IDAHO

Registration of motor vehicles was under the authority of cities that passed ordinances regulating automobiles until the first state law, passed March 13, 1913, and effective May 7, 1913, invalidated all local licensing.  The oldest documented city plates are Boise issues of 1908.

Boise (17,358)

An Idaho Daily Statesman news article on August 27, 1908, mentions that the City Clerk had just received 100 automobile numbers to be issued for $3 each to comply with the recently-passed automobile ordinance.  Numbers began at #1.  The City Clerk's annual report for fiscal year August 1, 1909 to July 31, 1910, lists the following entry:  "135 auto tags sold, 283 total autos licensed."  This leaves a total of 148 registered in the first year, August 1, 1908, to July 31, 1909.

An undated leather plate #822 is known, which reportedly dates from about 1909.  Undated embossed white-on-maroon metal plates #182 to #541 are also known in a style very similar to Oregon 1908-11 first-issue plates.  These have the name "BOISE" in large full-size letters preceding the number.

Another Idaho Daily Statesman article on January 21, 1911, reports that presently, motorcycles must display a "placard," but that an amendment is being considered to the automobile and motorcycle license act that would allow motorcycle owners to paint their number on the mudguards instead.

Caldwell (3,543)

According to articles in the Caldwell Tribune, the city passed Ordinance #124 on June 14, 1909, requiring owners of automobiles and motorcycles to register with the City Clerk and pay a $5 annual fee.  The City Clerk would then issue a permit and an annual dated rear plate.  The ordinance states that "The tags...shall be of metal with raised letters and numbers thereon, four inches in height, and shall contain the word "Caldwell" and the number."  No plates are known, but a report of the city's fiscal year from May 4, 1909, to May 2, 1910, states that $130 was taken in, which represents 26 license plates that first year.

Emmett (1,351)

A 1910 photo shows a sign shop's offerings including a brass license plate similar in construction to Lewiston's plates.  "EMMETT" is slanted to the left of a large number.  The fact that a shop would have an Emmett plate for sale indicates that a city licensing law must have been in effect, requiring automobile owners to supply their own plates.

Hailey (1,231)(Hailey-Bellevue also reported)

Three years of dated porcelain plates are known, as follows:

      1910 White on Blue  #8 - 28, "HAILEY/IDAHO./1910." left

      1911 White on Blue #36 - 40, same design as 1910

      1912 White on Blue (or Blue on White?)

The city's registration year is not known, but a 1913 plate might have been issued before the state law took effect.

Lewiston (6,043)

Very large undated embossed solid brass plates containing white numbers with brass outlines on a black background are known, #L37 to #L161.

Nampa (4,205)

An undated leather plate #741 was found in Nampa, but this number is higher than expected for a city of this size, and could be from nearby Boise.  An undated white-on-red porcelain plate #65 is known with the word "NAMPA" preceding the number in same-size large letters.  An embossed metal white-on-red plate has been reported as well.  Finally, a 1912 dated porcelain plate was reported, with such annual plates having supposedly begun in 1910.  More research is needed here to sort out the various types of plates seen.

Payette (1,948)

Undated red-on-white porcelain plates #178 to #197 are known with "PAYETTE" at top and "IDA" vertically at the right.

Twin Falls (5,258)

Undated plates #TF 96 and #TF 101 are visible on cars in a period photo.  The material and construction are unknown, but the "TF" prefix is slanted.

Wallace (3,000)

The Missoulian (Missoula, Montana) published on June 17, 1912, an article as follows:  "Wallace, June 16. - City Clerk L. L. Leighty has received the automobile numbers for tagging the cars in Wallace and it is now in order for the owners of the cars to apply for them, pay their $3 fee and hang the numbers on their cars, in conformity with the ordinance recently passed..."
 

Weiser (2,600)

An undated white-on-blue porcelain plate #119 is known with the name "WEISER" preceding the number in full-size large letters.  Another plate, also #119, has "WEISER" at top and "IDAHO" at bottom.