# Vehicle registration plates of the United States for 1903

Vehicle registration plates of the United States by year :
| Vehicle registration plates of the United States for 1902 | Events of 1903 | Vehicle registration plates of the United States for 1904 |
Massachusetts became the first state to officially issue vehicle license plates in 1903. New York continued to require their residents to register their vehicles with the state, but the owner had to supply their own license plate. Connecticut, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia all began to require vehicle registration with the vehicle owners also supplying their own plate. Each of the other states of the United States of America plus several of its territories did not require or issue license plates during 1903.

## 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: | Massachusetts | Prestate era plate(s) | No plates issued by state or territory |
| State | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
| Alabama | | | | | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1911. |
| Alaska | | | | | No prestate plates. Territory 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. Territory issued plates begin in 1910. |
| Colorado | | | | | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1913. |
| Connecticut | | | | | First 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 | | | | | First year for prestate plates. 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 | | | | | Prestate plates start in 1904. 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 | | | | | Prestate plates start in 1904. State issued plates begin in 1910. |
| Massachusetts | White serial and Mass. Automobile register. in uppercase text on dark blue porcelain background | none | 1234 | 1 to 3241 | First state to issue license plates. |
| Michigan | | | | | Prestate plates start in 1905. State issued plates begin in 1910. |
| Minnesota | Brass serial riveted on black leather | | | | First year for prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1909. Photo shows the first Minnesota license plate. This was either made by the vehicle owner or he had it made. |
| 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 | | | | | No prestate plates. 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 | | | | | First year for prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1908. |
| New Mexico | | | | | Prestate plates start in 1905. State issued plates begin in 1912. |
| New York | | | | | Prestate plates started in 1901 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 | | | | | First year for prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1906. |
| Puerto Rico | | | | | No prestate plates. Territory issued plates begin in 1912. |
| Rhode Island | | | | | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1904. |
| 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. State 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. |