10/10/11

Montana

TRUCK

"68" base:  This base replaced all 1967 plates and had an unpainted debossed "68" in the bottom right corner inside the state outline.  For 1969, the state issued renewal stickers that vehicle owners placed over the "68".  The plate number format was the county number followed by the plate number with a dot separator.  See the Montana county codes page for county code explanations.

1976 bicentennial base:  This design began in 1976, designed in honor of the U.S. bicentennial, and ran until 1990 (1991 expiration).  The plate number has the county code (see "Montana county codes" page) at the left, followed by a dot separator and the plate number.  The difference between passenger plates and truck plates is that truck plates have a "T" following the county number.  After 1976, the plates were renewed with annual stickers, such as "77", "78", or "79".  Later in 1979, plates received stickers expiring on December 31 of the year of renewal, such as "12-31-79".

1991 "Big Sky" base:  This design began in 1991 ("92" sticker) and ran to 1999 ("2000" sticker) when it was replaced by the "2000" design.  The plate number has the county code (see "Montana county codes" page) at left followed by a dot separator and the plate number.  The difference between passenger plates and truck plates is that truck plates have a "T" following the county number.  This includes single digit county numbers ("1" through "9") where truck plates had a "T" instead of a "P" for "passenger" following the plate number.

"2000" base:  This design was issue beginning in 2000 to commemorate the turning to year 2000 and includes in the design a faint "2000" at the top of the plate above the state name.  The plate was phased in upon the vehicle's renewal with the owner receiving new plates with "01" stickers.  Like previous designs, the county number (see "Montana county codes" page) was followed by a "T" for "truck" before the dot separator, then the plate number in "A00000" format for single digit counties and "A0000" format for two-digit county numbers (no leading zeros for either formats).  The plate was produced in embossed format in the beginning, but about mid-2003 ("2004" expiration stickers), was produced with flat plate numbers.

2002 (black/blue & white) Granite County embossed natural exc $2.00 "46T-B86" (12926)

2003 (black/blue & white) Deer Lodge County embossed natural exc $2.00 "30T-D730" (12927)

2003 (black/blue & white) Jefferson County embossed natural vg $2.00 "51T-F526" (12928)