ALABAMA

The first state law in 1903 required motor vehicles to register with the Probate Judge of their county of residence, but there was no license plate or number display requirement.  This law did not restrict the authority of cities to pass ordinances to license automobiles.  Both Mobile and Birmingham passed ordinances in early 1905, and other cities followed shortly thereafter.  All local ordinances were invalidated by the new state motor vehicle registration law in October 1911.

Anniston (12,794)

On July 16, 1907, the Anniston Star reported on the passage of the city's automobile ordinance the night before.  "The ordinance also provides for the numbering of each car, to be secured from the city tax collector."

Birmingham (132,685)

An ordinance was passed on April 15, 1905, requiring a city-issued dashboard placque and an owner-provided plate.  An undated 3" x 4" brass plaque is known with #27 at top and "BIRMINGHAM" over "AUTOMOBILE" at bottom, and a second plaque, #336, is verified as being 2" x 4" in a diamond shape with the wording "CITY OF BIRMINGHAM" over "AUTOMOBILE" at bottom.  Numbers likely progressed higher over the 4-year period from 1905 to 1908.

Ordinance #196 (in Book "M"), passed on December 19, 1908, required city-issued annual rear plates.  The fee was $7.50.  It was reported on November 21, 1909, that the city had licensed 550 automobiles.  Three years of porcelain plates are known as follows, with numbers apparently progressing higher each year:

      1909 White on Blue    #90 -  442  (353)

      1910 Black on White  #510 - 1315  (806)

      1911 White on Blue  #1641 - 2401  (761)

There are two distinct varieties of the 1910 issue.

Decatur (4,228)

An undated leather plate #7 is known with "DECATUR" curved over "ALA" at left.  A 1909 porcelain plate has also been reported.

Dothan  (7,016)

A 1911 porcelain plate #180 is known.

Mobile (51,521)

An ordinance was passed on February 15, 1905, the earliest known in the state, requiring an owner-provided rear plate with 5-inch-tall numbers in white on black.  There was no mention of a fee.  Numbers were to start at #1.  At some point, city-issued plates began.  Blank registration forms have been verified for 1907, numbers 173 and 174, which indicate that city-issued rear plates were to expire March 15, 1908.  A 1908 white-on-blue porcelain plate #237 has been reported but not verified.  All 1909 plates have a date code (used by the Baltimore Enamel & Novelty Company) of "29" on the back, indicating a production date of February 1909 which is consistent with a city license year beginning on March 16th.  Three years of porcelain plates are known as follows:

      1909 Black on Green   #75 - 274   (200)

      1910 White on Black    #5 - 250   (246)

      1911 White on Black  #106 - 486   (381)

Montgomery (38,136)

The Montgomery Times mentioned on October 5, 1906, that "Only thirty machines have been licensed by the city clerk and had numbers attached in accordance with the requirements of the recent automobile ordinance..."  It would appear that licensing had begun in August 1906, according to the next article found.

The Montgomery Advertiser of June 25, 1907, mentioned that 67 automobiles were now licensed.  The City Clerk had ordered "metallic numbers up to seventy" "last August", which were about to run out.  He ordered numbers "70 to 100 inclusive" from the Niagara Falls Metal Stamping Works, which arrived on June 24.  "The numbers are of good metal and are nickle plated."

The only known year of city-issued plates is the 1909 white-on-green porcelain series, with #219 - 369 known, a range of over 150 numbers.  No 1910 or 1911 plates have ever turned up, leading to speculation that perhaps none were issued in those years.

On June 11, 1909, the Times published a detailed front-page article on the new 1909 plates:

     "NEW AUTO SIGNS HAVE REACHED THE CITY"

     "In Addition to Being Neat They Will do Much Toward Advertising Montgomery Wherever a Local Machine Goes."

     "Within a few days, artistic green signs, with white enamel letterings, will be seen hanging to the tail end of all the automobiles in this city, owned by those who wish to be thoroughly up-to-date.

      These new signs were received by City Clerk Black this morning, and are about as neat a piece of sign-work as could be designed.

      On a green background, there appears in big white letters the number of the automobile.  Down the side is the lettering "1909," and at the bottom is the word "Montgomery."  These all stand out in bold relief against the green back ground.

      Heretofore it has been the custom of the city to issue white enameled letters, and the owners of the machines have used any sort of background for these, that they have pleased.  This mounting of these letters has cost the owner of the auto more than will the new signs, all ready to be attached.

      In addition there will be a uniformity of signs, and those who are anxious to advertise the city of Montgomery, will have no better opportunity to do so.

      It is stated by the city clerk that these signs begin at the number of 200.  This, he explains, will not make a particle of difference to the man who is now using a number less than the 200 standard.  He further explains that if a number, such as 111 has been issued, the owner of the auto bearing this number will receive the number 211, or any other if he prefers it, and this new number will be entered on his certificate.

      It is known that some of the owners of automobiles have not secured a number, and it is stated that after a reasonable amount of time has been given to receive one, then the law will be rigidly enforced.

      What is particularly desired by the city, however, is that all of the automobile signs shall be alike so far as appearance goes, and the authorities have prepared an attractive sign, looking to this end.

      These signs will be sold at cost, or at seventy-five cents, and, while it is not compulsory that any owner who has previously purchased his number shall obtain one of these new ones, yet it is particularly desired that he will do so, and it is believed that after he has seen them, he will do so."

Another Times article on December 23, 1909, stated "That Montgomery ranks high in Alabama line is evident from the number of machine tags issued at the city clerk's office.  Since the first of this year a total of 256 licenses have been issued...At the present, an automobile owner has only to buy an auto tag at the city clerk's office which costs one dollar.  The new numbers ordered by the city will cost 75 cents additional."

This last sentence refers to the 1909 dated porcelain tags available since June 1909.

One possible explanation for the demise of automobile licensing in Montgomery is in an article published in the Montgomery Advertiser on March 10, 1910:  "Judge Clarke in the recorder's court today decided that the automobile license of $7.50 was a violation of the Fourteenth amendment of the Constitution of the United States.  The decision was in connection with a test case, brought by Walter Horn, owner of an automobile, who refused to pay the license."

Selma (13,649)

A 1908 disc with no serial number was issued by the Good Roads and Automobile Club.  An undated leather plate is also known with the letters "SELMA" and no serial numbers.  These may have been promotional items sold by the club for fund-raising purposes or to try to convince the city to pass an official registration ordinance.

The Selma Times-Journal published on May 11, 1910, an automobile ordinance that had been passed two days earlier.  This ordinance required automobile owners to register with the City Clerk, pay a $3 annual fee each January, and display a city-issued rear plate.  The plates were to be annual, start at #1 each year, and include the date, but nothing was mentioned about a city name or abbreviation!  Non-residents were allowed 10 days without registering as long as they submitted their name and home license number to the City Clerk within the first 24 hours.

Tuscaloosa (8,407)

Ordinance #63, passed February 17, 1910, required automobile registration.  The Tuscaloosa News of the following day reported:  "The ordinance was adopted.  It provides for an automobile license of $7.50, and requires that all automobiles be numbered and have their numbers attached to the machines.  The city furnishes the numbers, which are issued by the city clerk upon the payment of the license."  The full ordinance was published in the same paper on March 1, 1910, including the passage "...the said city shall furnish itself with a sufficient number of suitable pads with numbers thereon."

An old-time resident recalled an undated leather plate #26 on the rear of his family's 1910 Cadillac purchased in October 1909.  A leather plate has also been reported with "TUSC" vertically at right, and a 1910 certificate reportedly exists.