to this site, the letters further clarify a specific district within the county.
P.S. Here's another great visual representation of all Indiana counties and where they are on the map.
I know there are 92 counties in Indiana. I am just curious...have seen cars with 93T, 99, and 97W prefixes...any idea what these stand for/mean with respect to geographical reference. They are Indiana plates.
Living in IN i know that there are 92 counties, but more than 92 prefix numbers on vehicle license plates. In addition to the 92 county numbers, some counties need more than one number, so: number 93 - Marion
94 - Lake
95 - Marion
96 - Lake
97 - Marion
98 - Marion
99 - Marion
We are almost up to 100! I guess IN will need to raise taxes to print an extra digit on some plates.............
Thanks,
Patty