In 1956, Canada, the United States, and Mexico came to an agreement with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Automobile Manufacturers Association and the National Safety Council that standardized the size for license plates for vehicles (except those for motorcycles) at 6 inches (15 cm) in height by 12 inches (30 cm) in width, with standardized mounting holes.[1] The first Manitoba license plate that complied with these standards was issued 25 years beforehand, in 1931.
No slogans were used on passenger plates during the period covered by this subsection.
Image
Dates issued
Design
Serial format
Serials issued
Notes
1911
White serial on blue porcelain plate; vertical "MAN" and "1911" at left and right respectively
1234
1 to 1999; 3000 to approximately 3200
Serials 2000 through 2999 reserved for dealers.[2]
1912
White serial on black porcelain plate; provincial shield at left with "MAN. 1912" below
1234
1 to approximately 4500
1913
Black serial on white porcelain plate; provincial shield at left with "MAN 1913" below
1234
1 to approximately 5800
1914
Black serial on golden yellow porcelain plate; provincial shield at left with "MAN 1914" below
1234
1 to approximately 7400
1915
Black serial on white flat metal plate; provincial shield at left with "MAN. 1915" below
1234
1 to approximately 8900
1916
White serial on brown flat metal plate; provincial shield at left with "MAN. 1916" below
12345
1 to approximately 12500
1917
White serial on black flat metal plate; provincial shield at left with "MAN. 1917" below
12345
1 to approximately 18600
1918–19
Black serial on yellow flat metal plate; provincial shield at left with "MAN. 1918" below
12345
1 to approximately 33000
Revalidated for 1919 with dark green tabs.
1920
Embossed black serial on light green plate with border line; "MAN 1920" at left
12345
1 to approximately 33500
First embossed plate.
1921
Embossed gray serial on dark blue plate with border line; "MAN 1921" at left
12-345
1 to approximately 37-500
1922
Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "MAN 1922" at left
12-345
1 to approximately 38-500
1923
Embossed blue serial on gray plate with border line; "MAN 1923" at left
12-345
1 to approximately 41-000
1924
Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "MAN 1924" at left
12-345
1 to approximately 42-500
1925
Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "MAN 1925" at left
12-345
1 to approximately 41-500
1926
Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; slanted "MAN" and "26" at right
12-345
1 to approximately 51-500
1927
Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "MANITOBA 27" at bottom
12-345
1 to approximately 58-500
First use of the full province name.
1928
Embossed black serial on turquoise plate with border line; "MANITOBA 28" at bottom
12-345
1 to approximately 59-000
1929
Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "MANITOBA 29" at bottom
12-345
1 to approximately 77-000
1930
Embossed white serial on blue plate with border line; "MANITOBA 30" at bottom
12-345
1 to approximately 80-000
1931
Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "MANITOBA 31" at bottom
12-345
1 to approximately 90-000
First 6" x 12" plate.
1932
Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "MANITOBA 32" at bottom
12-345
1 to approximately 78-000
1933
Embossed white serial on blue plate with border line; "MANITOBA 33" at bottom
12-345
1 to approximately 65-000
1934
Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "34 MANITOBA" at bottom
12-345
1 to approximately 65-500
1935
Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "MANITOBA 35" at bottom
12-345
1 to approximately 64-500
1936
Embossed white serial on blue plate with border line; "MANITOBA 36" at bottom
12-345
1 to approximately 65-500
1937
Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "MANITOBA 37" at top
12-345
1 to approximately 68-000
1938
Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "MANITOBA 38" at bottom
12-345
1 to approximately 78-500
1939
Embossed white serial on blue plate with border line; "MANITOBA 39" at top
12-345
1 to approximately 85-500
1940
Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "MANITOBA 40" at bottom
12-345
1 to approximately 84-500
1941
Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "MANITOBA 41" at top
12-345
1 to approximately 85-000
1942–44
Embossed black serial on silver plate with border line; "MANITOBA 42" at bottom
12-345
1 to approximately 84-000
Revalidated for 1943 with red tabs, and for 1944 with windshield stickers, due to metal conservation for World War II.
1945
Embossed black serial on orange plate with border line; "MANITOBA 45" at bottom
12-345
1 to approximately 84-500
1946
Embossed blue serial on cream plate with border line; "MANITOBA 46" at bottom
12-345
1 to approximately 84-000
1947
Embossed black serial on silver plate with border line; "MANITOBA 47" at bottom
12-345
1 to approximately 85-500
1948 to present
Manitoba is currently one of five provinces where decals are not used to show that the vehicle has valid registration, the others being Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Quebec.[3]
Image
Dates issued
Design
Slogan
Serial format
Serials issued
Notes
1948–49
Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "MANITOBA 48" at bottom
none
123-456
1 to approximately 112-000
Revalidated for 1949 with silver tabs.
1950–51
Embossed black serial on silver plate with border line; "MANITOBA 50" at bottom
none
1A234
1A1 to approximately 9S999
Revalidated for 1951 with red tabs.
1952–57
Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "MANITOBA 52" at bottom
none
1A234
1A1 to 9Y999
Revalidated for 1953 with black tabs, for 1954 with green tabs, for 1955 with white tabs, for 1956 with black tabs, and for 1957 with green tabs.
12A34
10A1 to approximately 70P99
1958–63
Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "MANITOBA 58" at bottom, offset to right, with embossed bison graphic to left
none
1A234
1A1 to 9Y999
Revalidated for 1959 with white tabs, for 1960 with yellow tabs, for 1961 with green tabs, for 1962 with white tabs, and for 1963 with yellow tabs. Letters I, O, Q, R and Z not used in serials; this practice continued until 1976.[4]
12A34
10A1 to 99Y99
AB123
AA1 to approximately DV999
1964–70
Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "MANITOBA 64" at bottom, offset to right, with embossed bison graphic to left
none
1A234
1A1 to 9Y999
Revalidated for 1965 with black tabs, for 1966 with red tabs, for 1967 with purple tabs, for 1968 with green tabs, for 1969 with black tabs, and for 1970 with purple tabs. Manitoba was thus the last jurisdiction in North America to revalidate its licence plates with tabs.
12A34
10A1 to 99Y99
AB123
AA1 to approximately PJ999
1971–75
Embossed black serial on reflective white plate with border line; outline of bison's head and front leg embossed at left; "71" at bottom left
"SUNNY MANITOBA" and "100,000 LAKES" centred at top and bottom respectively
AB-123 AB12-34
AA-1 to approximately DW99-99
Former provincial slogan coincidentally similar to the U.S. state of Minnesota slogan, "10,000 LAKES" (which is still currently used on its license plates).
1976–82
Embossed purple serial on reflective yellow plate; border lines around plate and around bottom corners; "MANITOBA" centred at bottom; "76" at top right
"FRIENDLY" centred at top
ABC-123
AAA-101 to approximately GUW-999
Only letters A through E, G, H, K, L, N, S, T, U, W and X used in serials, and numbers 1–100 reserved in all series.[4]
1983–86
Embossed black serial on reflective white plate; border lines around plate and around bottom corners; "MANITOBA" screened in red centred at bottom; debossed "83" at bottom left
"FRIENDLY" screened in red centred at top
123 ABC
101 AAA to 500 DWT
The 1986 design changes were made in order to cut costs. Letters initially used in serials same as those on the 1976–82 base, plus P as second and/or third letter only; all letters used from the QAA series onwards (1995).[4]
1986 – June 16, 1997
As above, but non-reflective, and with province name embossed in black
Embossed dark blue serial on reflective white plate with river scene featuring green trees on either side and yellow wheat at the bottom; blue bison graphic screened at top right; "Manitoba" screened in blue at top, offset to right, with red maple leaf over the 'i'
"Friendly" screened in blue to left of province name, giving "Friendly Manitoba"
ABC 123
AAA 101 to BZZ 999; DAA 101 to GLW 999
Awarded "Plate of the Year" for best new standard-issue licence plate of 1997 by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association, the first and, to date, only time Manitoba has been so honored. Co-recipient with Wisconsin. Letters I, O and Q not used in serials;[4] 'C' series reserved for Commercial plates and 'J' series for alternative Bienvenue plates (below).
late 2012 – present
As above, but with bison graphic changed from blue to black
GLX 101 to HZZ 999; KAA 101 to LTK 999 (as of November 25, 2024)
Black serial on white and red plate with UWinnipeg campus screened in background and UWinnipeg crest at left
"Friendly" and "Discover, Achieve, Belong"
UW1234
UW0001 to present
Winnipeg Jets Heritage
September 2021
Blue serial on white plate with 1973 Jets logo screened at left
"Friendly" and "Honour the Past"
JH1234
JH0001 to JH9999
H12345
H00001 to present
Non-passenger plates
Image
Type
Design
Serial format
Serials issued
Notes
Collector
Embossed black serial on yellow plate; "Friendly Manitoba" and black bison graphic at top; "Collector" at bottom
CL12345
CL00001 to CL12299 (as of August 25, 2024)
First issued March 2014. Issued to cars and motorcycles that are at least 25 years old and are used only for pleasure.
Commercial
As current passenger base
CBC 123
CAA 001 to CRM 999 (as of September 26, 2024)
Dealer
As current passenger base
D12345
D00001 to D70299 (as of August 22, 2024)
Livery
As current passenger base
XBC 123
XAA 001 to XAF 999 (as of December 20, 2017)
Motorcycle
Same design as current passenger base; "MC" embossed below serial
1AB23
1AA01 to 4EB99 (as of August 21, 2021)
Same design as current passenger base; "MC" embossed below serial
5EB01 to 7GH01 (as of August 1, 2022)
New smaller size. Continues on same serial format.
Repairer
R12345
R00001 to R19260 (as of July 1, 2022)
ORV
Embossed black serial on yellow plate; "MANITOBA" at top and "ORV" at bottom
123A4
1A1 to 999Z9
First issued 1988. 1A234 serial format commenced 2010.
1A234
1A001 to 7M878 (as of May 24, 2022)
PSV
As current passenger base
PBC 123
PAA 001 to PEB 330 (as of November 8, 2019)
Trailer
Same design as current passenger base; "TL" embossed below serial
A123B
A001A to Z999Z
123AB serial format commenced 2017.
123AB
001AA to 433GE (as of May 15, 2022)
Amateur Radio
AB1CD
123AB serial format commenced 2017.
Vanity plates
The province also offers personalized vanity license plates, at a cost of $100. These plates can be affixed to passenger vehicles, non-commercial trucks, farm trucks, motorcycles, mopeds and motorhomes.[7]