Don in Missouri Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 In the olden days, did most states issue you a new license plate and a new number every year? I'm trying to document the full history of my Salt Lake Diamond T. It still wears license plates from 1964. I found some scraps of paper in the dispatch pocket. One is dated 1965 in the original owner's name. I also found a license registration dated 1963, but it is a different number than the '64 plates. I think the second owner took possession sometime after 1964 and never registered it. I think it was used only with a farm license. This all adds up if the state of Utah issued the original owner a different plate number in 1963 and 1964.Salt Lake Diamond T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave@Moon Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 I grew up in Pennsylvania, where they began using license plates for multiple years in 1958, the year I was born. Those numbers changed with each new plate, which could be 7 or 8 years apart. However in Ohio they got new plates every year through 1974, each time giving the same plate number to the same car/owner. You frequently find multi-year sets of plates with the same number for sale. This can be problematic for those of us in OH that want Y.O.M. plates on our cars, as today no 2 cars can have the same plate number and frequently those plates that were saved were saved in multi-year sets that have since been broken up and sold. If somebody beat you to the plate number you have, but in a different year, it's your tough luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pomeroy41144 Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Illinois issued a new plate every year up until about 1980 when they went to multi year plates. I was able to pick up a pair of usable unrestored 1937 Illinois plates for my 1937 Ford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Wow. That truck has some great history. Servicing the Mormon Meteor III (Odd, though, since the III was built in 1937)Utah did indeed have two different plates for those two years. 1963: Reflective White on Dark Blue1964 Reflective White on Green1965: Reflective White on Blue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don in Missouri Posted February 16, 2013 Author Share Posted February 16, 2013 Wow. That truck has some great history. Servicing the Mormon Meteor III (Odd, though, since the III was built in 1937)Yeah, the Utah archives where I found that photo date it circa 1936-1939. Diamond Ts looked pretty similar from 1938-1949, but the Dodge panel and Ford Woody in the background have to be 1949. I'm not sure what Ab was doing out on the flats in 1949? The archives have a bunch of other photos that are indeed from 1937, because they show Jenkins racing Cords and Auburns. Cord production had just shut down for good, when Jenkins set records in them.Salt Lake Diamond T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don in Missouri Posted February 16, 2013 Author Share Posted February 16, 2013 Utah did indeed have two different plates for those two years. 1963: Reflective White on Dark Blue1964 Reflective White on Green1965: Reflective White on BlueMy Diamond T has the white on green '64 plates. I found some receipts in the dispatch pocket for gas dated July, August, and September of 1965 and in the same name as the original owner. Could it be there were driving on expired plates? Or when would a 1964 plate expire?Did they have a farm license or other exeption for older vehicles or commercial fleets? There is part of a tag bolted to the top of the 1964 plate that reads "Registerd Vehicle" It looks like the rest of the metal tag is torn away.Salt Lake Diamond T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don in Missouri Posted March 3, 2013 Author Share Posted March 3, 2013 Here's a photo of the plate. Does anyone know what the rest of the top tag would have looked like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest OkieWinds Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 When I got to looking at my accumulation of Oklahoma license plates, I realized that I had a lot more questions than answers. I contacted the Okla Tax Commission, Motor Vehicle Tax Division. Originally I phoned them and they mailed me a summary of the history of Okla plates. It is all on-line now. Whoever in your state issues plates (not your local tag agent) should be able to get you started.Okla began issuing single new plates every year in 1915. In 1920 they went to dual plates, replaced every year. 1942 was the last year ever for dual plates, and in fact 1943 plates weren't issued at all. You got a metal corner tab. Same again in 1947. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bob Call Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Adding to Okie Winds post, for years Oklahoma tag colors rotated from black on white, black on orange, white on black, orange on black. These are the colors of the two state universities, crimson and cream for University of Oklahoma and orange and black for Oklahoma State University Then in early 60's they went to red on white, black on white and green on white rotation. For decades tags were renewed annually in December with a penalty if renewal was made after December 31. Horrendous lines at some tag agents the last week of the year. I believe in the in the late 70's or early 80's the renewal date became one year after the original issue date of the tag. In the 90's they went to a decal system for the renewal issuing new tags only to new registrations or upon request for a new tag. Now tags are replaced about every 5 years. For decades the tags had a prefix system that identified the county in which they were issued. First was a numeric based on county population. Oklahoma County (Oklahoma City) was prefix 1 and Tulsa County was prefix 2. When the number of registered cars and trucks became so numerous that there wasn't room on the tags for all the numbers needed they went to an alpha-numeric. Still used county ID but roughly an abrevation of the county name except Oklahoma and Tulsa counties which used X and Y for Oklahoma and Z for Tulsa. Other counties like Washington was WA, Dewey was DW. Cleveland was CL and CV, etc. That system capacity has been exceed so now it is just random 3 alpha plus 3 numeric. For license plate collecter's there were no 1974 plates issued. At that time plates were made by inmates at the state penetentiry and there was a riot in July 1973 while the plates were being made and all were damaged by fire. Even though they were not issued there are 1974 plates with fire damage circulating among collectors and as novelities.YOM plates are allowed if they are the correct colors and you pay the fee for a vanity plate. My old Chrysler has YOM 1952 plate number 19-1200 which at the time of issue was Pittsburg County, location of the state pen where the plate was made. Vintage vehicle plates that restrict the use of the car are available at a reduced rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest OkieWinds Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I'll tweak Bob's excellent reply just a little: 1979 is when Okla went to Month and Year dated tags.The black on orange tag for Okla St Univ colors was used only one year, 1968. Everyone thought it was ugly including we Okla State grads. They alternated green on white and red on white for several years until they standardized on green on reflective white.Vintage cars, those 25 years old or older, can wear Year of Manufacture tags. My 1932 Chevy and my 1967 Buick wear appropriate YoM tags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest OkieWinds Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Don, That looks more like "LICENSED VEHICLE" Seems to be an OHIO plate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guso Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 I understand your frustration about Oklahoma license plate history. However, after many years of research, I wrote a book on the subject. You are correct that they switched to pairs on 1920 but after 1925, they went back to single plates until 1936. In 1936 the front plate had a dash in the middle and the rear plate had an R. I guess that wasn't explicit enough for some people so the next year the front plate had an F and the rear still had the R. By 1938 both plates just had a dash. 1942 was the last year for pairs. For 1943 they used a windshield sticker instead of a metal tab for everything but motorcycles, dealer plates and trailers which all got new tags. You are correct that in 1947 they used a yellow metal tab to validate the white on black passenger plates and a black tab to validate the farm truck tags (sorry but I forgot the color). For commercial vehicles and motorcycles they issued new tags for 1947. Gus Oliver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest exbcmc Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 In Calif they gave new plates every year. I'd guess around late 50s, early 60s they went to the year and month sticker. We had black and yellow, then reversed it and in around 66 we went to blue and yellow/gold. Kinda UCLA colors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleach Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 When I lived in California, I don't remember seeing blue plates with yellow letters/numbers before 1970. Plates were black with yellow from about 1963 to about 1970. They were yellow with black letters from about 1956 to 1963. From 1951 to 1955 they were a large black plate with yellow letters. Renewal stickers began with the 56 yellow plates.My first 1970 Maverick which was first registered on 8-20-1969 had black with yellow plates. My 1963 Riviera which was first registered late in 1962, I think October, had yellow with black plates then on expiration in 1963, was issued new black with yellow plates, which I still have (just the plates). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Commander55 Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Yep. I have a 1956 California license plate that has a 1958 validation sticker on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleach Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 (edited) I've seen them with 1962 stickers. Edited March 13, 2015 by Bleach (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bob Call Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 OkieWinds post at #10 above is correct about the orange on black plates for Oklahoma State University being issued only in 1968. Prior to that date alternating year plates were either yellow on black, black on yellow, white in black, or, black on white.I have been wrong once, but, I was mistaken then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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