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. 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.[1][2][3][4]
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 |
| 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 772 000 | 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 |
| 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) |