Vehicle registration plates of the United States by year | ||
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Vehicle registration plates of the United States for 1904 | Events of 1905 | Vehicle registration plates of the United States for 1906 |
In 1905 the states of Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and West Virginia all began to issue their own license plates. The prestate era of plates began in the states of California, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakoya, Tennessee. This year saw the most changes during the prestate era. Eight states were now issuing plates and another 17 required their owners to provide their own plates. [1] [2] [3] [4]
In the table below, a light green background indicates that the owner of the vehicle was required to provide their own license plates. These plates are called "prestate" by most collectors. In the prestate era many states only provided the license plate number on a small disc or on paper, and the owner was required to have their license plate(s) made. These early license plates were created from kits that could be purchased at a hardware store, may have been available from automobile clubs or associations, they were forged by blacksmiths or other tradesmen, or the owner may have made their own plate with whatever materials they had on hand. Prestate plates were made from a variety of materials, but most often were made of leather, steel, or wood.
Legend: | Regular state issue plate(s) | Prestate era plate(s) | No plates issued by state or territory |
Image | State | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1911. | |||||
Alaska | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1921. | |||||
American Samoa | No prestate plates. Territory issued plates begin in 1924. | |||||
Arizona | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1914. | |||||
Arkansas | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1911. | |||||
California | First year for prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1914. | |||||
Canal Zone | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1910. | |||||
Colorado | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1913. | |||||
Connecticut | First year for state issued plates. | |||||
Delaware | First year for prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1908. | |||||
District of Columbia | District issued plates begin in 1907. | |||||
Florida | First year for prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1918. | |||||
Georgia | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1910. | |||||
Guam | No prestate plates. Territory issued plates begin in 1916. | |||||
Hawai'i | No prestate plates. Territory issued plates begin in 1922. | |||||
Idaho | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1913. | |||||
Illinois | Prestate plates start in 1907. State issued plates begin in 1911. | |||||
Indiana | First year for prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1913. | |||||
Iowa | State issued plates begin in 1911. | |||||
Kansas | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1913. | |||||
Kentucky | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1910. | |||||
Louisiana | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1915. | |||||
Maine | First year for state issued plates. | |||||
Maryland | State issued plates begin in 1910. | |||||
Massachusetts | ||||||
Michigan | First year for prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1910. | |||||
Minnesota | State issued plates begin in 1909. | |||||
Mississippi | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1912. | |||||
Missouri | Prestate plates start in 1907. State issued plates begin in 1911. | |||||
Montana | Prestate plates start in 1913. State issued plates begin in 1915. | |||||
Nebraska | Prestate plate provided by owner with house number mounted on leather | None | 1234 | First year for prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1915. | ||
Nevada | Prestate plates start in 1913. State issued plates begin in 1916. | |||||
New Hampshire | First year for state issued plates. | |||||
New Jersey | State issued plates begin in 1908. | |||||
New Mexico | First year for prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1912. | |||||
New York | State issued plates begin in 1910. | |||||
North Carolina | Prestate plates start in 1909. State issued plates begin in 1913. | |||||
North Dakota | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1911. | |||||
Northern Mariana Islands | No prestate plates. Territory issued plates begin in 1944. | |||||
Ohio | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1908. | |||||
Oklahoma | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1915. | |||||
Oregon | First year for prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1911. | |||||
Pennsylvania | State issued plates begin in 1906. | |||||
Puerto Rico | No prestate plates. Territory issued plates begin in 1912. | |||||
Rhode Island | ||||||
South Carolina | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1917. | |||||
South Dakota | First year for prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1913. | |||||
Tennessee | First year for prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1915. | |||||
Texas | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1917. | |||||
U.S. Virgin Islands | No prestate plates. Territory issued plates begin in 1917. | |||||
Utah | Prestate plates start in 1909. State issued plates begin in 1915. | |||||
Vermont | First year for state issued plates. | |||||
Virginia | No prestate plates.State issued plates begin in 1906. | |||||
Washington | Prestate plates start in 1906. State issued plates begin in 1915. | |||||
West Virginia | First year for state issued plates. | |||||
Wisconsin | Riveted aluminum serial on black zinc plate | none | 1234-W | 1-W to 1492-W | First year for state issued plates. Photo shows the 32nd license plate issued in the state. Serial ranges shown are plates issued in 1905. | |
Wyoming | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1913. |
All of the 48 states of the United States of America plus several of its territories and the District of Columbia issued individual passenger license plates dated for the year 1942, and due to metal conservation for World War II, 1943 and 1944 for most states. In 1942, automobile production in the United States was halted for the duration of World War II, and many automobile factories were converted to munitions or other war-oriented industrial manufacturing purposes until 1946.
Each of the fifty states of the US plus many of its territories and the District of Columbia issued license plates for registered vehicles for the calendar year 1960.
Each of the 50 constituent states of the United States of America plus several of its territories and the District of Columbia issued individual passenger license plates for 1976.
In 1910 the Canal Zone, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, and New York joined the list of states and territories providing license plates to vehicle owners, and no new states entered the prestate era. There were now 19 states and 2 territories that were issuing license plates and 14 other states requiring owners to provide their own license plates.
In 1911 Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, and Oregon joined the list of states and territories providing license plates to vehicle owners, and no new states entered the prestate era. There were now 26 states and 2 territories that were issuing license plates and 10 other states requiring owners to provide their own license plates.
In 1912 Mississippi, New Mexico, and Puerto Rico joined the list of states and territories providing license plates to vehicle owners, and no new states entered the prestate era. There were now 28 states and 3 territories that were issuing license plates and 9 other states requiring owners to provide their own license plates.
In 1913 Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Wyoming joined the list of states and territories providing license plates to vehicle owners, and Montana and Nevada entered the prestate era. There were now 35 states and 3 territories that were issuing license plates and 8 other states requiring owners to provide their own license plates.
In 1914 Arizona and California joined the list of states and territories providing license plates to vehicle owners, and no new states entered the prestate era. There were now 37 states and 3 territories that were issuing license plates and 7 other states requiring owners to provide their own license plates.
In 1915 Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, and Washington joined the list of states and territories providing license plates to vehicle owners, and no new states entered the prestate era. There were now 44 states and 3 territories that were issuing license plates and 2 other states requiring owners to provide their own license plates.
In 1916 Guam and Nevada joined the list of states and territories providing license plates to vehicle owners, and no new states entered the prestate era. There were now 45 states and 4 territories that were issuing license plates and 1 other state requiring owners to provide their own license plates.
In 1917 South Carolina, Texas, and the U.S. Virgin Islands joined the list of states and territories providing license plates to vehicle owners, and no new states entered the prestate era. There were now 47 states and 5 territories that were issuing license plates and 1 other state requiring owners to provide their own license plates.
In 1918 Florida joined the list of states and territories providing license plates to vehicle owners, and no new states entered the prestate era. There were now 48 states and 5 territories that were issuing license plates. The prestate era ended when Florida began to issue license plates.
At this early point in the history of license plates in the United States of America, none of the 45 states, territories, or the District of Columbia, was issuing its own plates. In this year New York became the first state to require vehicle owners to register their vehicles. The owners of these early New York vehicles had to provide their own license plates with only their initials on them. Plates were often made of metal letters on a thick leather background or on a steel base. This system of using the owners initials lasted until 1903 when a change to using a number provided by the state began.
Massachusetts became the first state to officially issue vehicle license plates in 1903. New York continued to require their residents to register their vehicles with the state, but the owner had to supply their own license plate. Connecticut, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia all began to require vehicle registration with the vehicle owners also supplying their own plate. Each of the other states of the United States of America plus several of its territories did not require or issue license plates during 1903.
In 1904 Rhode Island became the second state, joining Massachusetts, to issue its own license plates, and the states of Iowa and Maryland began to require owners to provide their own license plates.
In 1906 Pennsylvania and Virginia joined the list of those providing license plates to vehicle owners, and the prestate era began in Washington (state). There were now 10 states that were issuing license plates and 17 other states requiring owners to provide their own license plates.
In 1907 the District of Coumbia joined the list of states providing license plates to vehicle owners, and the prestate era began in Illinois and Missouri. There were now 11 states and territories that were issuing license plates and 18 other states requiring owners to provide their own license plates.
In 1908 Delaware, New Jersey and Ohio joined the list of states and territories providing license plates to vehicle owners, and no new states entered the prestate era. There were now 14 states and territories that were issuing license plates and 16 other states requiring owners to provide their own license plates.
In 1909 Minnesota joined the list of states and territories providing license plates to vehicle owners, and North Carolina and Utah entered the prestate era. There were now 15 states and territories that were issuing license plates and 17 other states requiring owners to provide their own license plates.
At this early point in the history of license plates in the United States of America, none of the 45 states, territories, or the District of Columbia, was issuing its own plates. The state of New York remained the only state that required vehicle owners to register their automobiles. The system of using the owner's initials as the registration number, begun in 1901, remained in effect. This would change in 1903 when a number was assigned to each owner to display on their vehicle. Across the country the increases in the number of automobiles was being noticed, and there were many cities, like Chicago, that had already begun to require their owners to register their vehicles.