If You Could Bring Back Any Illinois License Plate, Which Would It Be?

Illinois drivers, brace yourself for a nostalgic trip down memory lane—if you're willing to pay for it. Illinois lawmakers are considering allowing drivers to buy "retro license plates" reminiscent of the 1983-2001 design.

Retro Plates are Back, and So is Faded Regret

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Illinois drivers of a certain vintage could soon slap some old-school style on their bumpers if you're willing to cough up some extra cash for the privilege. Under HB 3391, the state is eyeing a comeback for the "retro" license plates used in the 80s. The dark blue lettering on a light blue background—a design that screams. "I'm nostalgic for a time when my hair was thicker and my knees didn't click."

The House passed the bill unanimously (because who wouldn't want to charge people more for a piece of stamped metal?), and now it heads to the Senate. The plates would cost $40 upfront and another $27 a year to keep them. Read the bill here.

They'll be available for motorcycles too. Chicago's NBC 5 has more.

What's Your Favorite Illinois License Plate

Illinois has had a plethora of license plate designs since 1911. You can see all of them below.

Now, if we're talking style, I'll take the bold purple beauties from 1958 or 1964 over faded blue any day.

Speaking of faded—remember when Illinois plates would fade out in the sun until they looked like ghost tags. I'm guessing the police loved playing "Guess That Plate" daily.

So... Which Plate WIns?

Illinois has had over a century of plate designs—some cool, some boring. If you had to pick one to bring back (without paying an annual fee for the privilege), which one's your favorite? Bonus points if it wasn't completely unreadable by year two.

KEEP READING: How Long Will It Take You to Figure Out This Illinois License Plate?