Which school plates are more popular in Illinois? One top choice isn’t in the state

Are you bored of repping the standard Illinois license plate on your car? Looking to stand out from the millions of vehicles zooming across Illinois interstates?

Luckily, the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office gives drivers a choice between dozens of plate designs, allowing residents to rep their favorite sports teams, universities, service branches and more.

But which plates are the most popular among Illinois vehicles?

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Which Illinois license plates are the most popular?

Unsurprisingly, the standard Illinois plate is the most popular, with more than seven million plates fixed to cars across the state today, according to the data provided by the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office.

The office also offers specialty plates, which raise funds for a specific organization. Many of these, including White Sox, Illinois Firefighters and U.S. Veteran plates, also made an appearance on the Top 10 list.

Here’s the ranking:

1. Passenger (standard plate): 7,095,192

3. Expanded-Use Antique (for vehicles more than 25 years old): 74,241

4. Persons with Disabilities: 43,162

5. Chicago White Sox: 36,020

6. Illinois Firefighters: 28,979

9. Chicago Blackhawks: 16,597

Most popular specialty plates in Illinois

Though tens of thousands of Cubs fans flock to Wrigley Field several days a week in the summer to cheer on their team, the White Sox actually topped the list of most popular specialty plates.

The Sox even beats out the Cubs by more than 20,000 plates, according to data from the Secretary of State’s Office.

Here’s the ranking:

1. Chicago White Sox: 36,020

2. Illinois Firefighters: 28,979

4. Chicago Blackhawks: 16,597

What sports license plates are available at the Illinois DMV?

Illinois drivers can buy plates for the following sports teams:

Most popular university plates in Illinois

The Secretary of State’s Office also offers a collegiate series of license plates, with nearly two dozen options to choose from.

As a shock to no one, the University of Illinois topped the list of popular college plates, with more than 6,000 cars repping the school’s colors.

But in an upset, Notre Dame ranked second in popularity and beating out state schools like ISU, Northwestern and Northern Illinois University.

Here’s the ranking:

1. University of Illinois: 6,573

2. Notre Dame University: 1,157

3. Illinois State University: 1,007

4. Northwestern University: 885

5. Northern Illinois University: 739

6. Southern Illinois University: 577

7. University of Chicago: 399

9. Western Illinois University: 318

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What college and university license plates are available at the Illinois DMV?

The following colleges and universities have plates available for purchase in Illinois:

6. Eastern Illinois University

7. Illinois State University

11. Northern Illinois University

13. Southern Illinois University Carbondale

14. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

16. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

17. University of Illinois at Chicago

18. University of Illinois at Springfield

20. Western Illinois University

To view all the college and university license plates available, visit the Illinois Secretary of State website.

What do all the Illinois license plates look like? How much do they cost?

You can learn more information online about each plate, including additional costs and personalization options by visiting the Illinois SOS “License Plates” page online.

Where can I buy a license plate in Illinois?

Plates can be purchased at an Illinois Secretary of State facility or online through the facility’s “Pick-a-Plate” site.

John Tufts contributed to this article.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Cubs vs. White Sox. See the most popular license plates in Illinois