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This guide includes everything you need to learn how to play the License Plate Game in the USA. This includes the rules and a free printable checklist. Similar to road trip bingo and a road trip scavenger hunt, It’s one of the best road trip games to play in the car!
Scroll down to find the printable license plate game checklist pdf link and print it ready for your next family road trip. Alternatively, just use the graphic below on your phone and play along in the car.
In this guide, you’ll find out how to play and receive detailed instructions on all the states to spot. You will also learn some hilarious variations of the rules to make it more fun!
There are also instructions for the UK Number Plate Game and the Australian/European version. Don’t forget to check out our other suggestions for the best printable road trip games for kids.
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Don’t have a printer? Grab the license plate game from Amazon!
The 50 States are listed below, with an example of what each plate looks like. You can use this united states license plate game printable checklist when playing on your road trip!
Enjoy fun for all the family by getting this read in advance of your awesome road trip.
Keep the kids entertained on a road trip by ordering one of these awesome travel games from Amazon for your next journey!
Traveling with kids? Don’t forget Road Trip Games for Kids, such as this Travel Bingo Pack or Scavenger Hunt Card Game for Kids on Amazon!
The most famous version is, of course, the USA License Plate Game. Let’s get started with that.
In this section, I will explain the license plate game rules and everything that you need.
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If you haven’t set off yet you could plan ahead and order a U.S.A License Plate Game kit for the kids!
If you’re on the road, read on and get started with everything you need to know to play the game!
Score as many points as possible in the time limit by seeing license plates from as many states or countries as you can before the other player(s).
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You can choose to vary the game by having different point amounts for ‘harder-to-spot’ plates.
Example 1:
A license plate from abroad or a car from a state that borders Canada could is worth 2 points.
Example 2:
Introduce wild cards such as “A yellow car from Wyoming is worth 2 points”. You can get creative and come up with the ‘wildcards’ yourselves!
Example 3:
A license plate from an adjacent state is worth 1 point whilst all other states are worth 2 points.
The license plate game is one of my favorites as it really helps move the time along during a car journey. The more rule variations you introduce the more exciting the game can become.
If you want to make the game as fast-paced as possible you can introduce lots of new rules to include vehicle types, models, and colors. The possibilities are endless!
You might also like: 12 Amazing Road Trip Games for Two People
In the cooperative license plate game, everyone works together to collect as many number plates as possible. You can do so in a certain time period and then try to beat the score together next time.
This is one of the best road trip games to cure the boredom of those long drives!
For a stranger variation, you could try the ‘Punch and Yell’ rule. Each time you spot a new state you punch one of the other players (lightly) and yell the state that you spotted.
If you make a mistake or yell one that has already been spotted you have to pull a hair out of your head or slap yourself in the face so be careful!
Maybe not one for the kids…
This section will discuss how to play the number plate game in the UK. I will cover what you need, the aim of the game, and how to play.
To spot a number plate with each of the 26 letters of the alphabet, in order A-Z, before the other player(s). In Europe, you can use the numbers 1-999 in place of letters of the alphabet.
It’s great for everyone, whether you’re on a road trip with friends, or your family!
Taking a while to find certain letters?
To make the game quicker, tricky letters can be ticked off when a number plate is spotted with the two adjacent letters in the alphabet to the target letter.
For example, number plate DO65 HJG would contain the letters “H” and “J” which are adjacent to the tricky letter “I”. Another example would be “Z+B” in a number plate would tick off “A”
As with the USA version, you can use rule variations to make a faster paced more exciting game!
An example would be that triple letters can be used to tick off any letter. For example, DG65 HHH would have a triple “H” in it so it can tick off any letter! Another example would be creating wild rules such as a yellow car, or a rare car like an Aston Martin to tick off letters.
A few other possible variations of the number plate game.
This section of the article will explain how to play the license plate game in Australia and Europe. Due to the license plates being different, there are different rules! I will explain what you will need, how to play, and any additional rules.
You can also use the ‘addition rule’ to make extra pairs of numbers. This is where there is only one of your numbers on the license plate, however, the two remaining numbers add up to your number.
For example, if your chosen number is 7 and the license plate is XXX – 347 then you would score 2 points because you have your number 7 and (3+4) = 7 for a pair.
Want more activities to keep you entertained on your road trip?
We have an extensive list of interactive road trip game articles. Here are a few you might like:
If you are looking to get the conversation going in the car you could also check out our article on the best family road trip questions!
Disclosure: Some or all of the links in this article may be affiliate links. This means I earn a commission if you make a qualifying purchase, but this is at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting The Road Trip Expert.