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.
Passenger baseplates 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
ImageStateDesignSloganSerial formatSerials issuedNotesAlabamaNo prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1911.AlaskaNo prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1921.American SamoaNo prestate plates. Territory issued plates begin in 1924.ArizonaNo prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1914.ArkansasNo prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1911.CaliforniaState issued plates begin in 1914.Canal ZoneNo prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1910.ColoradoNo prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1913.Connecticut DelawareFirst year for state issued plates.District ofColumbiaFloridaState issued plates begin in 1918.GeorgiaNo prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1910.GuamNo prestate plates. Territory issued plates begin in 1916.Hawai'iNo prestate plates. Territory issued plates begin in 1922.IdahoNo prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1913.IllinoisState issued plates begin in 1911.IndianaState issued plates begin in 1913.IowaState issued plates begin in 1911.KansasNo prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1913.KentuckyNo prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1910.LouisianaNo prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1915.MaineMaryland State issued plates begin in 1910.MassachusettsMichiganState issued plates begin in 1910.MinnesotaLast year for prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1909.MississippiNo prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1912.MissouriState issued plates begin in 1911.MontanaPrestate plates start in 1913. State issued plates begin in 1915.NebraskaPrestate owner provided plate with house numbers on leatherNone12345State issued plates begin in 1915.NevadaPrestate plates start in 1913. State issued plates begin in 1916.New HampshireNew JerseyFirst year for state issued plates.New MexicoState issued plates begin in 1912.New YorkState issued plates begin in 1910.North CarolinaPrestate plates start in 1909. State issued plates begin in 1913.North DakotaNo prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1911.Northern Mariana IslandsNo prestate plates. Territory issued plates begin in 1944.OhioFirst year for state issued plates.OklahomaNo prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1915.OregonState issued plates begin in 1911.PennsylvaniaPuerto RicoNo prestate plates. Territory issued plates begin in 1912.Rhode IslandSouth CarolinaNo prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1917.South DakotaState issued plates begin in 1913.TennesseeState issued plates begin in 1915.TexasNo prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1917.U.S. Virgin IslandsNo prestate plates. Territory issued plates begin in 1917.UtahPrestate plates start in 1909. State issued plates begin in 1915.VermontVirginiaWashingtonState issued plates begin in 1915.West VirginiaWisconsinRiveted aluminum serial on black zinc platenone4148-W to 6192-WIssued July 1905 to August 1911; replaced in 1912. Serials issued show plates issued in 1908.WyomingNo prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1913.
See also
Antique vehicle registration Electronic license plate Motor vehicle registration Vehicle license
References
External links