MONTANA

The first state law enacting motor vehicle registration was passed in early 1913.  Before that, various cities passed ordinances concerning automobile registration.  The oldest confirmed example requiring license numbers to be displayed is from Anaconda in 1907, although it is possible that number plates appeared as early as 1902 in Great Falls.  All city registration was invalidated by the 1913 state law.

Anaconda (10,134)

An Anaconda Standard news article on June 27, 1907, mentioned that the day before, the first arrest was made under the new automobile law, which also required automobiles to have numbers.  On November 17, 1908, the Standard stated that "The Anaconda council met in special session last night...Another ordinance providing for a license of $2 a year on each automobile in the city and for numbering them was passed."

Billings (10,031)

According to the Billings Gazette on June 17, 1908, "The council passed an ordinance limiting the speed of automobiles, providing for the registration of each car...It also provides that all automobiles shall be registered and carry numbers at least three inches high on the back of the cars."  On August 8, 1909, the Gazette reported that "Fifty automobiles are licensed in this city..."  

Butte (39,165)

The Butte Miner mentioned on July 6, 1906, that the Judiciary Committee had reported that "We have had under consideration council bill No. 3, a bill for an ordinance providing for metal tags on automobiles...operated within the city of Butte, and would recommend that the same be adopted."  The Butte Daily Post of July 12, 1906, reported that "Alderman Ambrose called attention to the fact that nothing had been done in the way of making automobiles use numbers...Mayor MacGinniss said that just as soon as the numbers were ready the chief of police would see that they were carried by the machines."

From the Anaconda Standard on May 7, 1907, we have the report that "A law has been put upon the statute books regulating the speed of automobiles...and requiring such machines to carry metal tags as means of identification and requiring the owners thereof to buy a license from the city government."  On May 9, 1907, the Butte Miner mentioned that "The ordinance states that no automobile shall proceed faster than six miles an hour in the city," said Chief Mulholland.  "Every auto must have its number in plain sight.  Its number also must be on its lanterns."  (An ordinance was passed July 24, 1907, to change speed limits from 6 M.P.H. to 8 M.P.H.)

Another Standard article on August 10, 1908, stated that "There is going to be trouble for some of the automobile owners of Butte who have licenses from the city...When a license is taken out at the treasurer's office a tin tag containing the number is issued.  These tags are all uniform in size and appearance.  Several automobile owners have had more elaborate tags made than those issued by the city - tags with the numbers embossed instead of just painted on.  The law requires that the tag issued by the city shall be the one used..."

In the Butte Daily Post on September 24, 1910, the City Clerk's report was given, showing receipts for the year ending April 30, 1910, as including $74 for "Automobile license."

The problem persisted in 1911, as evidenced by another Standard report on July 13, 1911, with the headline "LEATHER TAGS DON'T GO."  It said that "Because they did not have metallic tags on their automobiles, C. M. Goodenberger [#50] amd S. H. Wilson were arrested on warrants.  The machines bore leather tags."

The Anaconda Standard of April 18, 1912, reported on Butte's new 1912 plates:  "Most attractive are the brand new automobile tags just received at the city treasurer's office.  To Butte automobile owners, the tags formerly furnished were unsatisfactory...The new tags are numbered consecutively from 1 to 600...Old tags may be exchanged for new ones upon payment of the actual cost of the new tags, which is 25 cents each."

1912 embossed plates #161 to #596 are known with "BUTTE, MONT." sideways at left and "1912" sideways at right. (An undated plate has also been reported.)

Great Falls (13,948)

An undated leather plate #1 is known, and was reportedly issued on June 16, 1902, to Dr. R. P. Gordon for his Locomobile.  If this date can be fully documented, it would represent an unusually early license plate ordinance, predating many other major cities including Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.  It has been ascertained that Dr. Gordon was the first automobile owner in Great Falls, and that, according to the Great Falls Tribune on February 4, 1902, "Dr. Gordon's new automobile arrived yesterday afternoon from the east and is being set up..."  It was indeed a Locomobile.

The Motor Way reported on January 21, 1905, that a city ordinance had been proposed, providing for the numbering of delivery wagons, drays and automobiles, requiring their display on the rear.  We aren't certain if it passed, or if this relates to the 1902 report above.

The Great Falls Tribune of January 14, 1913, stated "That it is very likely the automobile ordinance recently adopted by the city council will not be enforced but that it will be necessary to repeal it...that a bill had been introduced before the present legislative assembly placing a state license upon automobiles and thereby restraining cities from imposing such a license.  He [the Mayor] said a committee had been authorized to look into the matter of the purchase of number tags for Great Falls automobiles and he suggested that the matter be held in abeyance until it should be ascertained what the legislature would do."

Helena (12,515)

According to The Horseless Age on October 4, 1905, an ordinance was passed requiring automobiles to register with the police department.

Kalispell (5,549)  

An article in the Whitefish Pilot on September 29, 1910, featured the headline "KALISPELL AUTOMOBILES TAGGED" with the following text:  "The city council passed an ordinance compelling each automobile owner to wear a large tin sign for and aft, displaying the number of the machine..."  Another article on May 23, 1912, reported that "There are 154 privately owned automobiles in Kalispell, or at least there are that many license tags in active use."

Lewistown (2,992)

The Fergus County Democrat published a brief report on November 2, 1909, stating that "At the regular meeting of the city council last night, a new automobile ordinance was passed...The ordinance provides that each machine shall be registered and numbered..."  

Malta (433)

The Great Falls Tribune of August 19, 1912, stated that "At the last meeting of the town council a new ordinance was passed making it a misdemeanor for all automobile owners to run cars in this city without first securing a city license for same and having their license numbers prominently displayed on the rear of the car...This new law will not apply to cars owned outside of Malta."

Missoula (12,869)

The Missoulian reported on September 26, 1907, that "The automobiles will soon have their numbers.  The figures have been ordered by City Treasurer Small and should be here in a few days."

Announcements in the Missoulian included one on May 9, 1910, stating "Notice of Automobile License" and "A license of two dollars ($2) is due the city of Missoula...beginning May 1 of this year and expires April 30, 1911."  Another one on June 19, 1910, reported "Notice to Auto Owners" and "All autos not registered and numbered in front and rear of car are subject to arrest after June 30, 1910."

According to the Missoulian of May 16, 1912, "Mayor Rhoades moved that the time be extended to June 15, as the new tags which he had designed would be here by that time.  The new tag carries the license number, the year and the name of the state."

Another Missoulian article on July 13, 1912, reported that "Some time ago it was announced that the tags designed by Mayor Rhoades had been received and that the owners of automobiles should call on the city treasurer...The yearly license costs $2 and the tags are $1 each.  It takes two of those tags, one for the front and one for the rear of the machine..."

From annual reports of the City Clerk and/or the City Treasurer, we can ascertain the number of $2 automobile licenses sold each year except for 1911/12 which couldn't be located:

May 1, 1907 to April 30, 1908 -  54

May 1, 1908 to April 30, 1909 -  43

May 1, 1909 to April 30, 1910 -  56

May 1, 1910 to April 30, 1911 -  71

May 1, 1911 to April 30, 1912 -   ?

May 1, 1912 to April 30, 1913 - 195

An undated embossed small plate #27 is known with "3RD QUARTER".  This is probably a vendor or hack license of some type, since no other city automobile license plates in the United States are known to have been issued by quarterly periods.

Walkerville (2,491)

According to the Butte Daily Post on August 8, 1911, "Walkerville is to require all automobilists to pay a license of $3 hereafter, according to an ordinance passed at the meeting of the city council last night.  The auto people will have to apply to the city treasurer...for a tag...The automobile ordinance...applies only to persons owning machines in the hill city.  In the past automobiles owned by Walkerville have been running into this city without interference on the part of the city authorities, but it was thought best by the auto owners in Walkerville that licenses should be issued and tags given out displaying a number, and it was for this reason that the ordinance was passed.  Machines from this city [Butte] going into Walkerville are not affected by the action of the council last night...There are some seven or eight autos owned in Walkerville."