Kansas License Plate

Plate Designs

To the Stars (Current)

Kansas's current plate is one of the most visually striking in the Midwest. The background graduates from sky blue at the top to a warm sunflower yellow at the bottom — a deliberate nod to the state's famous big-sky sunsets and its role as the Sunflower State. In the lower left corner, a detailed illustration shows the crown of the Kansas State Capitol dome with the iconic "Ad Astra" bronze sculpture: a Native American warrior drawing a bow toward the sky. Along the bottom, the state motto reads "to the stars" in flowing dark navy cursive — the English translation of the Latin "Ad Astra Per Aspera." The contrast between the golden lower half and blue upper half makes this plate stand out in traffic even from a distance.

State Seal (Previous)

This earlier design is clean and understated. A uniform powder-blue background fills the plate, with "KANSAS" set in bold, wide dark navy block letters across the top. In the upper left, a small white box displays the county designation — in Kansas, every standard plate has historically shown the county of registration, giving each plate a local identity. The Kansas state seal is embedded as a subtle watermark in light blue at the center, its circular text reading "Ad Astra Per Aspera" and ring of stars visible on close inspection. It's a minimalist plate that wears the state color with confidence.

Capitol Building (Previous)

This earlier plate made the Kansas State Capitol the undisputed star of the design. A full-color illustration dominates the plate: the white neoclassical capitol building rises against a bright blue sky scattered with fluffy clouds, and golden wheat stalks fill the foreground at the lower left — a nod to Kansas's identity as the nation's leading wheat producer. "KANSAS" appears in black serif letters along the top, and the bold black plate numbers run large across the capitol dome itself. The artwork is detailed enough that the building's columns, arched windows, and central dome are clearly recognizable. Spotting one of these on the road today means the vehicle has been around for a while.

How Rare Is It on the Road Trip Game?

Uncommon. Kansas ranks about 35th in population with roughly 2.9 million residents, so the plate pool is modest. I-70 cuts straight through the state east to west and carries heavy cross-country traffic, which does push Kansas plates into more hands than you might expect for a state its size — but you're still unlikely to check it off quickly unless you're specifically traveling through Kansas or the central Midwest.

Spotting Tip

Interstate 70 is the heart of Kansas plate territory. The stretch between the Kansas City metro and Salina, Kansas is your best corridor — it carries commuters, farm trucks, and long-haul freight, all with Kansas plates. Rest areas near Topeka and Abilene are productive stops. If you're on I-35 heading south from Kansas City toward Oklahoma, keep an eye out too — the Wichita metro generates a lot of Kansas plates and the highway runs right through it. Truck stops in Salina and Hays are especially good bets for the older Capitol Building design still on working vehicles.

Fun Fact

The "Ad Astra" statue atop the Kansas State Capitol is a bronze figure of a Kansa (Kaw) warrior drawing a bow toward the sky. The full state motto — "Ad Astra Per Aspera" — means "To the Stars Through Difficulties," adopted in 1861 and reflecting the turbulent path Kansas took to statehood during the Bleeding Kansas era. Kansas is also the top wheat-producing state in the nation, growing enough each year to bake around 36 billion loaves of bread — which explains why wheat shows up so prominently on the older Capitol plate design.

Ready to keep hunting? Head back to the game to check KS off your list, or browse all 50 states in the guide.