The U.S. state of New Hampshire first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1905. As of 2022[update], plates are issued by the New Hampshire Department of Safety through its Division of Motor Vehicles. Front and rear plates are required for most classes of vehicles, while only rear plates are required for motorcycles and trailers.
| Current series | |
|---|---|
| Slogan | Live Free or Die |
| Size | 12 in × 6 in 30 cm × 15 cm |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Serial format | 123 4567 |
| Introduced | January 1999 |
| Availability | |
| Issued by | New Hampshire Department of Safety, Division of Motor Vehicles |
| History | |
| First issued | April 4, 1905 |
Passenger baseplates edit
1905 to 1972 edit
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.[1] The 1955 (dated 1956) issue was the first New Hampshire license plate that complied with these standards.
| Image | Dates issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1905–11 | White serial on green porcelain plate; "N.H." centered at bottom | none | 1234 | 1 to approximately 7200 | |
|
|
1912 | Embossed green serial on white plate; vertical "NH" and "1912" at left and right respectively | none | 1234 | 1 to approximately 5700 | |
|
|
1913 | White serial on green porcelain plate; vertical "NH" and "1913" at left and right respectively | none | 1234 | 1000 to approximately 7800 | |
|
1914 | White serial on green porcelain plate; vertical "NH" and "1914" at left and right respectively | none | 1234 | 1000 to approximately 9700 | |
|
|
1915 | Green serial on white porcelain plate; "N. H." and "1915" centered at top and bottom respectively | none | 12345 | 1000 to approximately 13500 | |
|
1916 | White serial on green porcelain plate; vertical "NH" and "1916" at left and right respectively | none | 12345 | 1 to approximately 17600 | |
|
|
1917 | Green serial on white porcelain plate; "N. H." and "1917" centered at top and bottom respectively | none | 12345 | 100 to approximately 23100 | |
|
1918 | White serial on green porcelain plate; "N H" and "1918" centered at top and bottom respectively | none | 12345 | 100 to approximately 24700 | Some later plates manufactured on fiberboard.[2] |
|
|
1919 | Dark green serial on white flat metal plate; "N H" and "1919" centered at top and bottom respectively | none | 12345 | 100 to approximately 30000 | |
|
1920 | White serial on dark green flat metal plate; "N H" and "1920" centered at top and bottom respectively | none | 12345 | 100 to approximately 35000 | |
|
1921 | Dark green serial on white flat metal plate; "N H" and "1921" centered at top and bottom respectively | none | 12345 | 100 to approximately 42500 | |
|
|
1922 | Embossed white serial on dark green plate with border line; "N.H. 1922" centered at bottom | none | 12345 | 100 to approximately 48500 | |
|
|
1923 | Embossed dark green serial on white plate with border line; "N H" and "1923" centered at top and bottom respectively | none | 12.345 | 100 to approximately 60.000 | |
|
|
1924 | Embossed white serial on dark green plate with border line; "N H" and "1924" centered at top and bottom respectively | none | 12-345 | 100 to approximately 72-000 | |
|
|
1925 | Embossed dark green serial on white plate with border line; "N H" and "1925" centered at top and bottom respectively | none | 12-345 | 100 to approximately 81-000 | |
|
1926 | Embossed white serial on dark green plate with border line; embossed white Old Man of the Mountain graphic at left; "N H" and "1926" centered at top and bottom respectively | none | 12-345 | 100 to approximately 89-000 | |
|
1927 | Embossed dark green serial on white plate with border line; "N H" and "1927" centered at top and bottom respectively | none | 12-345 | 100 to approximately 95-000 | |
|
|
1928 | Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "NH-28" centered at top | none | 123-456 | 100 to approximately 103-000 | |
|
|
1929 | Embossed green serial on white plate with border line; "NH-29" centered at top | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 109-000 | |
|
1930 | As 1928 base, but with "NH-30" at top | none | 123-456 | 100 to approximately 111-000 | |
|
|
1931 | As 1929 base, but with "NH-31" at top | none | 123-456 | 100 to approximately 112-000 | |
|
|
1932 | As 1928 base, but with "NH-32" at top | none | 123-456 | 100 to approximately 107-000 | |
|
1933 | As 1929 base, but with "NH-33" at top | none | 123-456 | 100 to approximately 107-000 | |
|
|
1934 | As 1928 base, but with "NH-34" at top | none | 12-345 | 100 to approximately 91-000 | |
|
|
1935 | As 1929 base, but with "NH-35" at top | none | 12-345 | 100 to approximately 94-000 | |
|
|
1936 | As 1928 base, but with "NH-36" at top | none | 12-345 | 100 to approximately 97-000 | |
|
|
1937 | As 1929 base, but with "NH-37" at top | none | 123-456 | 100 to approximately 101-000 | |
|
1938–39 | As 1928 base, but with "NH-38-9" at top | none | 12-345 | 100 to approximately 98-000 | |
|
|
1939–40 | As 1929 base, but with "NH-39-40" at top | none | 123-456 | 100 to approximately 104-000 | |
|
|
1940–41 | As 1928 base, but with "NH-40-41" at top | none | 123-456 | 100 to approximately 108-000 | |
|
1941–42 | As 1929 base, but with "NH-41-42" at top | none | 123-456 | 100 to approximately 110-000 | |
|
|
1942–44 | As 1928 base, but with "NH-42-43" at top | none | 123-456 | 100 to approximately 104-000 | Revalidated through March 31, 1944, with white rectangular tabs, due to metal conservation for World War II. |
|
|
1944 | As 1929 base, but with "NH 44" at top | none | 12-345 | 1 to approximately 89-000 | |
|
|
1945 | Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "NH 45" centered at top | none | 12-345 | 1 to approximately 98-000 | |
|
|
1946 | Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "NH 46" centered at top | none | 12-345 123456 |
1 to approximately 109000 | |
|
1947 | As 1945 base, but with "NH 47" at top | none | 12-345 123456 |
1 to approximately 114000 | |
|
1948 | As 1946 base, but with "NH - 48" at top | none | 12-345 123456 |
1 to approximately 120000 | |
|
1949 | Embossed forest green serial on white plate with border line; "NH - 49" centered at top | none | A/B123 | County-coded | |
|
|
1950 | Embossed white serial on forest green plate with border line; "NH - 50" centered at top | none | A/B123 | County-coded | |
|
|
1951 | As 1949 base, but with "NH - 51" at top | none | A/B123 | County-coded | |
|
|
1952 | As 1950 base, but with "NH - 52" at top | none | A/B123 | County-coded | |
|
|
1953 | As 1949 base, but with "NH - 53" at top | none | A/B123 | County-coded | |
|
1954 | Embossed white serial on forest green plate with border line; "NEW HAMPSHIRE" at bottom; "1954" centered at top | none | AB123 | County-coded | First use of the full state name. |
|
1955 | Embossed forest green serial on white plate with border line; "NEW HAMPSHIRE" at bottom; "1955" centered at top | none | AB123 | County-coded | |
|
|
1956 | Embossed white serial on forest green plate with border line; "NEW HAMPSHIRE" at bottom; "1956" centered at top | none | AB123 | County-coded | First 6" x 12" plate. |
|
|
1957 | Embossed forest green serial on white plate with border line; "NEW HAMPSHIRE" at bottom; "19" at top left and "57" at top right | "SCENIC" centered at top | AB123 | County-coded | |
|
|
1958 | Embossed white serial on forest green plate with border line; "NEW HAMPSHIRE" at bottom; "19" at top left and "58" at top right | "SCENIC" centered at top | AB123 | County-coded | |
|
|
1959 | As 1957 base, but with "59" at top right | "SCENIC" as on 1957 base | AB123 | County-coded | |
|
1960 | As 1958 base, but with "60" at top right | "SCENIC" as on 1958 base | AB123 | County-coded | |
|
1961 | As 1957 base, but with "61" at top right | "SCENIC" as on 1957 base | AB123 | County-coded | |
|
1962 | As 1958 base, but with "62" at top right | "SCENIC" as on 1958 base | AB123 | County-coded | |
|
1963 | As 1957 base, but without border line, and with "63" at top right | "PHOTOSCENIC" centered at top | AB123 | County-coded | |
|
|
1964 | As 1958 base, but with "64" at top right | "SCENIC" as on 1958 base | AB123 | County-coded | |
|
|
1965 | As 1957 base, but with "65" at top right | "SCENIC" as on 1957 base | AB123 | County-coded | |
|
1966 | As 1958 base, but with "66" at top right | "SCENIC" as on 1958 base | AB123 | County-coded | |
|
1967 | As 1957 base, but with "67" at top right | "SCENIC" as on 1957 base | AB123 | County-coded | |
|
|
1968 | As 1958 base, but with "68" at top right | "SCENIC" as on 1958 base | AB123 | County-coded | |
|
|
1969 | As 1957 base, but with "69" at top right | "SCENIC" as on 1957 base | AB123 | County-coded | |
|
|
1970 | As 1958 base, but with "70" at top right | "SCENIC" as on 1958 base | AB123 | County-coded | |
|
1971 | As 1957 base, but with "71" at top right | "LIVE FREE OR DIE" centered at top | AB123 | County-coded | First use of the state motto on regular passenger plates. The motto had first been used on vanity plates on the 1970 base. |
|
1972 | As 1958 base, but with "72" at top right | "LIVE FREE OR DIE" centered at top | AB123 | County-coded |
1973 to present edit
In 1977, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that vehicle owners may cover up the mottos that a state places on its license plates. The case began in 1974 when George Maynard, a Jehovah's Witness from Claremont, New Hampshire, and his wife taped over the "Live Free or Die" motto on their plates. Maynard, who argued that the motto violated his religious beliefs, subsequently spent 15 days in jail for refusing to pay the $75 fine imposed for covering up the motto (equivalent to $460 in 2023). Justice Burger stated, "The First Amendment protects the right of individuals to hold a point of view different from the majority and to refuse to foster, in the way New Hampshire commands, an idea they find morally objectionable."[3][4]
| Image | Dates issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1973–74 | Embossed forest green serial on white plate with border line; "NEW HAMPSHIRE" at bottom; "73" at top right | "LIVE FREE OR DIE" centered at top | AB123 A/B1234 |
County-coded | Revalidated for 1974 with stickers. Four-digit serials with stacked county codes introduced in counties that had exhausted their three-digit allocations. |
|
1975–76 | Embossed white serial on forest green plate with border line; "NEW HAMPSHIRE" at bottom; "75" at top left | "LIVE FREE OR DIE" centered at top | AB123 A/B1234 |
County-coded | Monthly staggered registration introduced, with each plate expiring in the same month as the registrant's birthday. |
|
|
1977 | AB123 AB1234 |
Narrow dies introduced, allowing for six-character serials with full-size county code letters. | |||
|
|
December 1977 – July 1978 |
Embossed red serial on white plate with border line; "NEW HAMPSHIRE" at bottom | "LIVE FREE OR DIE" centered at top | XB1234 | XA1 to XF9999 |
Interim plates issued only to new registrants. Elements changed from red to green in response to concerns of confusion with Massachusetts plates of the time; unissued red plates were recalled and repainted accordingly before issue. |
|
|
July 1978 – December 1978 | As above, but with elements in green rather than red | XG1 to approximately XN7000[5] | |||
|
January 1979 – December 1983 | Embossed forest green serial on reflective white plate with border line; "NEW HAMPSHIRE" centered at bottom | "LIVE FREE OR DIE" centered at top | 123456 | 1 to 999999 | |
|
December 1983 – December 1986 | 12345A | 10000A to approximately 59000G[5] | |||
|
January 1987 – March 1989 | Embossed forest green serial on reflective white plate; "NEW HAMPSHIRE" screened in pale green centered at top, with a graphic of the Old Man of the Mountain in a circle between the two words | "Live Free or Die" screened in pale green centered at bottom | 123456 | 1 to 999999 | |
|
March 1989 – December 1998 | As above, but with dark green serial, state name and graphic | "LIVE FREE OR DIE" screened in dark green centered at bottom | ABC-123 | AAA-001 to approximately DEX-500[5] | |
| January 1999 – present | Embossed dark green serial on reflective graphic plate with Old Man of the Mountain and Cannon Mountain against pale blue sky; screened dark green "New HAMPSHIRE" centered at bottom, with cursive "New" above serifed "HAMPSHIRE" | "LIVE FREE OR DIE" screened in dark green centered at top | 12345 | 1 to 99999 | Old Man graphic at right (also the style for vanity plates). | |
| 123 456 | 999 999 to 100 000 | Serials progressed backwards.[6] Old Man graphic in center. | ||||
| 123 4567 | 100 0000 to 528 0052 (as of June 15, 2023)[7] | Old Man graphic slightly to left of center. | ||||
|
|
D1234 | D1000 to unknown | Old man graphic at right. Empty 3"x3" square at left for placement of a decal purchased separately from a legislatively approved organization or charity.[8] |
County coding edit
From 1949 to 1979, passenger plates in New Hampshire featured a two-letter code indicating the county in which the vehicle was registered, as follows:[9]
County code allocations edit
| County | Letter blocks |
|---|---|
| Belknap | BA–BZ |
| Carroll | CA–CZ |
| Cheshire | EA–EZ, ZA–ZH (from 1972) |
| Coös | OA–OZ |
| Grafton | GA–GZ |
| Hillsborough | HA–HZ, LA–LZ, IA–IZ (from 1959), JA–JZ (from 1968) |
| Merrimack | MA–MZ, NA–NZ (from 1967) |
| Rockingham | RA–RZ, KA–KZ (from 1955), PA–PZ (from 1968) |
| Strafford | FA–FZ, DA–DZ (from 1970) |
| Sullivan | SA–SZ |
Alphabetical cross-reference edit
| Letter blocks | County |
|---|---|
| BA–BZ | Belknap |
| CA–CZ | Carroll |
| DA–DZ | Strafford |
| EA–EZ | Cheshire |
| FA–FZ | Strafford |
| GA–GZ | Grafton |
| HA–HZ | Hillsborough |
| IA–IZ | Hillsborough |
| JA–JZ | Hillsborough |
| KA–KZ | Rockingham |
| LA–LZ | Hillsborough |
| MA–MZ | Merrimack |
| NA–NZ | Merrimack |
| OA–OZ | Coös |
| PA–PZ | Rockingham |
| RA–RZ | Rockingham |
| SA–SZ | Sullivan |
| ZA–ZH | Cheshire |
In addition, XA–XN were used on interim plates issued to new registrants between December 1977 and December 1978, while the serial AC 000 was and still is used on sample plates.
Non-passenger plates edit
| Image | Type | Dates issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Commercial | 1988–89 | As 1987–89 passenger base | "Live Free or Die" centered at bottom | AB1234 | AA0001 to approximately AB9999 | Possibly discontinued 2007.[10] |
|
|
1989–present | As 1989–98 passenger base | "LIVE FREE OR DIE" centered at bottom | AC0001 to approximately AE8800 | |||
|
|
Construction Equipment | 1999–present | As current passenger base, with Old Man of the Mountain graphic at right; "CONSTRUCT EQUIP" screened vertically over graphic | "LIVE FREE OR DIE" centered at top | C/E12345 | C/E00001 to C/E33447 (as of September 22, 2021) | |
|
|
Motorcycle | 1987–94 | Embossed green serial on white plate with border line; green Old Man of the Mountain graphic screened at top left with 'N' and 'H' on either side; "MOTORCYCLE" screened at bottom | none | 12345 | 1 to 99999 | |
|
|
1994–2004 | 1234A | 1000A to approximately 2000T | ||||
|
|
2004–08 | As above, but without border line | 2001T to 9999Z | ||||
|
|
2008–present | A1234 | A1000 to V8226 (as of March 17, 2020) | ||||
|
|
Trailer | ? to 2004 | As 1989–98 passenger base | "LIVE FREE OR DIE" centered at bottom | TB1234 | TA0001 to TZ9999 | |
|
|
2004–present | T123456 | T100000 to T700867 (as of May 29, 2022) | Same serial dies as current passenger base. |
Gallery edit
-
1951 commercial plate -
1967 U.S. Senate plate
References edit
- ^ Garrish, Christopher (October 2016). "Reconsidering the Standard Plate Size". Plates. Vol. 62, no. 5. Automobile License Plate Collectors Association.
- ^ Taylor, Eric Robert. "New Hampshire Archive". PorcelainPlates.net. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
- ^ "Justices uphold right to cover car-tag motto". Chicago Tribune. April 21, 1977. p. 6.
- ^ "Foes of Auto Tag Messages Gain". The New York Times. April 21, 1977. p. 18.
- ^ a b c Tanner, Eric N. "New Hampshire Passenger License Plates". allaboutlicenseplates.com. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
- ^ Sage, Kit; Tanner, Eric. "licenseplates.cc New Hampshire highs page". Retrieved June 24, 2009.
- ^ "New Hampshire License Plates". www.licenseplates.cc. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
- ^ "Decal Plates". NH Division of Motor Vehicles. Retrieved 2022-08-26.
- ^ Reback, Brian P. "New Hampshire - county codes". bprlicenseplates.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
- ^ Tanner, Eric N. "New Hampshire Truck/Commercial License Plates". allaboutlicenseplates.com. Retrieved July 5, 2021.