Each of the 50 states of the United States of America plus several of its territories and the District of Columbia issued individual passenger license plates for 1981.^[1][2][3][4]

Passenger baseplates

Passenger  Car  Plates

Image	Region	Design	Slogan	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	Alabama
	Alaska
	American Samoa
	Arizona
	Arkansas	Embossed red numbers on reflective white plate; "Arkansas" screened in blue centered at top	"Land of Opportunity" screened in blue centered at bottom	ABC 123	GED 001 to POP 999	Issued from 1978 to 1988.
	California
	Colorado
	Connecticut
	Delaware
	District of Columbia
		Presidential Inauguration
	Florida
	Georgia
	Guam
	Hawaii
	Idaho
	Illinois
	Indiana
	Iowa
	Kansas	Embossed white serial on blue plate; yellow wheat stalk graphic screened at left and "KANSAS" screened in yellow centered at top		A/B C12345	Coded by county of issuance (A/B) and month of expiration (C)
	Kentucky
	Louisiana
	Maine
	Maryland
	Massachusetts
	Michigan
	Minnesota
	Mississippi
	Missouri
	Montana
	Nebraska
	Nevada
	New Hampshire
	New Jersey
	New Mexico
	New York
	North Carolina
	North Dakota
	Northern Mariana Islands
	Ohio
	Oklahoma
	Oregon
	Pennsylvania
	Puerto Rico
	Rhode Island
	South Carolina
	South Dakota
	Tennessee
	Texas
	Utah
	Vermont
	Virginia	Embossed dark blue serial on reflective white plate with border line; "Virginia" screened in blue centered at top.	None	ABC-123		Still currently revalidated.
	Washington
	West Virginia
	Wisconsin	Embossed black serial on reflective yellow plate; "WISCONSIN" at bottom, slogan at top; month of expiration at bottom left, debossed "80" at bottom right	AMERICA'S DAIRYLAND	A12-345 AB 1234	Coded by month of expiration (A)	Revalidated for 1981 with white-on-green stickers.
	Wyoming

Non-passenger plates

Non-passenger  Plates  

Image (standard)	Region	Type	Design & Slogan	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
	Maine	Trailer	Embossed black serial on reflective white plate with border line; "MAINE 74" at top offset to left, "TRAILER" at bottom	123-456	1 to approximately 125-000, 150-001 to 205-000	Revalidated for 1981 with white-on-light-brown stickers.
			Embossed black serial on reflective white plate with border line; "MAINE 74" at top, "TRAILER" at bottom		125-001 to approximately 150-000
			Embossed black serial on reflective white plate with border line; "MAINE" at top offset to left, "TRAILER" at bottom		205-001 to approximately 362-000
			Embossed black serial on reflective white plate with border line; "MAINE" at top, "TRAILER" at bottom		362-001 to approximately 599-999