Each of the 50 states of the United States of America plus several of its territories and the District of Columbia issued individual passenger license plates for 1909.[1][2][3][4]
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.
| Image | State | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
|---|
| Alabama | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1912. |
| 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 |
| Wyoming | No prestate plates. State issued plates begin in 1913. |
1. ^{{cite book |last=Fox |first=Jams K. |date=1997 |title=License Plates of the United States: A Pictorial History 1903-To the Present |location=Jerico, New York |publisher=Interstate Directory Publishing Company |isbn=9781886777002 }}
2. ^{{cite book |last1=Minard |first1=Jeff |last2=Stentiford |first2=Tim |date=2004 |title=A Moving History, 50 Years Of ALPCA. 100 Years Of License Plates |location=Paducah, Kentucky |publisher=Turner Publishing Company |page=58 |isbn=1-56311-975-7 }}
3. ^{{cite book |editor1-last=Crisler |editor1-first=Bob |editor2-last=Crisler |editor2-first=Chuck |date=2007 |edition=7th |title=License Plate Values |url= |location= |publisher=King Publishing Company }}
4. ^{{cite book |last=Martells |first=Jack |date=1980 |title=Antique Automotive Collectbles |location=Chicago, Illinois |publisher=Contemporary Books, Inc. |pages=128-145 |isbn=0-8092-7205-9 }}