License plates have strict rules and regulations and are mandatory for all the vehicle owners now. But have you ever wondered what the case was a century earlier? Who proposed the idea of license plates? What did the first license plate look like? To know the answers and many other exciting facts about license plates, please continue reading.
1. Origin
The license plate or “registration plate” was first introduced in France in the year 1893 after the Paris Police Ordinance was passed. It found a late entry in the US when New York started to bear license plates from 1901. It is interesting to know the fact that the New York residents made their plates with leather pads or metal plates with the initials of the owner engraved on it. The car owners were expected to make their own until 1909.
Massachusetts was the first state to bear a state-issued porcelain license plate from 1903. The very first license plate featured number “1” and was issued to Frederick Tudor. It is interesting to know that his family is still holding an active registration tag until now. The porcelain plates were later replaced and experimented with card boards and pressed soybeans.
Delaware State is still issuing porcelain state and is the only state issuing till date.
2. Vanity Plates
Personalized vanity plates were first issued in the state of Pennsylvania in 1931. The first vanity plate only had the driver’s initials. The “vanity plate” was born in the year 1965 when states began allowing drivers to customize their plates with numbers and letters. The Vanity plates have fascinating history with different plates. In 1979, a man in California received 2,500 notices of citations for his “NO PLATE” vanity plate.
Almost all states in the US offer vanity plate options, with Virginia issuing the highest percentage of vanity plates and Texas the lowest.
3. Size of plates
Size of license plates was not constant. The width of the plates expanded as more characters were added.
4. License frames
License frames were introduced for the easy installation and protection of license plates. Lately, license frames have also introduced custom license plate frames, which offer the customers the privilege of displaying new slogans.
So, if you want a spot in history, try something unique with your license plates or custom license plate frames.
1. Origin
The license plate or “registration plate” was first introduced in France in the year 1893 after the Paris Police Ordinance was passed. It found a late entry in the US when New York started to bear license plates from 1901. It is interesting to know the fact that the New York residents made their plates with leather pads or metal plates with the initials of the owner engraved on it. The car owners were expected to make their own until 1909.
Massachusetts was the first state to bear a state-issued porcelain license plate from 1903. The very first license plate featured number “1” and was issued to Frederick Tudor. It is interesting to know that his family is still holding an active registration tag until now. The porcelain plates were later replaced and experimented with card boards and pressed soybeans.
Delaware State is still issuing porcelain state and is the only state issuing till date.
2. Vanity Plates
Personalized vanity plates were first issued in the state of Pennsylvania in 1931. The first vanity plate only had the driver’s initials. The “vanity plate” was born in the year 1965 when states began allowing drivers to customize their plates with numbers and letters. The Vanity plates have fascinating history with different plates. In 1979, a man in California received 2,500 notices of citations for his “NO PLATE” vanity plate.
Almost all states in the US offer vanity plate options, with Virginia issuing the highest percentage of vanity plates and Texas the lowest.
3. Size of plates
Size of license plates was not constant. The width of the plates expanded as more characters were added.
4. License frames
License frames were introduced for the easy installation and protection of license plates. Lately, license frames have also introduced custom license plate frames, which offer the customers the privilege of displaying new slogans.
So, if you want a spot in history, try something unique with your license plates or custom license plate frames.
