Here’s What New York State License Plates Looked Like Over The Last 100 Years

Want to see what New York State license plates looked like the year you were born? Luckily, eBay has a collection of over 100 years of license plates.

New York License Plate History

Fun Fact- The state of New York was the first to require its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1901.

Registrants provided their own license plates for display, featuring their initials until 1903 and numbers thereafter, until the state began to issue plates in 1910."

 

Where Do You Get Them?

License plates in New York are currently issued by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (NYSDMV). Front and rear plates are required on all vehicles except for motorcycles and trailers.

When Was The Most Recent Change?

A new design, and the current license plate design, was selected in September 2019. On our plates you see images of Niagara Falls and mountains on the bottom left; the state motto "Excelsior" at bottom center, and a New York City skyline and Long Island lighthouse at bottom right.

Originally, starting in April 2020, plates older than ten years would have to be replaced upon the renewal of vehicle registration. However, as with the Empire Gold plates, there was controversy over the mandatory replacement scheme, leading Cuomo's administration to consider reducing the new-plate fees."

 

Are You Ready To See The License Plates?

Through the years, New York State changed license plates almost on a yearly basis from 1922 through the 1960s. It seemed once we hit the 1960's, New York was totally cool keeping the same plates over several years. You'll see those designs change over the years: