Later, after I had joined the Historical Society, I decided to research when it became the law to register vehicles in Illinois. Here’s what I found. In Illinois, registration of motor vehicles began in 1907. There was a one-time fee of $2.00 ($162.00 in consumption value in 2026). The State issued a small round aluminum disc with a number stamped on it that the owner had to display on the vehicle’s dashboard. The owner was required to make, or have made, a license plate to attach to the front and rear of the vehicle. There was no requirement with regard to shape, size, or color used for the plates. In 1909 the State instituted annual registration of vehicles and then in 1911 actually began issuing license plates to vehicle owners.

Also, in that 1911 change, they established plates for motorcycles and special licenses and license plates for mechanics and chauffeurs. At that time, the plates were only serial numbers of five digits from 10000–99999 which was reached in 1914-1915; they then switched to four-digits with a single letter on the left. The plates in 1912 and 1913 were perforated to allow air to pass through when the plate was mounted on the radiator. The aluminum disc was discontinued in 1917. The serial number was switched to a six-digit system in 1916 that lasted until 1925 when they expanded to seven digits. 

Until 1920, trucks did not have to be registered, but their first plates were all number plates until 1930 when the State created the vehicle weight system to classify truck licenses. Motorcycle plates were 4” tall but varied in width according to the length of the issued number from 1922 to 1934. Trailers were required to be registered in 1924. The first graphic style license plate was issued in 1927 when the shape of the State was embossed on the left side, preceding the numbers. 

Plate design remained unchanged until the World War II demand for steel caused the State to produce plates manufactured on a wood-based fiberboard and roll-on printing from 1943 through 1948. 1949 plates were made of steel, but aluminum in 1950 and 1951. The slogan “Land of Lincoln” was first used on the plate in 1954. In 1956, the USA, Canada, and Mexico agreed to a standard sized license plate to be six inches tall by twelve inches wide, but was amended to standardize the size and placement of the mounting holes. Fortunately, an international embarrassment was avoided by the amendment fixing the hole problem. 

In 1966, five-year plates were established and the yearly registration was indicated by a sticker placed in the upper right corner of the plate. One of the reasons for the move to use yearly stickers was to help law enforcement manage enforcement of the licensing law. Also, since the numbering system would not have to issue a new plate each year, the cost was less to the State, but the registration fee didn’t go down. Numerous studies by several Secretaries of State were done to rewrite the regulations for licenses plates in the mid-1970s all trying to fix a multi-year plate with renewal stickers. I wonder how many refrigerators were tagged with renewal stickers once stickers came into regular use. From 1975 through 2026 there have been many changes to the designs and the methods to emboss and apply the graphics on license plates. Since the State has embraced the concept of “Vanity Plates” the actual number a different plate designs have created an entire new marketing industry and revenue source.