# Vehicle registration plates of the United States for 1909

Vehicle registration plates of the United States by year :
| Vehicle registration plates of the United States for 1908 | Events of 1909 | Vehicle registration plates of the United States for 1910 |
In 1909 Minnesota joined the list of states and territories providing license plates to vehicle owners, and North Carolina and Utah entered the prestate era. There were now 15 states and territories that were issuing license plates and 17 other states requiring 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 | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | 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 | | | | | 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 | | | | | |
| Delaware | | | | | |
| District of Columbia | | | | | |
| Florida | | | | | 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 | | | | | State issued plates begin in 1911. |
| Indiana | | | | | State issued plates begin in 1913. |
| Iowa | | | | | 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 | | | | | |
| Maryland | | | | | Last year for prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1910. |
| Massachusetts | | | | | |
| Michigan | | | | | Last year for prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1910. |
| Minnesota | | | | | First year for state issued plates. |
| Mississippi | | | | | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1912. |
| Missouri | | | | | State issued plates begin in 1911. |
| Montana | | | | | Prestate plates start in 1913. State issued plates begin in 1915. |
| Nebraska | | | | | State issued plates begin in 1915. |
| Nevada | | | | | Prestate plates start in 1913. State issued plates begin in 1916. |
| New Hampshire | | | | | |
| New Jersey | | | | | |
| New Mexico | | | | | State issued plates begin in 1912. |
| New York | | | | | Last year for prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1910. |
| North Carolina | | | | | First year for prestate plates. 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 | | | | | |
| Oklahoma | | | | | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1915. |
| Oregon | | | | | State issued plates begin in 1911. |
| Pennsylvania | | | | | |
| Puerto Rico | | | | | No prestate plates. Territory issued plates begin in 1912. |
| Rhode Island | | | | | |
| South Carolina | | | | | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1917. |
| South Dakota | | | | | State issued plates begin in 1913. |
| Tennessee | | | | | 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 | | | | | First year for prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1915. |
| Vermont | | | | | |
| Virginia | | | | | |
| Washington | | | | | State issued plates begin in 1915. |
| West Virginia | | | | | |
| Wisconsin | Riveted aluminum serial on black zinc plate | none | 1234-W | 6193-W to 9232-W | Issued July 1905 to August 1911; replaced in 1912. Serials issued show plates issued in 1909. |
| Wyoming | | | | | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1913. |