Connecticut Marker Plate History

Registration of self-propelled vehicles began in Connecticut in 1903 with the passage of legislation entitled “An Act Concerning the Registration and Numbering of Motor Vehicles”. The bill was sponsored by James P. Woodruff of Litchfield and became law on May 15,1903. The law specified that the Secretary of State was, upon the receipt of the appropriate application form and the fee of one dollar, to issue a numbered registration certificate to each vehicle owner. All current vehicle owners were required to apply for this certificate by July 1, 1903. Vehicles purchased after May 15, 1903 by Connecticut residents had to be registered before they could be operated within the state. The registration was intended to be permanent with no expiration cited.

All classes of self-propelled vehicles were treated in the same way. There was no differentiation between motive power (gasoline, steam or electric), or usage types (passenger automobiles, commercial vehicles or motorcycles).

Each owner of a vehicle, at his expense, was required to display on it the initial letter of the state, “C”, and the appropriate certificate number. The letter and number(s) identifier, described by the statute as a “marker”, was to be displayed on the rear of the vehicle. The letters and number(s) were required to be at least three inches high and light in color against a dark background. The “marker” could be painted on the vehicle, but most owners elected to have a “marker plate” made and affixed to the rear of the vehicle. Generally the “marker plates” were constructed of two pieces of black or dark brown leather sewn together for durability. The letters and numbers, generally made of cast and polished aluminum or zinc, were then riveted or nailed to the pad. This is the origin of the terms “marker” and “marker plates”, which is still the official terminology for license plates in Connecticut.

The 1903-1905 years are known as the “Pre-State” period, as the State of Connecticut did not supply the required markers. Between May 1903 and early September 1905 approximately 3,800 vehicles were registered pursuant to the 1903 law.

The owner-supplied markers usually had the letter “C” as a prefix before the number(s), but examples are known where the letter is placed as a suffix. The early registration certificates did not have the “C” printed with the certificate number, which may account for the difference in placement on these markers.

1903-1905: The Pre-State Years