# Vehicle registration plates of the Canal Zone

The former U.S. territory of the Canal Zone first issued license plates in 1910, and this continued until the Canal Zone was returned to Panama in 1979. A single plate was issued for all years. The country of Panama also issued Canal Zone license plates for United States citizens that lived in Panama but worked in the Canal Zone, but these plates have the country name "Panama" clearly showing on them. Since reciprocity for license plates between the Canal Zone and Panama did not exist until 1950, old photos often show local vehicles with two different license plates mounted on the vehicle.

## Passenger baseplates
### 1910 to 1955

| Image | Date | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
| 123 | 1910 | White on dark blue | None | 123 | 1 to ? | Plates started at number one and continued sequentially. |
| 123 | 1911 | Dark blue on white | None | 123 | | Plate numbers are believed to have continued sequentially from where they left off in 1910. The 1910 plate numbers issued were not reused. This scheme continued through 1916. |
| 123 | 1912 | White on dark blue | None | 123 | | |
| 123 | 1913 | Dark blue on white | None | 123 | | |
| 123 | 1914 | White on dark blue | None | 123 | | |
| 123 | 1915 | Dark blue on white | None | 123 | | |
| 1234 | 1916 | White on dark blue | None | 123 and 1234 | | Some four digit plates are known, but the numbers are too high to fit into the sequence of plates issued. |
| 1234 | 1917 | Black on yellow | None | 1234 | | All previous plates were cancelled and renumbering started at number one. |
| 1234 | 1918 | Black on white | None | 1234 | | |
| 1234 | 1919 | White on dark blue | None | 1234 | | |
| | 1920 | Black on dark yellow | None | 1234 | | |
| | 1921 | Black on gray-green | None | 1234 | | |
| 1234 | 1922 | White on black | None | 1234 | | |
| 1234 | 1923 | Black on yellow | None | 1234 | | |
| 1234 | 1924 | Yellow on dark blue | None | 1234 | | |
| 1234 | 1925 | White on dark blue | None | 1234 | | |
| 1234 | 1926 | Black on yellow | None | 1234 | | |
| 1234 | 1927 | Red on white | None | 1234 | | First year that "Canal Zone" is spelled out. |
| 1234 | 1928 | Black on light orange | None | 1234 | | |
| 1234 | 1929 | Red on white | None | 1234 | | |
| 1234 | 1930 | Black on yellow | None | 1234 | | |
| 1234 | 1931 | Red on white | None | 1234 | | |
| 1234 | 1932 | Black on yellow | None | 1234 | | |
| 1234 | 1933 | Red on white | None | 1234 | | |
| 1234 | 1934 | White on medium blue | None | 1234 | | |
| 1234 | 1935 | Medium blue on yellow | None | 1234 | | |
| 1234 | 1936 | Red on white | None | 1234 | | |
| 12345 | 1937 | White on dark green | None | 12345 | | |
| 12345 | 1938 | White on red | None | 12345 | | |
| 12345 | 1939 | Black on yellow | None | 12345 | | |
| | 1940 | Yellow on dark green | None | 12345 | | |
| 12345 | 1941 | Black on yellow | None | 12345 | | |
| | 1942-44 | White on dark blue | None | 12345 | | 1942: Base plate only |
| | 1942-44 | White on dark blue | None | 12345 | | 1943: Round black on yellow validation tab with "43" at top and serial number below |
| | 1942-44 | White on dark blue | None | 12345 | | 1944: Rectangular black on red validation tab with serial number followed by "44" |
| 12345 | 1945 | Black on orange | None | 12345 | | |
| 12345 | 1946 | Yellow on black | None | 12345 | | |
| | 1947 | White on black | None | 12345 | | |
| | 1948 | Dark blue on white | None | 12345 | | |
| | 1949 | Off white on blue | None | 12345 | | |
| 12345 | 1950 | White on maroon | None | 12345 | | |
| 12345 | 1951 | White on dark green | None | 12345 | | |
| 12345 | 1952 | Dark green on yellow | None | 12345 | | |
| 12345 | 1953 | Maroon on white | None | 12345 | | |
| 12345 | 1954 | White on orange | None | 12345 | | |
| 12345 | 1955 | Yellow on black | None | 12345 | | |

### 1956 to 1979

In 1956, the United States, Canada and Mexico came to an agreement with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Automobile Manufacturers Association and the National Safety Council that standardized the size for license plates for vehicles (except those for motorcycles) at 6 inches (15 cm) in height by 12 inches (30 cm) in width, with standardized mounting holes.
| Image | Date | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Notes |
| 12345 | 1956 | Black on yellow | None | 12345 | |
| 12345 | 1957 | Yellow on black | None | 12345 | |
| 12345 | 1958 | Black on yellow | None | 12345 | |
| | 1959 | Yellow on black | None | 12345 | |
| | 1960 | Black on yellow | None | 12345 | |
| 12345 | 1961 | Yellow on black | Funnel For World Commerce | 12345 | |
| 12345 | 1962 | Black on yellow | Funnel For World Commerce | 12345 | |
| 12345 | 1963 | Yellow on black | Funnel For World Commerce | 12345 | |
| 12345 | 1964 | Black on yellow | Funnel For World Commerce | 12345 | |
| 12345 | 1965 | Yellow on black | Funnel For World Commerce | 12345 | |
| 12345 | 1966 | Black on yellow | Funnel For World Commerce | 12345 | |
| 12345 | 1967 | Yellow on black | Funnel For World Commerce | 12345 | |
| 12345 | 1968 | Black on yellow | Funnel For World Commerce | 12345 | |
| | 1969 | Yellow on black | Funnel For World Commerce | 12345 | |
| 12345 | 1970 | Black on yellow | Funnel For World Commerce | 12345 | |
| 12345 | 1971 | Yellow on black | Funnel For World Commerce | 12345 | |
| 12345 | 1972 | Green on white | Funnel For World Commerce | 12345 | First year for reflective background. |
| 12345 | 1973 | Blue on white | Funnel For World Commerce | 12345 | |
| 12345 | 1974 | Green on white | Funnel For World Commerce | 12345 | |
| 12345 | 1975 | Blue on white | Funnel For World Commerce | 12345 | |
| 12345 | 1976 | Green on white | Funnel For World Commerce | 12345 | |
| | 1977 | Blue on white | Funnel For World Commerce | 12345 | |
| | 1978–79 | Green on white | Funnel For World Commerce | 12345 | 1978: Base plate only |
| | 1978–79 | Green on white | Funnel For World Commerce | 12345 | 1979: Rectangular black on red validation sticker with small "Canal Zone" at top, "79" in center, and small "No" and serial number at bottom |

## Non-passenger plates

| Image | Type | Design | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
| | 1971 Motorcycle | Yellow on black with border line | M-123 | | |
| | 1979 Trailer | Green on white with border line | T-123 | | Sticker on 1978 base |

## Miniature automobile license plate

Miniature automobile license plates were included in boxes of Wheaties cereal in 1953, and they are oftentimes called bicycle license plates. Included in one of the sets issued by General Mills was a Canal Zone license plate. Other plates in this set included the following locations: Alaska, District of Columbia, Dominican Republic, Guam, Hawaii, Italy-Military, Philippines, Virgin Islands, and the Maharajah plate with a golden double headed eagle. Note that all of the license plates issued for each state, province, territory, or country had the same serial number (Canal Zone plates all have the W3966 serial number).