New York Mandates License Plates: The Auto Age Regulated
New York became the first state to require automobile registration on April 25, 1901, mandating that owners display their initials on the rear of their vehicles in letters at least three inches high. There were fewer than 1,000 cars registered in the state at the time. Owners had to provide their own plates; state-issued plates did not begin until 1903 in Massachusetts. The early registration system was designed primarily for identification in case of accidents or complaints rather than for revenue collection. Within a decade, every state had adopted some form of vehicle registration, creating the administrative infrastructure that made automobile taxation, insurance mandates, and traffic enforcement possible.
April 25, 1901
125 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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