Michigan’s blue and black retro license plates to return next month
- Retro license plates Michigan first sold in the 1970s and 1980s are making a comeback this year.
- Starting in February, motorists will be able to buy a white-on-black plate or a blue Great Lakes plate
- A red, white and blue 1976 bicentennial plate is expected to be reissued in 2026
More retro license plates will soon be available for Michigan residents.
After the popular release of blue and gold “Water-Winter Wonderland” and green and white “Water Wonderland” license plates, three more retro license plates from the 1970s, 80s and 90s are poised to make a comeback.
Beginning in February, Michigan motorists will be able to purchase a white-on-black plate the state initially issued from 1979 to 1983, or a white-on-blue Great Lakes plate issued from 1983 to 2007. And in 2026, a red, white and-blue bicentennial plate from 1976 is slated to make a return too, this time as the US marks its 250th birthday, or semiquincentennial.
State legislators in 2023 passed a law to bring back the retro plates. The legislation mandated that the state must be ready to issue the black and blue plates one year after the law took effect, which happened on February 13, 2024.
Related:
- Michigan may bring back its blue and black, retro cool, license plates
- Green ‘Water Wonderland’ license plates to return in Michigan
Those blue and black “legacy” plates should be available for order by Feb. 1, slightly ahead of schedule, according to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s office, which will have until next year to reissue the 1976 plate.
Want one of the new plates? They’ll cost more than other recent reissues: $55, on top of your annual vehicle registration fee, most of which will help fund Michigan infrastructure projects. Renewing the plates will cost $10 more than your usual fee.
Learn more about how to order Michigan license plates here.
State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, a Royal Oak Democrat who sponsored the legislation to bring back the legacy plates, said car enthusiasts had repeatedly asked her about the blue plates, in particular.
The new law, she said last year, will create “a unique way for drivers to accessorize their car, celebrate our car culture and help us fix our roads by generating potentially millions of dollars of additional revenue without raising taxes.”
State fiscal agencies have not projected how much revenue the new plates may generate. The state sold more than 1 million of the Water-Winter Wonderland plates over roughly two years, but the new black and blue legacy plates will cost $50 more, which analysts noted may discourage some sales.
As with most license plates, the new retro design can be personalized by paying an extra $30 service fee, but vanity plates will be limited to six digits due to the font style and size accompanying the reissue.
The retro plates can also be purchased as disability plates, which include an insignia showing the vehicle owner is legally allowed to park in reserved spots.
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