Mississippi has a long and interesting history of license plates. They were first issued statewide in 1912, with a few 1911 pre-states also out there (most notably the city of Vicksburg pre-state). For right now, I will fast forward ahead six decades to 1977 when the state issued their first multi-year release. Beginning in the late 1970s, a number of special plates were issued for veterans and specific military branches. These special plates led to college plates in the mid-1990s, followed by wildlife conservation plates and then an all-out blitz in 2003 with specialty plates that support causes from autism awareness to choosing life. There have also been an eclectic mix of non-passenger plates over the past couple of decades. All of these different types of Mississippi plates have been profiled with information known to the best of my knowledge. For the purposes of this web site, many of these plates are not from my collection- but other collectors have given me permission to use their pictures so I can display them here.
I have also decided to create a short page dedicated to Arkansas current and recent license plates. This page focuses on special passenger and special cause tags. Right now, there is minimal text (and many sample images), but I am working on improving it. Beyond that, there is my personal collection of a partial Mississippi county run, as well as Choose Life plates and some plates that have a relation to Ole Miss or my family. I have also began collecting anniversary plates and will soon have them posted. I am also working on a 50 state run of dealer plates and have just begun a run of apportioned plates. These will be pictured as soon as possible. I always encourage feedback, comments, etc. from other collectors and would be happy to hear from you!
A Plate or a Tag?
When you say license plate in Mississippi they look at you as strangely as they do in my birth state of Connecticut when you say tag. I understand that ‘license plate’ is the accepted and understood term among collectors of the hobby. On my web site, you will find a mix of plate and tag with license plate showing up in most headlines- and a few tags throw in there. However, this web site’s focus is on Mississippi and tag is the word of choice in the Magnolia State. For example, at the local county tax assessor’s office, there is a sign for car tags- no mention of license plates. Also, the Motor Vehicle Licensing web site has a current tag list. Because of this when I am just talking, sending email, etc. I will usually say tag. Now, some people in other parts of the country may not understand this…but that’s just they way it is in Mississippi. Pictured below (to the left) is the tag currently on my truck.