California License Plates

The California state legislature passed a law requiring motorists to register their cars in 1905, however the DMV didn't issue the first state license plate until the year 1914. During this 9 year period of time, the drivers of California highways were required to make their own tags. A wide variety of materials were used for plates during this time such as metal, porcelain, wood, aluminum digits on flat steel and many other materials, this all ended when the state finally made statewide plates in 1914. These tags were in pairs and made of porcelain, which was also used through the 1919 issue. The 1916 plates featured a bear as a date tab, 1917 - poppy, 1918 - bell and the 1919 plates featured a star with the date. If buying license plates of these years, they are much more valuable with the correct date tab with the matching registration numbers. California used the following slogans - California Worlds Fair in 1939, The Golden State started in 1984 and Sesquicentennial was utilized in 1998. In 1944 only a windshield sticker was issued and during 1945 and 1946 single tags were produced by the DMV but all other years since the beginning the department of motor vehicles of CA has issued pairs. California license plates are extremely difficult to put a value on because of year of manufacture or YOM use. If a nice unused pair is cleared by the DMV that set of tags will bring up to 10 times as much as a pair that is not cleared by the DMV.