Vehicle registration plates of the United States by year | ||
---|---|---|
Vehicle registration plates of the United States for 1913 | Events of 1914 | Vehicle registration plates of the United States for 1915 |
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.[1][2][3][4]
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 |
Image | State | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | ||||||
Alaska | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1921. | |||||
American Samoa | No prestate plates. Territory issued plates begin in 1924. | |||||
Arizona | First year for state issued plates. | |||||
Arkansas | ||||||
California | First year for state issued plates. | |||||
Canal Zone | ||||||
Colorado | ||||||
Connecticut | ||||||
Delaware | ||||||
District of Columbia |
||||||
Florida | State issued plates begin in 1918. | |||||
Georgia | ||||||
Guam | No prestate plates. Territory issued plates begin in 1916. | |||||
Hawai'i | No prestate plates. Territory issued plates begin in 1922. | |||||
Idaho | ||||||
Illinois | ||||||
Indiana | ||||||
Iowa | ||||||
Kansas | ||||||
|
Kentucky | White serial numbers on black porcelain plate; "K" over "Y" over diamond symbol with a letter "G' in the center all at right; red lines across top and bottom of plate | none | |||
Embossed black serial numbers on white base; large "KY" over "1914" at right | Issued only to new registrants and those whose plates expired before the end of 1914. | |||||
Louisiana | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1915. | |||||
Maine | ||||||
Maryland | ||||||
Massachusetts | ||||||
Michigan | ||||||
Minnesota | ||||||
Mississippi | ||||||
Missouri | ||||||
Montana | Last year for prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1915. | |||||
Nebraska | Prestate owner provided plate with house numbers on leather | None | 12345 | Last year for prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1915. | ||
Nevada | State issued plates begin in 1916. | |||||
New Hampshire | ||||||
New Jersey | ||||||
New Mexico | ||||||
New York | ||||||
North Carolina | ||||||
North Dakota | ||||||
Northern Mariana Islands |
No prestate plates. Territory issued plates begin in 1944. | |||||
Ohio | ||||||
Oklahoma | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1915. | |||||
Oregon | ||||||
Pennsylvania | ||||||
Puerto Rico | ||||||
Rhode Island | ||||||
South Carolina | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1917. | |||||
South Dakota | ||||||
Tennessee | Last 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 | Final year for prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1915. | |||||
Vermont | ||||||
Virginia | ||||||
Washington | Last year for prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1915. | |||||
West Virginia | ||||||
Wisconsin | Embossed black serial on white plate with a vertical "1914" date at left | none | 12345W | 1W to approximately 54000W | First year to use embossed metal. | |
Wyoming | The round state seal is missing above the letters "WYO" in this photograph. |
See also
References
- ^ Fox, Jams K. (1997). License Plates of the United States: A Pictorial History 1903-To the Present. Jerico, New York: Interstate Directory Publishing Company. ISBN 9781886777002.
- ^ Minard, Jeff; Stentiford, Tim (2004). A Moving History, 50 Years Of ALPCA. 100 Years Of License Plates. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company. p. 58. ISBN 1-56311-975-7.
- ^ Crisler, Bob; Crisler, Chuck, eds. (2007). License Plate Values (7th ed.). King Publishing Company.
- ^ Martells, Jack (1980). Antique Automotive Collectibles. Chicago: Contemporary Books, Inc. pp. 128–145. ISBN 0-8092-7205-9.