Feature

A Drive into the Archive of New York’s License Plates

Akilan Subramaniyan

Image Provided by Akilan Subramaniyan

  You are on a road trip, the type that is excruciatingly long and mundane. The sort that makes you investigate license plates that hang behind cars. You scan through traffic, analyzing unique license plate designs. Out of nowhere, you gawk at an SUV bearing an iconic NY license plate. A plate that incorporates hues of yellow and blue, featuring Niagara Falls to the Montauk Lighthouse and everything in between (“Excelsior Plates | NY DMV”). A simple yet stunning license plate. However, you ponder how the state of New York ended up with this marvelous design. What is the history behind it?

             Before we dive into the historical aspect, let us first comprehend what license plates are used for and their significance. The first was introduced in the late 1800s (Search Quarry). The first state that mandated the use of plates was, ironically, New York. Nevertheless, this state never issued these plates. Nor did they express any strict regulations on whether the plates should be visible. During those times, people created their own license plates by hand, using initials and materials such as metal or leather. Despite that, in 1903, Massachusetts was the first state to hand out plates directly to its citizens. Did you know the first license plate manufactured by this state only had the number “1” on it! (Rosenberg) Promptly, states across the United States began distributing license plates to residents. This action enables the police to effortlessly interpret license plates. This marked the beginning of vehicle enrollment laws in the US (Search Quarry).

After years of evolution, the Department of Motor Vehicles administers license plates in the US (Rosenberg). Current plates abide by standards but include elements that support state patriotism. This includes iconic slogans or symbols, stunning or dazzling designs, and more. It also has niche roles. For example, allowing police to locate a suspect’s car, showing the ownership of a vehicle, and having taxes, tolls, or rules all tied to the license plate registration (Search Quarry).

As already discussed, New York was the first state to mandate license plates. On the other hand, the state had not distributed the license plates itself. Relying on people to make license plates made the license plate system unorganized and messy. Observing this, New York started to provide license plates for uniformity and organization. In 1910, the state of New York distributed state-made license plates, which became the first standardized license plate. This 1910 license plate design, made of steel with a porcelain coat, was selected for durability on roads. It was composed of white lettering and “NY” written vertically on the right-hand side behind a dark blue background. This massive leap was met with a few challenges. Manufacturing these plates in mass production, dealing with organization, and distributing them to an increasingly large population was demanding. Spreading awareness to folks about “Requirements and ensuring widespread compliance,” according to the New York State Blog, was another grueling task. Additionally, another hurdle was that while officials adapted to this new system, they also needed to find vehicles that were still using owner-made or no license plates at all. The good news is that this change laid the vital path for advanced vehicle identification soon (Newyorkstate.blog).

As the 1920s rolled around, plates became more uniform, made of steel, and often simply had “N.Y” on the side with the year and numbers. Throughout the 1930s to 1940s, license plates were practical and sophisticated in design due to materials’ availability after World War II. Moving on, the 1950s introduced multi-year-old plates and saw the making of the renowned 1957 orange lettering on a black background. Post 1960, New York evolved to use aluminum for their license plates. This material has anti-corrosion, lightweight, and easy recycling qualities. (Newyorkstate.blog).

All of New York’s license plate designs keep practicality and looks. When it came to practicality, designs committed to contrasts like the 1929 and 1930 plates. In addition, the state embraced sharp contrasts to increase the visibility of the plate. On the other hand, attractiveness stemmed from the utilization of colors that represented, “…the evolving visual identity of New York's roadways,” as stated by the New York State Blog. An important event was the inclusion of the famous slogan, “Empire State,” in 1951. This slogan was both historically significant and contributed to state patriotism, as it was the prediction of New York’s future by George Washington. It was subtle but still powerful. (Newyorkstate.blog).

Now, after a profound investigation of New York’s license plate history, we surface back to the present day. New York License plates in the present day still prioritize practicality and security while steered by modern technology, and an ever-changing appeal of different beautiful plate designs. The 1900s and early 21^st century advanced toward standard and famed designs that would be etched into New York as a distinctive icon. Starting with the 1986 plate design, which contained dark blue on a white introducing the symbolic Statue of Liberty. It developed such a strong identity that it became a benchmark for two decades. The following was the 2001 plate, which had blue lettering on a golden yellow before switching back to the original blue-on-white. In 2010, a famous updated, “Empire State,” plate was revealed to be often connected to the concrete jungle of NYC. Finally…the most recent license plate is none other than the 2020 “Excelsior” plate. It continues with the blue text on white, has a detailed background, and the slogan, “Excelsior.” This design will continue to be a staple on New York roads around the state (Newyorkstate.blog).

The final aspect of the current New York license plate is to do with modernization. Modern plates employ a highly reflective coating and are embossed (imprinting the letters for a raised look). This increased readability during the nighttime. Security elements implanted into the seal in the middle of the license plate deter counterfeits. All these measures make the modern plate more secure and functional than older counterparts (Newyorkstate.blog).

New York State, just like the rest of the states, started out small in the system of license plates. After decades and centuries of development, from owner-made handicrafts to symbolic plate designs, New York has been through a long journey. All this work has not just been forgotten in New York’s interstates and streets. Instead, it turned into a staple in New York. With state loyalty, it hangs behind New York yellow taxis, lengthy MTA buses, flashing and bright NYPD patrol cars, enormous FDNY ladder trucks, and even behind an ordinary New Yorker's car. This piece of metal will follow behind wherever New York is headed, serving as a reminder of New York’s proud license plate (Newyorkstate.blog).