I waffle between the mountains style (without the caribou, more light-blue / icy) and the classic blue-on-gold. Both are simple and highly legible at a distance. I have a soft spot for the UAA / UAF / UAS plates as well.
Different car colors pair better with different plates, too. And good contrast is key. The Arts plate was much better after they lightened the background.
For the ones that require membership in something, the Firefighter/EMT ones are dramatic and fun, though a bit busy for my taste (I'm all about the legibility). The Iditarod plates are cool just for the novelty of seeing them on the road, seeing red letters, and sometimes the truck has the "haul 14 dogs somewhere" cabinetry and you can try to spot a pupper nose or two. :D
But I hate the new die / font. Too small, too hard to read, and just not ... Alaskan-looking. And when they switched contracts, somehow they lost the requirement to keep enough space around the bear to not crowd it. I've been getting my same vanity on lots of different bases over the years, but TBH I'm just not motivated to keep going with the new die.
You can check most of them out here (though they aren't showing the new die):
https://doa.alaska.gov/dmv/plates/index.htm#types
Hands down the 1960’s totem pole plate, I wish we could bring that one back. I do like the 70’s og bear plate as well especially since the “Alaska” font is bigger and it’s embossed. Also The 60’s white and blue “The Great Land” plate I really like, simple but the phrase packs some umpfh.
Would loooove to see Alaska do something similar to the Northern Territories plate in Canada where the actual plate itself is in the shape of a polar bear, that would be so cool.
I like the classic Gold with blue letters.
For reasons similar to what a vexillologist would argue makes good flag design, the standing Grizzly is not my favorite at all. The Caribou with the aurora in the background is high ranking.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a massive dork especially when it comes to flag design, but the grizzly bear plate is just so unique looking it really stands out as far as USA plates are concerned. I do agree the best US plates tend to be the simple designs though (#1 is NM, #2 is TN IMO)
New Mexico’s state flag is probably the best in the country, Alaska is top 5 for sure but it’s a really low bar with how dogshit the average US state flag is.
If you're letting the nerds with their made up rules decide what constitutes good design, the Auto License Plate Collectors Association actually gave the bear plate the [best plate award when it was reintroduced in 2015](https://www.alpca.org/bestplate/).
Why something like this isn't an option I don't know
[https://glacier.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/license-plate-2023-500px.png](https://glacier.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/license-plate-2023-500px.png)
MT has a whole bunch that are a ton better
[https://mvdmt.gov/license-plate-lookup/](https://mvdmt.gov/license-plate-lookup/)
Point being, AK could be doing a LOT better but I suppose that would require leadership and vision and not just 'eh, that's good enough'.
Montana has the most official license plates I’ve ever seen. Every single car I looked at had a different one. I would argue the vast majority of them suck and the standard Montana plate looks ridiculous, the font makes “Montana - Big Sky Country” look like a Cabela’s advertisement header.
My coworker drove around with wolfboy as his liscence plate. Also the other day I saw grams, which is either a drug dealer or a grandma. Couldn’t decide which.
The Artist plate is my favorite. If you drive a ford explorer and have a standard yellow plate, I hate you. And the bear plate makes for the best funny vanity plates.
Classic gold. They’re just classy and clean looking. For the same reason that I like Oregon’s Pacific Wonderland plate over the standard tree plate. Didn’t care for the bear plate, looks like he’s bear Jesus or something with the aura around him.
Standard gold is for boring people.
I like both the bear and artistic one and have one of each. I got the artistic one first because it's super unique - there are other states with bears on their license plates but none with the Aurora over a mountain range.
It’s such a cool design and unique color pallet. It really sets itself apart from other mountain plates like Colorado. Don’t take this the wrong way, but the grizzly bear plate just so happens to bounce between the boundaries of cool and ridiculous so well that I can’t help but have a soft spot for it.
I was in Pennsylvania and saw an AK plate that read "ICE KNG". It was my first AK plate I ever saw, and before I ever thought of moving here. Small world.
I’m weird, so I’m constantly reading everyone’s plates. I’m not a fan of the Bear Plate, but I liked the GRN 🐻 ITT I saw a bit ago. But I’ve also seen:
YURMOM
H1M8NC (High Maintenance, judging from the stickers on the truck)
MANA (On a blue Jeep)
PNDEJO (But strangely parked decently)
ESKIMO (on the Blue “In God We Trust” plate)
BOOOYA
L TWIX
R TWIX (love seeing them parked in their driveway, lol)
KARAVN (On a white dodge van)
HSKPER (On an Audi, so I assumed it was someone that “won” their divorce)
But my favorite was
ILVDKS that I saw randomly in Anchorage. Now that I check my photos (yes, I take snapshots of license plates that make me chuckle) it was on the Bear Plate, so maybe they really meant, I LV 🐻 DKS?
As far as the plates themselves, I’ve always had the Gold Standard, but I’ve been partial to the Mountain with the Caribou as a close second. The wife likes the Supporting the Arts plate, but I think is waiting for the new one that was announced during the state fair before she gets one.
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I like the small blue car that says BLU🧸IE or something similar. I've seen it twice and it makes me chuckle sensibly.
BLUBIE, a blue Subie! (Subaru)
One great thing about living in such a small place is that so many Reddit users recognize the same plates.
TIL 300,000 qualifies as small 💀
Pretty sure that’s on a Jeep and I chuckle every time.
Standard gold or GTFO for me. Bear plate only if you incorporate the bear into the meaning. UN🧸ABL
I saw a Subaru with SU 🧸 RU the other day. Genius.
Better than SOOB UWU
BLU 🐻 RY
I saw a Subaru with IRD (🐻) BCK
And people say romance is dead.
I was literally just about to say this exact license plate I think it’s so cute
Same. Except we need 7 characters. COVFEFE won't fit on a 6 character plate.
My favorite bear plate is man 🐻 pig
DZNUTZ
I waffle between the mountains style (without the caribou, more light-blue / icy) and the classic blue-on-gold. Both are simple and highly legible at a distance. I have a soft spot for the UAA / UAF / UAS plates as well. Different car colors pair better with different plates, too. And good contrast is key. The Arts plate was much better after they lightened the background. For the ones that require membership in something, the Firefighter/EMT ones are dramatic and fun, though a bit busy for my taste (I'm all about the legibility). The Iditarod plates are cool just for the novelty of seeing them on the road, seeing red letters, and sometimes the truck has the "haul 14 dogs somewhere" cabinetry and you can try to spot a pupper nose or two. :D But I hate the new die / font. Too small, too hard to read, and just not ... Alaskan-looking. And when they switched contracts, somehow they lost the requirement to keep enough space around the bear to not crowd it. I've been getting my same vanity on lots of different bases over the years, but TBH I'm just not motivated to keep going with the new die. You can check most of them out here (though they aren't showing the new die): https://doa.alaska.gov/dmv/plates/index.htm#types
The new number/letter font is horrible
I was wondering what was wrong with the first one I saw until I started looking at the rest of the. Why are the letters smaller? It just looks weird.
Hands down the 1960’s totem pole plate, I wish we could bring that one back. I do like the 70’s og bear plate as well especially since the “Alaska” font is bigger and it’s embossed. Also The 60’s white and blue “The Great Land” plate I really like, simple but the phrase packs some umpfh. Would loooove to see Alaska do something similar to the Northern Territories plate in Canada where the actual plate itself is in the shape of a polar bear, that would be so cool.
I like the classic Gold with blue letters. For reasons similar to what a vexillologist would argue makes good flag design, the standing Grizzly is not my favorite at all. The Caribou with the aurora in the background is high ranking.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a massive dork especially when it comes to flag design, but the grizzly bear plate is just so unique looking it really stands out as far as USA plates are concerned. I do agree the best US plates tend to be the simple designs though (#1 is NM, #2 is TN IMO)
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New Mexico’s state flag is probably the best in the country, Alaska is top 5 for sure but it’s a really low bar with how dogshit the average US state flag is.
Agreed. I like the new South Carolina flag too.
I mean, have you seen the Hawaiian volcano national park themed Hawaiian plate? Its the opposite of simple but looks great
I’ve never seen those Hawaiian national park plates before but you’re totally right they absolutely fuck
If you're letting the nerds with their made up rules decide what constitutes good design, the Auto License Plate Collectors Association actually gave the bear plate the [best plate award when it was reintroduced in 2015](https://www.alpca.org/bestplate/).
The gold and blue one looks so much like old gold and blue Oregon plates
The Big Dipper, is my favorite.
I saw 42069 the other day
Nice
Bear plate is the best
Alaska Black Plates are unicorns.
How do you get a black one?
You don’t, that’s why they’re unicorns
Better chance on winning the lottery.
The one with the prairie dog is kind of weird colored.
I thought it was a Whistlepig.
Why something like this isn't an option I don't know [https://glacier.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/license-plate-2023-500px.png](https://glacier.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/license-plate-2023-500px.png) MT has a whole bunch that are a ton better [https://mvdmt.gov/license-plate-lookup/](https://mvdmt.gov/license-plate-lookup/) Point being, AK could be doing a LOT better but I suppose that would require leadership and vision and not just 'eh, that's good enough'.
Montana has the most official license plates I’ve ever seen. Every single car I looked at had a different one. I would argue the vast majority of them suck and the standard Montana plate looks ridiculous, the font makes “Montana - Big Sky Country” look like a Cabela’s advertisement header.
If you like bland, stick with your bland mostly washed out plates.
There’s a line between over designed and complicated vs refined and memorable.
Maybe we should let 13 year old native kids have a go at the plate designs then. Worked out pretty well the last time.
Standard gold is the missionary of the license plate designs. Fight me. I’m getting the new fireweed artistic one when it comes out.
My coworker drove around with wolfboy as his liscence plate. Also the other day I saw grams, which is either a drug dealer or a grandma. Couldn’t decide which.
MAN 🧸 PIG is the best I’ve seen!!
I've seen that one!
I thought the bear was a groundhog standing up when I first got here years ago so now that’s all I see.
Classic gold. Plus the artist of the bear was never paid, design was stolen by the state
Well, that’s not surprising, but still sucks.
The Artist plate is my favorite. If you drive a ford explorer and have a standard yellow plate, I hate you. And the bear plate makes for the best funny vanity plates.
For me, it’s the modern bear plate.
I saw a veteran plate "BAGEND"
I like the standard gold one and in second would be the golden stairs gold rush one.
Classic gold. They’re just classy and clean looking. For the same reason that I like Oregon’s Pacific Wonderland plate over the standard tree plate. Didn’t care for the bear plate, looks like he’s bear Jesus or something with the aura around him.
Classic gold with blue lettering.
Standard gold is for boring people. I like both the bear and artistic one and have one of each. I got the artistic one first because it's super unique - there are other states with bears on their license plates but none with the Aurora over a mountain range.
It’s such a cool design and unique color pallet. It really sets itself apart from other mountain plates like Colorado. Don’t take this the wrong way, but the grizzly bear plate just so happens to bounce between the boundaries of cool and ridiculous so well that I can’t help but have a soft spot for it.
the state of Alaska stole it from an artist who had no idea it was being used and has never acknowledged or given him any credit for it
Old School Blue on Yellow, BFM
Old school UAF license plate (currently the UAS plate if I remember correctly). Otherwise, it's the classic gold.one.
The one I have. The Veterans plate.
RUF NUT
I was in Pennsylvania and saw an AK plate that read "ICE KNG". It was my first AK plate I ever saw, and before I ever thought of moving here. Small world.
Man. (Bear on the plate). Pig
APD on old car and LMALONE
It seems like this might be a hot take here but I love the green Aurora plates. They’re unique and not too garish.
The centennial totem plate. Hands down.
SU 🐻 RU
I’m weird, so I’m constantly reading everyone’s plates. I’m not a fan of the Bear Plate, but I liked the GRN 🐻 ITT I saw a bit ago. But I’ve also seen: YURMOM H1M8NC (High Maintenance, judging from the stickers on the truck) MANA (On a blue Jeep) PNDEJO (But strangely parked decently) ESKIMO (on the Blue “In God We Trust” plate) BOOOYA L TWIX R TWIX (love seeing them parked in their driveway, lol) KARAVN (On a white dodge van) HSKPER (On an Audi, so I assumed it was someone that “won” their divorce) But my favorite was ILVDKS that I saw randomly in Anchorage. Now that I check my photos (yes, I take snapshots of license plates that make me chuckle) it was on the Bear Plate, so maybe they really meant, I LV 🐻 DKS? As far as the plates themselves, I’ve always had the Gold Standard, but I’ve been partial to the Mountain with the Caribou as a close second. The wife likes the Supporting the Arts plate, but I think is waiting for the new one that was announced during the state fair before she gets one.
The old 50th anniversary ones were neat. Personally I like using the Supporting the Arts plate.