Todd Nesnick
In the year 1900, the United States boasted just over four thousand cars on the road. However, with each passing year, vehicles became more popular. In 1908, America was outgrowing the horse and carriage, and over sixty-three thousand cars were being driven. The different state governments had to come up with an idea to keep track of all of their automobiles. The answer was the license plate. This article will delve into the history of license plates.
License Plates: An Overview
In 1901, New York was the first to need people to register their cars. Later that same year, the state of California required drivers to register their vehicles as well. The license plates that New York first produced were very rudimentary and only had the initials of the owners on them. In fact, in 1903, Massachusetts was the state that first officially handed out license plates.
When 1918 hit, license plates had been given out to forty-eight states and were constructed out of metal or leather. The problem is that it wasn’t consistent in all the states. Some of the earlier license plates had the name of the state (or short form of), registration number, and a lot of the time, the current year.
At first, issued plates weren’t supposed to expire and would be legal for as long as the vehicle was still being driven. When the roaring twenties happened, renewing your registration became a regular occurrence. States tried all sorts of ways to design license plates. Usually, though, the plate had the registration number big and in the center on the front side. The shortened name of the state (it was issued in) and the time it would remain valid were seen on the back side of the plate.
License plates became consistent (or regulated) from state to state in the 1950s because of the materials used and the size of the plates. 1954 was the year that VIN (or Vehicle Identification Number) was used as a dependable way to link registration information to a specific vehicle. In 1956, America (and Canada) had license plates that were six by twelve inches in size.
Nowadays, Car Dealerships purchase a variety of different screws for attaching license plates to the back of a car. License Plate Screws are used for both test drives and more permanent installation and are available in metric and US varieties to work with both the US-made and foreign-made cars. License Plate Screws can be purchased from MBR Marketing at the following link: https://mbrmarketing.com/dealer-supplies/license-plate-accessories/license-plate-screws.
Interesting Facts About License Plates
There are a variety of ways (depending on the state) when it comes to issuing the numbers on a license plate. Some areas assign them randomly. Whereas a state like Idaho gives the letters and numbers out contingent on the location where the license plates were issued. All states have slogans, designs, and symbols available as well. Also, some areas demand that there be plates on the front and back of the car (rather than just on the rear). You will need to check with your state’s government legislature when it comes to this.
Vanity plates are also a choice that drivers have. The plates can be up to eight characters long (in a lot of states) and they aren’t allowed to be rude or consist of foul language. The bulk of vehicles on American roadways currently have six or seven characters on license plates. The letters and numbers on the plates are often painted and embossed. However, some places are now using license plates that are completely level and smooth.
Prison inmates are often seen producing license plates in a variety of different films and television shows. Is this depiction relevant or even accurate today? Well, yes. Many prisons in America still create new license plates (based on supply and demand). While produced in prison, they are made by stamping the metal plates directly and then adding plastic sheeting. Many believe that this job helps the prisoners learn necessary skills for the outside world. It’s a job that prisoners want while being incarcerated and usually, this kind of position is only available to those who are exemplary prisoners.
Is the Future Digital?
Primarily, license plates are made from cold metal. However, with the ever-changing and advancing technology, some states have adopted using electronic (or digital) plates instead. Out with the old and in with the new. Places like Arizona, California, Texas, and Michigan have started using digital registration instead of the traditional metal ones. They consist of a flat screen about the size of a classic license plate. Many times, it’s connected to the electrical system or runs off a battery that has a life cycle of five years.
Of course, the business that creates the electronic plates (Reviver) feels that they are more beneficial than the classic metal license plates. You do need to know that there are fees involved with these new digital creations. This is on top of the money it costs for your car’s registration. If you want the electronic plate hardwired to your digital system, then that will cost money to have it put in your vehicle. It’s up to you as to what option works best for you.
Most consumers will find renewing your (metal) plate online costs far less than the newer alternative. For now, most people who use digital plates are commercial businesses that need to oversee many vehicles at once. A bonus for having digital plates is that the companies can keep track of things like mileage when it comes to the group of vehicles they own. Even if this electronic technology gains popularity with regular customers, it’s unlikely that the traditional stamped metal plates will be going anywhere anytime soon. They will probably still be around for a long time to come.