Vehicle registration plates of New Hampshire
The U.S. state of New Hampshire first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1905.
Passenger baseplates
1905 to 1972
In 1956, the U.S. states and Canadian provinces 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 numbers on green porcelain plate; "N.H." centered at bottom | none | 1234 | 1 to approximately 7200 | ||
1912 | Embossed green numbers on white plate; vertical "NH" and "1912" at left and right respectively | none | 1234 | 1 to approximately 5700 | ||
1913 | White numbers on green porcelain plate; vertical "NH" and "1913" at left and right respectively | none | 1234 | 1000 to approximately 7800 | ||
1914 | White numbers on green porcelain plate; vertical "NH" and "1914" at left and right respectively | none | 1234 | 1000 to approximately 9700 | ||
1915 | Green numbers on white porcelain plate; "N. H." and "1915" centered at top and bottom respectively | none | 12345 | 1000 to approximately 13500 | ||
1916 | White numbers on green porcelain plate; vertical "NH" and "1916" at left and right respectively | none | 12345 | 1 to approximately 17600 | ||
1917 | Green numbers on white porcelain plate; "N. H." and "1917" centered at top and bottom respectively | none | 12345 | 100 to approximately 23100 | ||
1918 | White numbers 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 numbers on white flat metal plate; "N H" and "1919" centered at top and bottom respectively | none | 12345 | 100 to approximately 30000 | ||
1920 | White numbers 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 numbers on white flat metal plate; "N H" and "1921" centered at top and bottom respectively | none | 12345 | 100 to approximately 42500 | ||
1922 | Embossed white numbers on dark green plate with border line; "N.H. 1922" centered at bottom | none | 12345 | 100 to approximately 48500 | ||
1923 | Embossed dark green numbers 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 numbers 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 numbers 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 numbers 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 numbers 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 numbers on green plate with border line; "NH-28" centered at top | none | 123-456 | 100 to approximately 103-000 | ||
1929 | Embossed green numbers 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 until 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 numbers on white plate with border line; "NH 45" centered at top | none | 12-345 | 1 to approximately 98-000 | ||
1946 | Embossed white numbers 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 numbers on white plate with border line; "NH - 49" centered at top | none | A/B123 | County-coded | ||
1950 | Embossed white numbers 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 numbers 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 numbers on white plate with border line; "NEW HAMPSHIRE" at bottom; "1955" centered at top | none | AB123 | County-coded | ||
1956 | Embossed white numbers 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 numbers 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 numbers 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
Image | Dates issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1973–74 | Embossed forest green numbers 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 numbers 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 numbers on white plate with border line; "NEW HAMPSHIRE" at bottom | "LIVE FREE OR DIE" centered at top | XA1234 | 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[3] | ||||
January 1979 – December 1983 | Embossed forest green numbers 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[3] | ||||
January 1987 – March 1989 | Embossed forest green numbers 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 numbers, state name and graphic | "LIVE FREE OR DIE" screened in dark green centered at bottom | ABC-123 | AAA-001 to approximately DEX-500[3] | ||
January 1999 – present | Embossed dark green numbers on reflective graphic plate with Old Man of the Mountain and Cannon Mountain against pale blue sky; screened "New HAMPSHIRE" centered at bottom, with "New" in dark green cursive letters above "HAMPSHIRE" in dark green serifed letters | "LIVE FREE OR DIE" screened in dark green block letters centered at top | 12345 | 1 to 99999 | Old Man graphic at far right (also the style for vanity plates). | |
123 456 | 999 999 to 100 000 | Serials progressed backwards.[4] Old Man graphic in center. | ||||
123 4567 | 100 0000 to 449 0000 (as of October 5, 2018) | Old Man graphic slightly to left of center. |
County coding
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:[5]
County code allocations
County | Letter blocks |
---|---|
Belknap | BA-BZ |
Carroll | CA-CZ |
Cheshire | EA-EZ, ZA-ZZ (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
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-ZZ | 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 types
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 | AA1234 | AA0001 to approximately AB9999 | ||
1989–present | As 1989–98 passenger base | "LIVE FREE OR DIE" centered at bottom | AC0001 to present | ||||
Motorcycle | 1987–94 | Embossed green numbers on white plate with border line; green graphic of Old Man of the Mountain 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 present | |||||
Trailer | ? to 2004 | As 1989–98 passenger base | "LIVE FREE OR DIE" centered at bottom | TA1234 | TA0001 to TZ9999 | ||
2004–present | T123456 | T100000 to present | Same dies as current passenger base. |
References
- ↑ Garrish, Christopher (October 2016). "Reconsidering the Standard Plate Size". Plates. Vol. 62 no. 5. Automobile License Plate Collectors Association.
- ↑ "New Hampshire Archive". PorcelainPlates.net. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
- 1 2 3 "New Hampshire License Plates". allaboutlicenseplates.com. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
- ↑ Sage, Kit; Tanner, Eric. "licenseplates.cc New Hampshire highs page". Retrieved June 24, 2009.
- ↑ "New Hampshire - county codes". bprlicenseplates.com. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
External links