Wyoming

Wyoming 1969 Passenger issue. Wyoming plates have featured the bucking bronco character continuously from 1936 through present. Plates of this era were issued with a single or stacked double-digit county code before the bronco, and serial after (in either 1234 or 123A format). This plate was issued in county #1, Natrona county. Codes were assigned to counties based on total property valuation in the county as it stood in 1929.. Click here for a complete listing of Wyoming county codes. From 1957 through 1974, plates were issued with the state name abbreviated as "WYO" and alternating between the top (odd years) and bottom (even years) of the plate.

Wyoming 1970 Passenger issue. Even-year plate with the WYO 70 at the bottom. Another Natrona county plate, code #1. Being the largest county, Natrona was most likely to have plate numbers in the high single-letter series such as this "X" plate. Most higher-number counties had a hard time breaking 9,999 plates and reaching "A" at this point. The die set in use at this time had the letters slightly shorter than the numbers.

Wyoming 1971 Passenger issue. This plate features a stacked two-digit county code. It was issued in Niobara county, #14. Again, counties with higher numbers tended to stick within the all-numeric range of serials.

Wyoming 1972 Passenger issue. Another issue from Niobara county, with still a lower serial. Even-year issue, so the WYO 72 is at the bottom of the plate. The 1972 Wyoming issue won ALPCA Plate of the Year in 1972, despite being essentially the same design as every other Wyoming plate of the time. My theory is that 1972 was a slow year for exciting new plates, and the award was given to Wyoming more as a "lifetime achievement" type of thing for the longevity of the distinctive bronco logo. The bronco had been in use for 36 years at the time, but the Plate of the Year award wasn't established until 1970.

Wyoming 1973 Passenger issue. This plate was issued in county #2, Laramie county. This black-on-white issue was one of the more lackluster bronco issues of the era.

Wyoming 1974 Passenger issue. This plate used the same colors and format as the 1972 issue. It was issued in county #18, Crook county. This was the last year for yearly plate issues in Wyoming.

Wyoming 1976 Passenger issue. At the end of 1974, this new issue was released, celebrating the U.S. Bicentennial. The slogan makes the point that, although not admitted as a state until 1890, the "Spirit of '76" was still felt in the state. These plates were used with stickers through the end of 1977. This plate was issued in Laramie county (#2) and features a new serial format where plates above 9999 had a prefix letter instead of a suffix letter. The dies were also changed slightly, with the letter now being the same height as the numbers. This was the first year that the bronco was screened rather than stamped into the background of the plate.

Wyoming 1977 Passenger issue. Same series as above, this plate features a stacked county code and all-numeric serial. Again, this plate comes from county #14, Niobara county, which doesn't surprise me as I bought this one from the same gentleman as the other "14" plates.

Wyoming 1979 Passenger issue. This plate was issued at the end of 1977, and remains one of my favorite graphic issues of all time. I think I had the Honeycomb version of this plate on my old Huffy bike. This plate features the bronco, stamped again this time, riding over an old wooden fence. It also has smaller dies for the stacked county codes, and started a new serial format where plates over number 9999 for a given county would have a stacked alpha suffix, starting with 1 A/A. This plate was issued in Lincoln county, #12. These plates remained in use through the end of 1982.

Wyoming 1984 Passenger issue. This issue was released starting in 1983, and was used through the end of 1987 with stickers. The fence remains from the 1978 issue, but the bronco is once again screened on the background. This plate follows the same format as the previous issue, with stacked county prefix and stacked alpha suffix. This plate was issued in county #3, Sheridan county.

Wyoming 1989 Passenger issue. New plates were issued starting in 1988 to commemorate the Centennial of the state in 1990. This plate changed back to the stamped bronco, and features a cloud-covered mountain motif in the background. These plates were used from 1988 through the end of 1992. Staggered registration was introduced in some counties during this period, so some plates have separate stickers for month and year. This plate was issued in county #17, Campbell county.

Wyoming 1994 Passenger issue. In 1993, this new base was introduced, featuring a panoramic mountainscape behind the familiar bronco. This base was issued through the end of 2000 and is being replaced as of 2001. This plate was issued in county #10, Fremont county.

Wyoming 2002 Passenger issue. This new graphic plate was first released for two-year registrants in January, 2000 and for one-year registrants in January, 2001. It features an image of the Devil's Tower National Monument near the Black Hills National Forest in the Northeast corner of Wyoming. This issue was recently named ALPCA's Plate of the Year for 2000. These plates retain the familiar bronco and rider, but the serial format has been changed from previous plates to eliminate the stacked alpha characters at the end of the plate. This plate was issued in Natrona county, #1.

Wyoming 2002 Passenger issue. Yecch! Is this the same plate I voted for in the Plate of the Year competition? In an unfortunate turn of events, Wyoming is one of the latest states to fall prey to the 3M Corporation and their evil "digital plate technology," allowing for these all-flat plates to be produced. I am, obviously, not a fan of these things, as they look incredibly cheap and fake. I especially dislike the fact that 3M uses the same ugly serial typeface on all the flat plates their system produces. Many Wyoming residents apparently share my view, as there was legislation proposed to force the state to resume producing embossed plates. Unfortunately, the law was killed in committee. I just wish ALPCA could run a recall election for the 2000 Plate of the Year...

Wyoming 2004 Passenger issue. Later-period flat plate, featuring a couple changes from the issue above. First off, the bar code has been dropped from the plate, presumably due to the state realizing that it had no earthly use for the thing. Second, the image of the bronco and cowboy has been sharpened up somewhat, adding more detail to both horse and rider. Someone must've realized along the way that, since they're essentially laser-printing the plates anyway, that they didn't need to mimic the old "blob-on-a-horse" effect of the old embossing die.

Additional Wyoming information provided by: Bud Seyler

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Last Modified 5/9/2006 (added 2004 plate).

	Wyoming 1969 Passenger issue. Wyoming plates have featured the bucking bronco character continuously from 1936 through present. Plates of this era were issued with a single or stacked double-digit county code before the bronco, and serial after (in either 1234 or 123A format). This plate was issued in county #1, Natrona county. Codes were assigned to counties based on total property valuation in the county as it stood in 1929.. Click here for a complete listing of Wyoming county codes. From 1957 through 1974, plates were issued with the state name abbreviated as "WYO" and alternating between the top (odd years) and bottom (even years) of the plate.
	Wyoming 1970 Passenger issue. Even-year plate with the WYO 70 at the bottom. Another Natrona county plate, code #1. Being the largest county, Natrona was most likely to have plate numbers in the high single-letter series such as this "X" plate. Most higher-number counties had a hard time breaking 9,999 plates and reaching "A" at this point. The die set in use at this time had the letters slightly shorter than the numbers.
	Wyoming 1971 Passenger issue. This plate features a stacked two-digit county code. It was issued in Niobara county, #14. Again, counties with higher numbers tended to stick within the all-numeric range of serials.
	Wyoming 1972 Passenger issue. Another issue from Niobara county, with still a lower serial. Even-year issue, so the WYO 72 is at the bottom of the plate. The 1972 Wyoming issue won ALPCA Plate of the Year in 1972, despite being essentially the same design as every other Wyoming plate of the time. My theory is that 1972 was a slow year for exciting new plates, and the award was given to Wyoming more as a "lifetime achievement" type of thing for the longevity of the distinctive bronco logo. The bronco had been in use for 36 years at the time, but the Plate of the Year award wasn't established until 1970.
	Wyoming 1973 Passenger issue. This plate was issued in county #2, Laramie county. This black-on-white issue was one of the more lackluster bronco issues of the era.
	Wyoming 1974 Passenger issue. This plate used the same colors and format as the 1972 issue. It was issued in county #18, Crook county. This was the last year for yearly plate issues in Wyoming.
	Wyoming 1976 Passenger issue. At the end of 1974, this new issue was released, celebrating the U.S. Bicentennial. The slogan makes the point that, although not admitted as a state until 1890, the "Spirit of '76" was still felt in the state. These plates were used with stickers through the end of 1977. This plate was issued in Laramie county (#2) and features a new serial format where plates above 9999 had a prefix letter instead of a suffix letter. The dies were also changed slightly, with the letter now being the same height as the numbers. This was the first year that the bronco was screened rather than stamped into the background of the plate.
	Wyoming 1977 Passenger issue. Same series as above, this plate features a stacked county code and all-numeric serial. Again, this plate comes from county #14, Niobara county, which doesn't surprise me as I bought this one from the same gentleman as the other "14" plates.
	Wyoming 1979 Passenger issue. This plate was issued at the end of 1977, and remains one of my favorite graphic issues of all time. I think I had the Honeycomb version of this plate on my old Huffy bike. This plate features the bronco, stamped again this time, riding over an old wooden fence. It also has smaller dies for the stacked county codes, and started a new serial format where plates over number 9999 for a given county would have a stacked alpha suffix, starting with 1 A/A. This plate was issued in Lincoln county, #12. These plates remained in use through the end of 1982.
	Wyoming 1984 Passenger issue. This issue was released starting in 1983, and was used through the end of 1987 with stickers. The fence remains from the 1978 issue, but the bronco is once again screened on the background. This plate follows the same format as the previous issue, with stacked county prefix and stacked alpha suffix. This plate was issued in county #3, Sheridan county.
	Wyoming 1989 Passenger issue. New plates were issued starting in 1988 to commemorate the Centennial of the state in 1990. This plate changed back to the stamped bronco, and features a cloud-covered mountain motif in the background. These plates were used from 1988 through the end of 1992. Staggered registration was introduced in some counties during this period, so some plates have separate stickers for month and year. This plate was issued in county #17, Campbell county.
	Wyoming 1994 Passenger issue. In 1993, this new base was introduced, featuring a panoramic mountainscape behind the familiar bronco. This base was issued through the end of 2000 and is being replaced as of 2001. This plate was issued in county #10, Fremont county.
	Wyoming 2002 Passenger issue. This new graphic plate was first released for two-year registrants in January, 2000 and for one-year registrants in January, 2001. It features an image of the Devil's Tower National Monument near the Black Hills National Forest in the Northeast corner of Wyoming. This issue was recently named ALPCA's Plate of the Year for 2000. These plates retain the familiar bronco and rider, but the serial format has been changed from previous plates to eliminate the stacked alpha characters at the end of the plate. This plate was issued in Natrona county, #1.
	Wyoming 2002 Passenger issue. Yecch! Is this the same plate I voted for in the Plate of the Year competition? In an unfortunate turn of events, Wyoming is one of the latest states to fall prey to the 3M Corporation and their evil "digital plate technology," allowing for these all-flat plates to be produced. I am, obviously, not a fan of these things, as they look incredibly cheap and fake. I especially dislike the fact that 3M uses the same ugly serial typeface on all the flat plates their system produces. Many Wyoming residents apparently share my view, as there was legislation proposed to force the state to resume producing embossed plates. Unfortunately, the law was killed in committee. I just wish ALPCA could run a recall election for the 2000 Plate of the Year...
	Wyoming 2004 Passenger issue. Later-period flat plate, featuring a couple changes from the issue above. First off, the bar code has been dropped from the plate, presumably due to the state realizing that it had no earthly use for the thing. Second, the image of the bronco and cowboy has been sharpened up somewhat, adding more detail to both horse and rider. Someone must've realized along the way that, since they're essentially laser-printing the plates anyway, that they didn't need to mimic the old "blob-on-a-horse" effect of the old embossing die.