The first license plates were issued in the German state of Baden in 1896. Although New York was the first U.S. state to require automobiles have license plates (1901), these plates were made by individual owners (with the owner's initials) rather than state-issued plates. The first state-issued license plates were issued in Massachusetts, beginning in 1903.
Massachusetts was the first state in the United States to manufacture license plates in 1903.These early Massachusetts license plates were made of iron and covered in a porcelain enamel. The background was colored a cobalt blue and the number was in white. Along the top of the plate, also in white, were the words: "MASS. AUTOMOBILE REGISTER." The size of the plate was not constant; it grew wider as the plate number reached into the tens, hundreds, and thousands.
In 1924, New York and California had each manufactured and issued 1,000,000 license plates. In the United States, license plates are manufactured in correctional facilities which are state or quasi-state owned. Only Alaska, Hawaii and Oregon license plates are manufactured by a privately owned facility but the license plates are issued or distributed by the state government.

The earliest license plates were made of leather, wood and porcelain. The state of Delaware still permits the use of porcelain license plates. Idaho was the first state to manufacture license plates with a graphic –a potato in 1928. Maine was the first state to employ a motto (Vacationland), but by the Depression almost every state was touting something. Pennsylvania manufactured the first custom, vanity or personalized license plate in 1931. As Americans became more prosperous, custom or official vanity license plates became very popular. The increased fees for custom, personalized or vanity official license plates have earned the states hundreds of millions of dollars and a great source of tax revenue for education (colleges), wildlife conservation and other projects.
With the 1970s introduction of pearlescent plate that replaced embossed plates, American plate design deteriorated markedly. It became crude, busy and tasteless.
Massachusetts
Main
Georgia
California
Mississippi
Minnesota
Illinois
Arkansas
Louisiana
Connecticut
Missouri
Delaware
Iowa
Texas
Vermont
New Hampshire
West Virginia
New York
Nebraska
Alabama
Tennessee
North Carolina
South Carolina
Idaho
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Washington
Nevada
Oklahoma
Arizona
Utah
South Dakota
South Dakota
Florida
New Mexico
Louisiana
New Jersey
Michigan
Kansas
Montana
Rhode Island
Indiana
Colorado
Alaska
Hawaii
Kentucky
Wyoming
State Plates Project
Fifty American graphic designers were challenged by the Atlanta-based designer Jonathan Lawrence to “redesign each state’s license plate with an eye toward the restraint and sophistication of yesteryear”. Lawrence thoughtfully has observed that:
“Old license plates have so much character and attention to detail. Our old metal plates combined good design and functionality, and somewhere over the last 50 years, that good design part got lost. Today’s plates don’t have half the character the old ones do.”
This project merits to be included in the History of Graphic Design.
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Georgia by Jonathan Lawrence |
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Oregon by Aaron Draplin |
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Washington by Jeremy Beasley |
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Hawaii by Jesus Cardenas |
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Delaware by Brian Paul Nelson |
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Indiana by Nate Utesch |
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Michigan by Justin Pervorse |
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Nebraska by Evan Huwa |
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Ohio by Tim Frame |
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Texas by Aaron Eiland |
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North Carolina by Adam Dixon |
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North Carolina by Adam Dixon |
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Vermont by Casey Martin |
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Vermont by Casey Martin |
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Iowa by Jacob Etter |
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Virginia by Zack Davenport |
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Alaska by Alana Lyons |
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Oklahoma by Brittany Robertson |
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Colorado by Scott Hill |
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Florida by Halftone Def |
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Connecticut by Jeremiah Britton |
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New Mexico by Jay Roberts |
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Arkansas by Zach Graham |
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Maryland by Luke Williams |
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Montana by Kyle PoffAdd caption |
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Rhode Island by Sam Wood |
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South Carolina by Jay Fletcher |
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Maine by Sean Ryan Cooley |
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Illinois by Mike McQuade |
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Wisconsin by Andy Luce |
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California by Ryan Putnam |
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Nevada by Ben Stafford |
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New Jersey by David Sizemore |
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South Dakota by Anthony Lane |
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North Dakota by Andrew Boice |
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West Virginia by Jordan Butcher |
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Minnesota by Allan Peters |
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Pennsylvania by Colin Miller |
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Massachusetts by Timo Meyer |
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Wyoming by Jessie Farris |
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Kentucky by Noah Jacobus |
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New York by John J. Custer |
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Mississippi by Tim Cook |
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Tennessee by Simon Sok |
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Idaho by Alex Rinker |
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Louisiana by Josh Miranda |
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Arizona by Travis Ladue |
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Utah by Andrew Colin Beck |
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Alabama by Bethany Heck |
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Kansas by Matt Chase |
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