The U.S. state of Georgia first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1910. Since then the state has used a variety of license plate designs, including different designs for passenger, non-passenger, and, more recently, specialty or optional plates.
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Passenger plates 1910 to 1970
For sixty years, between 1910 and 1970, Georgia issued plates annually. The plates were dated with the year of expiry. In 1940, the slogan "Peach State" was added to the plates and used for the next thirty years. County coding was introduced in 1957 and it was revised in 1962. The 1962 codes were used through 1970.
In 1956, the U.S. states and Canadian provinces came to an agreement with the Automobile Manufacturers Association that standardized the size for license plates for vehicles, except those for motorcycles, at six inches in height by twelve inches in width, with standardized mounting holes. The 1956 (dated 1957) issue was the first Georgia license plate that fully complied with these standards: the 1954 (dated 1955) and 1955 (dated 1956) issues were six inches in height by twelve inches in width, but had non-standard mounting holes.
Passenger plates 1971 to present
As of 2008, standard passenger plates on the 1997 base may continue to be revalidated through the present at the discretion of the owner, who may instead choose to receive a new plate of the current design, although issuance of this design ceased in December 2003.
In December 2003 a 2005-dated base was introduced for new registrations. Beginning at approximately AVA 0001, the debossed left sticker box was removed, as in approximately November 2006 the state switched to a single sticker displaying both month and year of expiry, a practice that would be continued on the 2007 base.
The 2007 base retains the peach state outline graphic, but it is shifted to the center of the plate, instead of being slightly off-center to the left as in the previous design. This base continued the serial sequence of the prior base. The state's various non-passenger and optional issues gradually migrated to the new base as supplies of the old base were exhausted. As of July 2009, not all types have yet made the transition.
County coding
The county codes used on license plates between 1957 and 1961 were based the population for each county. Those used between 1962 and 1970 were based on the updated 1960 census figures. After 1970, decals of the county names were put on the license plates instead of the numerical system.
Non-passenger and optional types
Georgia was one of the first states to issue optional plates, introducing commemorative issues for several of its in-state colleges and universities in 1983. The only requirement is a minimum of 1000 plates ordered, thus the state has made plates for fans of Auburn University in Alabama and Clemson University in South Carolina, while refusing to produce plates for its own colleges and even some of its universities.
The number of optional types has increased since 1983; Georgia currently offers many specialty or optional license plates, most at an extra cost to motorists. Unlike other states, where much of the extra money goes to support the cause shown on the plates, Georgia state government keeps the money for itself in the general fund.
Effective with the 2005 base, the state streamlined the ever-growing number of limited-issuance plates by instituting two-letter prefixes for almost all types other than standard passenger plates. Most of these plate types first appeared on the www.GEORGIA.gov base and are currently migrating to the new GEORGIA.gov base.
The state also offers plates for non-passenger vehicles, such as trucks, school buses, and government vehicles.