# Vehicle registration plates of the United States for 1904

Vehicle registration plates of the United States by year :
| Vehicle registration plates of the United States for 1903 | Events of 1904 | Vehicle registration plates of the United States for 1905 |
In 1904 Rhode Island became the second state, joining Massachusetts, to issue its own license plates, and the states of Iowa and Maryland began to require owners to provide their own license plates.

## Passenger baseplates

In the table below, a light green background indicates that the owner of the vehicle was required to provide their own license plates. These plates are called "prestate" by most collectors. In the prestate era many states only provided the license plate number on a small disc or on paper, and the owner was required to have their license plate(s) made. These early license plates were created from kits that could be purchased at a hardware store, may have been available from automobile clubs or associations, they were forged by blacksmiths or other tradesmen, or the owner may have made their own plate with whatever materials they had on hand. Prestate plates were made from a variety of materials, but most often were made of leather, steel, or wood.
| Legend: | Regular state issue plate(s) | Prestate era plate(s) | No plates issued by state or territory |
| State | Notes |
| Alabama | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1911. |
| Alaska | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1921. |
| American Samoa | No prestate plates. Territory issued plates begin in 1924. |
| Arizona | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1914. |
| Arkansas | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1911. |
| California | Prestate plates start in 1905. State issued plates begin in 1914. |
| Canal Zone | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1910. |
| Colorado | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1913. |
| Connecticut | Last year for prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1905. |
| Delaware | Prestate plates start in 1905. State issued plates begin in 1908. |
| District of Columbia | District issued plates begin in 1907. |
| Florida | Prestate plates start in 1905. State issued plates begin in 1918. |
| Georgia | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1910. |
| Guam | No prestate plates. Territory issued plates begin in 1916. |
| Hawai'i | No prestate plates. Territory issued plates begin in 1922. |
| Idaho | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1913. |
| Illinois | Prestate plates start in 1907. State issued plates begin in 1911. |
| Indiana | Prestate plates start in 1905. State issued plates begin in 1913. |
| Iowa | First year for prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1911. |
| Kansas | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1913. |
| Kentucky | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1910. |
| Louisiana | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1915. |
| Maine | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1905. |
| Maryland | First year for prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1910. |
| Massachusetts | |
| Michigan | Prestate plates start in 1905. State issued plates begin in 1910. |
| Minnesota | State issued plates begin in 1909. |
| Mississippi | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1912. |
| Missouri | Prestate plates start in 1907. State issued plates begin in 1911. |
| Montana | Prestate plates start in 1913. State issued plates begin in 1915. |
| Nebraska | Prestate plates start in 1905. State issued plates begin in 1915. |
| Nevada | Prestate plates start in 1913. State issued plates begin in 1916. |
| New Hampshire | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1905. |
| New Jersey | State issued plates begin in 1908. |
| New Mexico | Prestate plates start in 1905. State issued plates begin in 1912. |
| New York | State issued plates begin in 1910. |
| North Carolina | Prestate plates start in 1909. State issued plates begin in 1913. |
| North Dakota | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1911. |
| Northern Mariana Islands | No prestate plates. Territory issued plates begin in 1944. |
| Ohio | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1908. |
| Oklahoma | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1915. |
| Oregon | Prestate plates start in 1905. State issued plates begin in 1911. |
| Pennsylvania | State issued plates begin in 1906. |
| Puerto Rico | No prestate plates. Territory issued plates begin in 1912. |
| Rhode Island | First year for state issued plates. Second state to issue license plates. |
| South Carolina | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1917. |
| South Dakota | Prestate plates start in 1905. State issued plates begin in 1913. |
| Tennessee | Prestate plates start in 1905. State issued plates begin in 1915. |
| Texas | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1917. |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | No prestate plates. Territory issued plates begin in 1917. |
| Utah | Prestate plates start in 1909. State issued plates begin in 1915. |
| Vermont | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1905. |
| Virginia | No prestate plates.State issued plates begin in 1906. |
| Washington | Prestate plates start in 1906. State issued plates begin in 1915. |
| West Virginia | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1905. |
| Wisconsin | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1905. |
| Wyoming | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1913. |