County Codes

	Alabama began using county codes with the issue of the 1942 plates. Originally, the three most populated counties were issued codes 1, 2 and 3 in order to allow an extra space on the plate for higher serial numbers and the remaining 64 counties were issued codes alphabetically beginning with 4. This system is still in use today although Madison county (#47) has grown to have over 50,000 more residents than Montgomery county (#3). In 1954, Jefferson county became the first county to surpass 99,999 registrations. Six digits on a plate in addition to the county code became somewhat crowded so it was decided to amend the system. In 1955, once the registrations reached 99,999 the state started adding an "A" suffix to the county code in order to designate the second hundred thousand registrations . After a few years, other counties also began using the "A" suffix and some eventually found the need to go to a "B" for the third hundred thousand. This system was used with very few exceptions until the issue of Alabama's first multi-year base plate of 1977. The only exception that comes to mind is a span of a few years beginning in 1968 that the truck plates used numbers designating weight in place of the issuing county code. For the 5 years that the 1977 base was in use, the state used a sticker at the bottom center of the plate that told the county of issue. After this base expired in 1982, Alabama returned back to the old system of a county code and a serial number but by this point in time, most if not all of the counties in Alabama had enough registrants to warrant the use of alphabetical suffixes to the county codes. The chart below shows the county name, seat, population according to the 2000 census and of course the numerical code used on license plates. In addition, the United States Census Bureau has a nice county map of Alabama that can be viewed by clicking here.

Alabama began using county codes with the issue of the 1942 plates. Originally, the three most populated counties were issued codes 1, 2 and 3 in order to allow an extra space on the plate for higher serial numbers and the remaining 64 counties were issued codes alphabetically beginning with 4. This system is still in use today although Madison county (#47) has grown to have over 50,000 more residents than Montgomery county (#3).

In 1954, Jefferson county became the first county to surpass 99,999 registrations. Six digits on a plate in addition to the county code became somewhat crowded so it was decided to amend the system. In 1955, once the registrations reached 99,999 the state started adding an "A" suffix to the county code in order to designate the second hundred thousand registrations . After a few years, other counties also began using the "A" suffix and some eventually found the need to go to a "B" for the third hundred thousand.

This system was used with very few exceptions until the issue of Alabama's first multi-year base plate of 1977. The only exception that comes to mind is a span of a few years beginning in 1968 that the truck plates used numbers designating weight in place of the issuing county code. For the 5 years that the 1977 base was in use, the state used a sticker at the bottom center of the plate that told the county of issue. After this base expired in 1982, Alabama returned back to the old system of a county code and a serial number but by this point in time, most if not all of the counties in Alabama had enough registrants to warrant the use of alphabetical suffixes to the county codes.

The chart below shows the county name, seat, population according to the 2000 census and of course the numerical code used on license plates. In addition, the United States Census Bureau has a nice county map of Alabama that can be viewed by clicking here.

Number	County Name	County Seat	Area in Sq. Miles	Population in 2000
1	Jefferson	Birmingham	1,113	662,047
2	Mobile	Mobile	1,233	399,843
3	Montgomery	Montgomery	790	223,510
4	Autauga	Prattville	596	43,691
5	Baldwin	Bay Minette	1,597	140,415
6	Barbour	Clayton	885	29,038
7	Bibb	Centerville	622	20,826
8	Blount	Oneonta	646	51,024
9	Bullock	Union Springs	625	11,714
10	Butler	Greenville	777	21,399
11	Calhoun	Anniston	609	112,249
12	Chambers	Lafayette	597	36,583
13	Cherokee	Centre	553	23,988
14	Chilton	Clanton	694	39,593
15	Choctaw	Butler	914	15,933
16	Clarke	Grove Hill	1,239	27,867
17	Clay	Ashland	605	14,254
18	Cleburne	Heflin	560	14,123
19	Coffee	Elba	679	43,615
20	Colbert	Tuscumbia	595	54,984
21	Conecuh	Evergreen	851	14,089
22	Coosa	Rockford	653	12,202
23	Covington	Andalusia	1,035	37,631
24	Crenshaw	Luverne	610	13,665
25	Cullman	Cullman	739	77,483
26	Dale	Ozark	561	49,129
27	Dallas	Selma	981	46,365
28	DeKalb	Fort Payne	778	64,452
29	Elmore	Wetumpka	622	65,874
30	Escambia	Brewton	948	38,440
31	Etowah	Gadsden	535	103,459
32	Fayette	Fayette	628	18,495
33	Franklin	Russelville	636	31,223
34	Geneva	Geneva	576	25,764
35	Greene	Eutaw	646	9,974
36	Hale	Greensboro	644	17,185
37	Henry	Abbeville	562	16,310
38	Houston	Dothan	580	88,787
39	Jackson	Scottsboro	1,079	53,926
40	Lamar	Vernon	605	15,904
41	Lauderdale	Florence	670	87,966
42	Lawrence	Moulton	693	34,803
43	Lee	Opelika	609	115,092
44	Lauderdale	Athens	568	65,676
45	Lowndes	Hayneville	718	13,473
46	Macon	Tuskegee	611	24,105
47	Madison	Huntsville	805	276,700
48	Marengo	Linden	977	22,539
49	Marion	Hamilton	742	31,214
50	Marshall	Guntersville	567	82,231
51	Monroe	Monroeville	1,026	24,324
52	Morgan	Decatur	582	111,064
53	Perry	Marion	720	11,861
54	Pickens	Carrollton	882	20,949
55	Pike	Troy	671	29,605
56	Randolph	Wedowee	581	22,380
57	Russell	Phenix City	641	49,756
58	Shelby	Columbiana	634	143,293
59	St. Clair	Ashville	795	64,742
60	Sumpter	Livingston	905	14,798
61	Talledega	Talledega	740	80,321
62	Tallapoosa	Dadeville	718	41,475
63	Tuscaloosa	Tuscaloosa	1,325	164,875
64	Walker	Jasper	795	70,713
65	Washington	Chatom	1,081	18,097
66	Wilcox	Camden	889	13,183
67	Winston	Double Springs	615	24,843
70	This code was used on plates issued as replacements for lost or stolen plates. There are known examples of "70" prefix passenger, truck and motorcycle plates.
80	This code was used on plates that were issued to counties that had exhausted their supply of regular issue plates. There are known examples of "80" prefix passenger, truck and motorcycle plates.

There are other numerical prefixes that have shown up over the years, many of which were the result of an error during manufacturing. If you know of one that isn't listed here, please shoot me an email and let me know.