EXPLAINED!!!
Indiana's Bureau of Motor Vehicles implemented a staggered registration system in 1970 in order to spread out vehicle registrations over six months, instead of having all plates expire at the end of February.
The system has gone through three phases over the past 33 years; originally encompassing six months, plates now expire over a ten-month period (January through October). The most recent change took place in 2002 (for 2003 expirations) when each month (except January) was split in half, with the owners' last names split accordingly.
Below is an explanation of each phase of the system.
1970-1986
This system encompassed passenger cars only until 1984, when light trucks (under 11,000 lbs.) were also included.
JANUARY -- All company-owned vehicles
FEBRUARY -- Last names beginning with A through C; also rental cars, antique vehicles, dealers, transports
MARCH -- Last names beginning with D through H
APRIL -- Last names beginning with I through N; also vanity plates beginning in 1977
MAY -- Last names beginning with O through S
JUNE -- Last names beginning with T through Z
1987-2002
This system included all vehicles except trucks 11,000 lbs. and over.
JANUARY -- All company-owned vehicles
FEBRUARY -- Last names beginning with A and B; also rental cars, dealers and transports
MARCH -- Last names beginning with C and D
APRIL -- Last names beginning with E through G; also vanity plates
MAY -- Last names beginning with H and I
JUNE -- Last names beginning with J through L
JULY -- Last names beginning with M through O
AUGUST -- Last names beginning with P through R
SEPTEMBER -- Last names beginning with S and T
OCTOBER -- Last names beginning with U through Z
2003-2008
This system was implemented, according to the BMV, to reduce long lines and waiting caused by the usual end-of-the-month rush, spreading branch traffic evenly throughout each month.
JANUARY 31 (01-31) -- Corporate and fleet vehicles
FEBRUARY 15 (02-15) -- Last names beginning with A through BE
FEBRUARY 28 (02-28) -- Last names beginning with BF through BZ
MARCH 15 (03-15) -- Last names beginning with C
MARCH 31 (03-31) -- Last names beginning with D
APRIL 15 (04-15) -- Last names beginning with E and F
APRIL 30 (04-30) -- Last names beginning with G
MAY 15 (05-15) -- Last names beginning with HA through HN
MAY 31 (05-31) -- Last names beginning with HO through I
JUNE 15 (06-15) -- Last names beginning with J through KM
JUNE 30 (06-30) -- Last names beginning with KN through L
JULY 15 (07-15) -- Last names beginning with MA through ME
JULY 31 (07-31) -- Last names beginning with MF through O
AUGUST 15 (08-15) -- Last names beginning with P and Q
AUGUST 31 (08-31) -- Last names beginning with R
SEPTEMBER 15 (09-15) -- Last names beginning with SA through SN
SEPTEMBER 30 (09-30) -- Last names beginning with SO through T
OCTOBER 15 (10-15) -- Last names beginning with U through WK
OCTOBER 30 (10-31) -- Last names beginning with WL through Z
2009-on
When motorists renewed their registrations in 2008, they may have noticed a new expiration date on their plates, either the 7th, 14th, 21st or 28th of a given month. This new system will reduce the possible number of expirations on any given date from as many as 625,000 to around 398,000. In effect, this will serve to shrink the waiting lines at the license branches, and, since it FINALLY includes the months of November and December, it makes sense.
JANUARY 31 -- Corporate fleet vehicles
FEBRUARY 7 -- Last names beginning with AAAA through ARNN
FEBRUARY 14 -- Last names beginning with ARNO through BATE
FEBRUARY 21 -- Last names beginning with BATF through BLAI
FEBRUARY 28 -- Last names beginning with BLAJ through BRID, rental fleet vehicles, heavy weight vehicles and trailers
MARCH 7 -- Last names beginning with BRIE through BUSD
MARCH 14 -- Last names beginning with BUSE through CHAN
MARCH 21 -- Last names beginning with CHAO through CONN
MARCH 28 -- Last names beginning with CONO through CURL
APRIL 7 -- Last names beginning with CURM through DICE
APRIL 14 -- Last names beginning with DICF through EDDY
APRIL 21 -- Last names beginning with EDEA through FERG
APRIL 28 -- Last names beginning with FERH through FRYA
APRIL 30 -- All personalized license plates
MAY 7 -- Last names beginning with FRYB through GLOR
MAY 14 -- Last names beginning with GLOS through GUMZ
MAY 21 -- Last names beginning with GUNA through HART
MAY 28 -- Last names beginning with HARU through HILE
JUNE 7 -- Last names beginning with HILF through HUCH
JUNE 14 -- Last names beginning with HUCI through JERR
JUNE 21 -- Last names beginning with JERS through KEEL
JUNE 28 -- Last names beginning with KEEM through KNUD
JULY 7 -- Last names beginning with KNUE through LAWR
JULY 14 -- Last names beginning with LAWS through LOPE
JULY 21 -- Last names beginning with LOPF through MART
JULY 28 -- Last names beginning with MARU through MCKI
AUGUST 7 -- Last names beginning with MCKJ through MILL
AUGUST 14 -- Last names beginning with MILM through MUND
AUGUST 21 -- Last names beginning with MUNE through NUNG
AUGUST 28 -- Last names beginning with NUNH through PATT
SEPTEMBER 7 -- Last names beginning with PATU through PONT
SEPTEMBER 14 -- Last names beginning with PONU through REDM
SEPTEMBER 21 -- Last names beginning with REDN through ROBE
SEPTEMBER 28 -- Last names beginning with ROBF through SANC
OCTOBER 7 -- Last names beginning with SAND through SERM
OCTOBER 14 -- Last names beginning with SERN through SLON
OCTOBER 21 -- Last names beginning with SLOO through SPRI
OCTOBER 28 -- Last names beginning with SPRJ through SUCE
NOVEMBER 7 -- Last names beginning with SUCF through THOP
NOVEMBER 14 -- Last names beginning with THOQ through VANO
NOVEMBER 21 -- Last names beginning with VANP through WALD
NOVEMBER 28 -- Last names beginning with WALE through WATT
DECEMBER 7 -- Last names beginning with WATU through WILK
DECEMBER 14 -- Last names beginning with WILL through WRIG
DECEMBER 21 -- Last names beginning with WRIH through ZZZZ
NOTES:
Information on the 1970-1986 system and 1987-2002 system is provided through the gracious assistance of the personnel of Indiana State Police Post 34 in Jasper, Indiana, where I received a printed copy of this information during a visit with my late grandfather (former Indiana State Police Lieutenant Max Bruggenschmidt) to their post in the mid-1980s.
Information on the 2003-2008 system is available on the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles website and was originally obtained in 2001 when I was employed as a reporter for The Spencer County Journal-Democrat in Rockport, Indiana.
The 2009-on system information is available on the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles website.
NOW IN 1024-WIDESCREEN FORMAT
This compilation (C) 2003-2009, Jacob A. Newkirk, The Jacob A. Newkirk Historic License Plate Collection. All rights reserved.