Utah’s “Life Elevated” license plates are second and third most popular in U.S.: Study

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Utah’s “Life Elevated” Arches and Skier license plate designs are the second and third most popular in the country, according to a recent study.

The study from Sixt ranked specialty and other license plates based on the number sold within the state. Specialty license plates are plates that feature unique designs, which drivers can choose for their cars with an additional fee that often goes to support charities, sports teams, schools, or other causes.

Specialty license plates allow for drivers to display state pride wherever they go.

Sixt requested each state’s transportation department to provide the number of specialty plates based on their most recent data available. Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, and North Dakota did not provide information on license plates, so they were not included in the study.

Unlike many of the other license plates on the list, Utah’s “Life Elevated” plates are actually standard issue plates, available to drivers with no additional fee. As such, Utah has no default plate, and so the standard issue plates could also be considered specialty plates.

There are two “Life Elevated” designs: one with the Delicate Arch, and one with a skier that reads “Greatest Snow on Earth.” Anyone who lives in Utah is undoubtedly familiar with these license plates, and you probably even have one on your car.

The Delicate Arch design came in second on the list, with 1,183,286 sold to drivers across the state. This design features the state’s iconic red rocks, highlighting the landscape that “makes the state a top destination for roadside adventures,” according to Sixt. It’s the second most popular plate nationwide, and the most popular plate design in Utah.

Coming in third on the national list is Utah’s Skier/”Greatest Snow on Earth” design, with 943,394 on the roads. This plate features Utah’s world-famous snow and ski culture. According to the study, “this plate reinforces the idea of Utah as a year-round outdoor playground,” and it “mirrors the iconic Arches plate in staying true to the state’s adventurous spirit.”

The ‘In God We Trust’ Utah design also made the national list, placing at the sixth most popular plate design in the country. 711,755 plates with the design have sold, as of the most recent data.

Other popular plates outside of Utah

The number one most popular license plate in the country comes from Kentucky, and it is their Unbridled Spirit plate, which has sold more than 2 million. This plate was introduced in 2004, and it was part of a statewide rebrand. That rebrand promoted Kentucky and hoped to capture the spirit of the Bluegrass state, according to the study. This design is no longer being issued, but the plates are still valid.

In line with the Unbridled Spirit plate, many other popular designs on the list are part of tourism campaigns, such as Michigan’s Pure Michigan Plate, which is on nearly 800,000 vehicles. Tourist-heavy states like California, Michigan, Utah, and Nevada have some of the highest numbers of specialized plates in the country.

According to the study, these tourism plates feature iconic imagery or slogans tied to the state’s identity, like California’s gold and black 1960s Legacy Design. “With more people on the roads, there’s more incentive to make a statement,” the study said.

University and college-themed license plates are extremely popular as well, especially in the American south. In Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi, school-based plates make up the vast majority of specialty plate registrations. The University of Alabama is the most popular specialty plate in Alabama, with over 109,000 plates on the road, and the same goes for the University of Georgia, with over 77,000.

University plates are also popular in the Midwest. Indiana University and the University of Arkansas have thousands of plates in circulation. The popularity of university plates shows that “college pride doesn’t stop after graduation,” the study says.

You can read more about the results of the study and explore the full results on Sixt’s website here.