License Plate Time Line
1901 – New York Requires Vehicles to Be Registered
On April 25, 1901, New York Governor Benjamin Odell Jr. signed a bill into law that required vehicle owners to register their cars with the state. As part of the registration process, the law dictated all automobiles have “the separate initials of the owner’s name placed upon the back thereof in a conspicuous place, the letters forming such initials to be at least three inches in height.”
There was one catch: New York State did not issue the plates; owners were expected to create them on their own. This meant there was no standardization and early plates varied widely in materials, style and color. Motorists commonly used metal, wood or leather. Some even painted letters directly onto the vehicle.
1903 – Massachusetts Issues First State License Plates
Massachusetts becomes the first state to issue license plates to drivers. These cobalt blue plates were made of iron and covered with porcelain enamel.
1905 – Michigan required its residents to register their motor vehicles
Registrants provided their own license plates for display until 1910 when the state began to issue plates.
1928 – Idaho Introduces License Plate Slogans
Nowadays it’s very common for state slogans or other phrases to adorn license plates. That all started when Idaho began stamping “Idaho Potatoes” on all its license plates back in the 1920s.
1931 – The First Vanity Plates
Pennsylvania becomes the first state to issue customized license plates, beginning what would grow into a popular trend. At the time, however, drivers could only add their initials to the plate.
According to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, there were 9.7 million vehicles with personalized vanity plates in North America in 2007.
1944 – A Supply Shortage
During World War II, a vast amount of the country’s metal supply was used to build war supplies. This led to a nationwide metal shortage and states were forced to use alternative materials for their license plates, including fiberboard, cardboard and even soybean-based plastic.
1957 – The Standard Size Is Set
Automobile manufacturers come to an agreement with international governments and standards organizations on the size of license plates. The standard plate size is set at 12 by 6 inches in the United States.
1971 – A New Material Arrives
The manufacturing company 3M introduces High Intensity Grade Reflective Sheeting. States began to require the new material be used in the production of license plates in order to improve visibility.
1977 – License Plates Reach the Supreme Court
2000 – America’s Most Expensive License Plate
A 1921 Alaska license plate is sold for $60,000. To date, it is the country’s most expensive license plate. Its high value is a product of its rarity as the plate is one of only four known to exist.
Why so few? Alaska in the 1920s was not even a U.S. state at the time. It remained mostly undeveloped, with little infrastructure, including roads. Navigating its terrain in an automobile was nearly impossible, so very few people owned one. Fewer cars meant fewer license plates.