DC Jr's RI License Plates









I've been collecting License Plates for about 27 years, I've been interested in License Plates since I was a little boy when my Grandfather had part of the collection I have now. Most of them he collected, were from friends and relatives,when he was a young man to 1977.

I started a collection in 1976 and inherited my Grandfathers collection in 1991. I have expanded quite a bit from where he left off.I am a member of the A.L.P.C.A.#7020 If you wish to Email for information or trading feel free to do so.


A brief history on the license plates of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations:


In 1904 the state of Rhode Island started licensing vehicles, the first "porcelain" license plate was issued and ran from 1904-1907. It was black with white numbers and "registered in RI" in the top center.1908-1911 was actually a continuous run of the 1904-1907 plate with the exception of the Registered in RI ,it just had RI on the right side of the numbers. The final porcelain plate ran from 1912-1917,was white with black numbers and RI was on the left. In 1918 RI started dating the plates and used painted steel with painted numbers. Rotating the background from black and white just about every other year until the second world war. In 1921 RI started stamping(embossing) the license plate numbers to make them easier to see. 1936 RI had its 300th Birthday and portrayed this on its plates: 1636-1936; 300th year. 1943 there was no plate issued, due to WWII. A windshield sticker was issued instead, due to conserving metal for the war. 1944,45,1/2 46, the 1942 plate was used with a metal tab over the flattened 42.1/2 of 1946 and 1947 a aluminum plate was issued with metal tabs. 1948 RI returned to steel. 1960 the Federal Government wanted license plates standardized to 6"x12" size to keep all states uniform in size, which had not been previously done. 1961 RI plates returned to aluminum plates,with a yearly sticker issued to them. This is still done today. RI started using a slogan regularly in 1967 "Discover" (top center)and in 1972 "Ocean State" (top center) which is still on the present day issue. 1961 the plates were white with black numbers until 1980 when they became white with blue letters and in 10/96 the standard issue plates have gone to a more graphic nature with a white background with a light blue wave graphic cascading through it and dark blue numbers.

The following pages will show images of all the RI passenger license plates and other types of plates, some of the images are not the best and I appoligize for that. I will be updating them as soon as I can.




1904-1907 Passenger "porcelain " license plate; RI first issued plate
This plate was issued in May of 1904



1908-1912 Passenger "procelain" RI license plate
This plate was issued in 1912



1912-1917 Passenger "porcelain" RI license plate
This plate was issued in 1913




RI LICPLATES 2

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Note: Most of the images are from my personal collection and should not be copied without permission.



Created by DC's PC Designs 1996;Last modified on: 08/06/2007