It’s Christmas, or in license plate speak, XMS!

These two run-of-the-mill license plates both bear an abbreviated reminder of the Christmas season. One did so intentionally; the other was a result of the normal letter series progression.

In 1986, the final year the old green and white plates were issued, someone with special connections was able to cajole the production of 1000 license plates using the XMS prefix as part of the serial, and have them shipped to Mason County for issuance. The reason? To promote the county’s longstanding Christmas tree industry. The standard letter series never naturally progressed into the X-prefixes on that base, making this a rare one-off exception.

Issued as standard over-the-counter sequential license plates, these fit into an oddball category, as they are not officially special-issue or personalized licenses and technically are no different than any other standard plate. But they do mark a rare instance where officials deviated from standard processes for a bit of fun, in the spirit of commerce, Christmas, and local pride.

Two decades later, in early 2008, plates bearing XMS were again issued, but this time as a natural progression of the 1987-originated 123-ABC numbering system. No special intentions or connections with Christmas are known for these plates, although they would have been a welcome sight on the roads each December.

XMS greetings to all!