The evolution of florida's license plates- michael towner

In 1905, the state of Florida required car owners to register their vehicles and issued paper certificates to be displayed on the vehicle. The first plate, made of leather, was issued in 1906. It went to metal in 1910, porcelain in 1912 and tin in 1918. Plates became the responsibility of counties in 1911. The state took over registration in 1917, giving everyone two plates. That was reduced to one plate in 1922. During the Depression, stealing plates was common because people couldn’t afford them.
Between 1938 and 1975, the state assigned each of its 67 counties a number. A county’s number was assigned by its population rank in the state’s 1935 census. Over the years, counties fluctuated in size, but the numbers stayed untouched over the tenure of the program.
1. Dade (now Miami-Dade)
2. Duval (Jacksonville)
3. Hillsborough (Tampa)
4. Pinellas (St. Petersburg)
5. Polk (Lakeland)
6. Palm Beach
7. Orange (Orlando)
8. Volusia (Daytona Beach)
9. Escambia (Pensacola)
10. Broward (Fort Lauderdale)
A 90 was a duplicate, meaning the owner had gotten a duplicate tag to replace a lost or stolen one. A 68 meant you got your tag at the state agency in Tallahassee, by mail or in person, instead of a particular county.
“Sunshine State” first appeared in 1949. A grapefruit in a corner, done in 1935, lasted only a year; it looked too much like a bomb.
“Disabled veteran” started in 1951. That same year, a “Keep Florida Green” slogan was tried; it lasted only a year because some said it sounded like the state wanted all the tourists’ money.
In 1957, “Horseless Carriage” was adopted for vehicles whose bodies and engine -- not just kits -- were at least 35 years old and which were driven for historical exhibitions. The 1965 tag marked the 400th anniversary of the first European encounter with Florida. “National Guard” was added that year as well. A wheelchair plate was added in 1974.
Beginning in 1963, tags were required for mobile homes, house trailers and campers.
In 1972, the state began allowing people to pick their own “vanity plate” number-letter combination for a $12 surcharge. In 1975, to cut costs, the state began issuing renewal decals instead of all-new plates. In 1978, Florida went to a mandatory alphanumeric system to allow for more combinations.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the state began adding notations such as “U.S. Reserve,” “Ex-POW,” “Pearl Harbor Survivor” and “Medal of Honor.” The first specialty plate, to honor the Challenger astronauts, was issued in 1987. State universities followed that same year and private ones after that. The state also added such specialty plates as “Save the Manatee,” “Florida Panther” and “Choose Life,” which encourages adoption.
Seminole and Miccosukee motorists get free license plates, which are issued directly by tag agencies of the two tribes.

​Courtesy of Eliot Kleinberg
A staff writer for the past three decades at The Palm Beach Post in West Palm Beach, and is the author of 10 books about Florida (www.ekfla.com). Florida Time is a product of GateHouse Media and publishes online in their 22 Florida markets including Jacksonville, Fort Walton Beach, Daytona Beach, Lakeland, Sarasota and West Palm Beach. Submit your questions, comments or memories to [email protected]. Include your full name and hometown. Sorry; no personal replies.