# Vehicle registration plates of the United States for 1942

Vehicle registration plates of the United States by year :
| Vehicle registration plates of the United States for 1941 | Events of 1942 | Vehicle registration plates of the United States for 1943 |
All of the 48 states of the United States of America plus several of its territories and the District of Columbia issued individual passenger license plates dated for the year 1942, and due to metal conservation for World War II, 1943 and 1944 for most states. In 1942, automobile production in the United States was halted for the duration of World War II, and many automobile factories were converted to munitions or other war-oriented industrial manufacturing purposes until 1946.
Most states conserved metal for World War II in some way. Many states stopped issuing front plates, while other states such as Illinois issued license plates made out of soybean fiberboard. Most states either issued plates intended to be revalidated with metal tabs or revalidated license plates with tabs. Some other states, such as Wisconsin, used small plates.

## Passenger baseplates

Passenger  Car  Plates :
| Region | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
| Alabama | Embossed yellow lettering and on black base. "ALABAMA 1942" under registration at bottom center. | none | 12A 345 | unknown | Coded by county of issuance: 0A1-234 00A1-234 |
| Alaska | Embossed black lettering on white base. "ALASKA 1942" embossed at bottom. | none | 1234 | | |
| Arizona | Embossed black lettering on white base with rounded corners. "ARIZONA 42" embossed at top. | "GRAND CANYON STATE" at bottom center. | | | |
| Arkansas | Embossed orange lettering and rims on black base. "1942" embossed at top; "ARKANSAS" embossed at bottom center. | none | 123–456 | unknown | |
| California | Embossed yellow lettering on black base. "19 CALIFORNIA 41" embossed at top. | none | 1A 23 45 12 A 345 | unknown | Embossed black-on-yellow "19 CALIFORNIA 42" renewal tabs to cover top lettering issued for wartime metal shortages. |
| Canal Zone | Embossed white lettering on navy base. "1942" embossed at top; "CANAL ZONE" at bottom. | none | 12345 | | |
| Colorado | Embossed white lettering and rims on maroon base. "19 COLORADO 42" embossed at top. | none | 1-12345 12-1234 | unknown | County-coded registration |
| Connecticut | Embossed white numbers on maroon plate; "CONN. 1933" embossed in white characters at bottom. | none | 1234 A123 A/B123 | unknown | Issued in blocks by branch office. |
| Delaware | Two types: (1) Black porcelain-painted enamel on steel with painted white numbers. Renewal tabs for date and year inserted through slots at top right and left. or (2) Embossed orange numbers on blue base. | none | 12-345 | | |
| District of Columbia | Embossed yellow lettering and rims on black base. "DIST. OF COLUMBIA" or "DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA" embossed at bottom; "EX 3-31-42" at top. | none | 1234 12-345 123–456 | | |
| Florida | Embossed orange lettering and border on royaL blue background. "19 FLORIDA 42" embossed at top. | none | 12A3456 | unknown | County- and weight-class-coded |
| Georgia | Embossed white registration and embossed orange lettering and rims on navy blue plate. | none | A12-345 | | This may be the only 1942 passenger issue with different colors for different embossed lettering. |
| Guam | | | | | |
| Hawai'i | Embossed white lettering on black base. "HAWAII 1942" embossed at bottom. | none | A1234 | | |
| Idaho | Embossed black lettering on white base. | | | | |
| Illinois | Embossed golden yellow lettering on black base plate. "ILLINOIS 1942" embossed at bottom. | none | 123 456 | unknown | |
| Indiana | Dark blue lettering embossed on golden yellow base. | none | 123–456 | unknown | |
| Iowa | Embossed white lettering on navy base. "IOWA – 1942" at top. | none | 1–2345 12-3456 | County-coded | |
| Kansas | Embossed white numbers on green plate with border line; "KANSAS '42" embossed in white block letters centered at bottom; painted sunflower logos at bottom corners. | none | 1-12345 10-12345 100–123 | unknown | County-coded registration |
| Kentucky | Black base with white embossed lettering and border. County name at bottom. | none | 12345 | unknown | |
| Louisiana | Embossed white lettering and rims on red base. Pelican logo separator embossed near center. | none | 12-345 123–456 | | |
| Maine | Embossed black numbers on beige plate with border line; "MAINE 1942" embossed in black block letters centered above numbers. | "VACATIONLAND" embossed in black block letters centered below numbers | 12-345 123–456 | 1 to approximately 177-000 | |
| Maryland | Embossed black numbers on silver plate with border line; "MARYLAND" embossed in black block letters centered at top; "3–31" embossed in top left corner and "1942" in top right corner. | "DRIVE CAREFULLY" embossed in black block letters centered at bottom. | 12-345 123–456 | 30-000 to approximately 647-000 | |
| Massachusetts | Embossed white numbers on red plate or on dark green plate. "MASS – 42" embossed at bottom. | none | 12-345 123–456 | | |
| Michigan | Embossed white lettering on dark green base. "MICHIGAN" embossed at top and "42" at bottom. | none | AB-12-34 | | County-coded (AB). |
| Minnesota | Embossed red lettering and rims on white base. "MINNESOTA 1942" embossed at bottom. | 12-345 123–456 | unknown | | |
| Mississippi | Blue with embossed yellow lettering and rim. The county name was stamped at the top left of the license plate, The letters "MISS" were arranged vertically between the "123" and "456" parts of the registration number. | none | 123–456 | unknown | Issued in blocks by county. |
| Missouri | Embossed black lettering and rims on white base. "MISSOURI 1942" embossed at bottom. | none | 12-345 123–456 | | |
| Montana | Embossed white numbers on black plate with state-shaped border; "MONTANA–42" embossed in white block letters below numbers | none | 1-12345 10-1234 | | |
| Nebraska | Embossed red lettering on white base. "NEBRASKA 42" embossed at bottom. | none | 1–2345 12-3456 | | County-coded (12 or 1) |
| Nevada | Embossed white lettering and rims on blue base. "NEVADA 1942" embossed at bottom. | none | 123–456 | | |
| New Hampshire | Embossed green lettering and rims on white base. | Embossed forest green numbers on white plate with border line. | | | |
| New Jersey | Embossed golden yellow numbers on black base. "N.J. 1942" embossed at bottom. | none | AB 123 | | County-coded (AB) |
| New Mexico | Embossed black lettering on white base. "NEW MEXICO" embossed at bottom with Zia sun symbol with two-letter year embossed at left. | "LAND OF ENCHANTMENT" embossed at top. | 1–234 12-345 | | County-coded (1 or 12) |
| New York | Embossed golden yellow lettering on black base. "NY 42" embossed at top center. | none | 1A23-45 (and other formats) | | County-coded. |
| North Carolina | Yellow base with embossed black lettering. "NORTH CAROLINA 42" at bottom. | none | 123–456 | unknown | |
| North Dakota | Embossed yellow lettering and rims on red plate. "ND" embossed vertically to left and "1942" vertically at right. | none | 12-345 123–456 | | |
| Ohio | Embossed forest green lettering on white plate. "OHIO 1942" embossed at bottom. | none | 123-AB 12345 A-123-B AB-123 | | County-coded in blocks |
| Oklahoma | Embossed black lettering and rims on white plate. "OKLAHOMA 1942" at top. | 1–2345 12-3456 | | | County-coded (1 or 12). |
| Oregon | Embossed white numbers on blue plate with border line; "OREGON" embossed in white block letters centered at bottom; "19" embossed in bottom left corner and "42" in bottom right corner | none | 123–456 | 1 to approximately 495-000 | |
| Pennsylvania | Blue lettering on yellow base with blue state map outline. "1942 PENNA" embossed at top center. | none | A1234 AB123 | | |
| Rhode Island | Embossed white lettering and rims on black base. "R.I. 42" embossed at bottom center. | none | 1234 A1234 | | |
| South Carolina | Embossed golden yellow lettering on jet-black base. "SOUTH CAROLINA 42" embossed at top. | none | A-1 A-12 A-123 A-1234 | | Coded by weight class (A). |
| South Dakota | Jet-black lettering embossed on golden yellow base. "SOUTH DAKOTA 1942" embossed at top. | none | 1-12345 12-12345 | | County-coded (1 or 12) |
| Tennessee | Jet-black lettering and rims embossed on state-shaped base. | | | | |
| Texas | Black embossed lettering on gold base. | none | 123–456 A12-345 | | |
| Utah | Black on white, "UTAH" at left under "42." | "CENTER SCENIC AMERICA" embossed at bottom. | A1234 | unknown | |
| Vermont | Navy lettering embossed on white base. "19 VERMONT 42" embossed at bottom. | none | 1–234 12-345 | | |
| Virginia | Embossed black lettering on white base. "VIRGINIA 1942" embossed at top. | none | 123–456 | | |
| Washington | Embossed green lettering on white base. "WASHINGTON 1942" embossed at bottom. | none | A-12345 | | |
| West Virginia | Embossed yellow numbers on black plate with border line; "W. VA. EXP.-6-30-42" embossed in yellow block letters at bottom | none | 123–456 | 1 to approximately 349-000 | |
| Wisconsin | Embossed golden yellow numbers on black plate; "19 WISCONSIN 42" at bottom | "AMERICA'S DAIRYLAND" at top | 123 456 | 1 to approximately 775 000 | Corners were rounded and plates were revalidated for 1943 with white tabs, for 1944 with green tabs, and for 1945 with white tabs, due to metal conservation for World War II. |
| Wisconsin | Embossed golden yellow serial on black plate with border line; "WIS" embossed at bottom left, embossed yellow oval with debossed black "1942" at bottom right | none | A12, A1B, AB1, ABC, 12A, 1A2, 1AB | A00 to 9ZZ | Issued from late 1942 to late 1943 for World War II metal conservation; revalidated to 1945. Every possible combination of 3 characters was exhausted. |
| Wyoming | Embossed black numbers and Bucking Horse and Rider on white plate with border line; "1942 WYOMING" embossed in black block letters at top | none | 1–1234 2-A123 10-1234 | | County coded (1 or 10) |

## Non-passenger plates

Non-passenger  plates :
| Region | Type | Design and slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
| Wisconsin | Bus | Embossed yellow serial on black plate; "WIS" over "BUS" at top left, "41" over "42" at top right; quarterly tab at top between caption and year | A 12 | Coded by weight class | Weight classes are same as truck/heavy truck |
| Wisconsin | Cabin | Embossed black serial on gray plate with border line; "41 CABIN 42" at top, "WISCONSIN" at bottom | 1234 | 1 to approximately 1900 | |
| Wisconsin | Dealer | Embossed golden yellow serial on black plate with border line; "19 WIS DEALER 42" at top, "AMERICA'S DAIRYLAND" at bottom | 1234 A | Dealer number and plate number | Number is the dealer number, letter is the plate number for that dealer |
| Wisconsin | Farm | Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "41 FARM TR'K 42" at top, vertical "WIS" at left | 12345 | 1 to approximately 65000 | Some later plates had a "TR'K FARM" caption |
| Wisconsin | Motorcycle | Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "WIS 1942" at bottom | 1234 | 1 to approximately 3000 | |
| Wisconsin | Municipal | Embossed black serial on golden yellow plate; unknown format | 1234 | Unknown to approximately 8900 | Identifiable by a hollow diamond |
| Wisconsin | Official | Unknown format or colors | 123 | 1 to unknown | Identifiable by a hollow star. |
| Wisconsin | Light Private Trailer | Embossed black serial on gray plate; "41 WIS TRAILER 42" at bottom, "NOT FOR HIRE" at top | A1234 | Coded by weight class | Weight classes same as truck. |
| Wisconsin | Heavy Trailer | Embossed yellow serial on black plate; "WIS" over "T-L" at top left, "41" over "42" at top right; quarterly tab at top between caption and year | A 12 | Coded by weight class | Weight classes same as heavy truck. Issued to all commercial trailers, and issued to private trailers above the D weight class. |
| Wisconsin | Truck | Embossed black serial on gray plate; "41 WIS TRUCK 42" at bottom, "NOT FOR HIRE" at top | 12-345A | Coded by weight class | Serials start at 25-001A. Weight classes are A, B, C, and D. |
| Wisconsin | Heavy Truck | Embossed yellow serial on black plate; "WIS" over "TRK" at top left, "41" over "42" at top right; quarterly tab at top between caption and year | A 1234 | Coded by weight class | Weight classes are E, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, and N. Light commercial trucks received identical plates in the A, B, C, and D weight classes. |