ARIZONA

Arizona became a state on February 14, 1912, and four months later, the first state motor vehicle registration law was passed.  Prior to 1912, cities passed ordinances requiring automobiles to register with city plates, and the earliest of these appears to have been Phoenix in 1908.  Prescott and Tucson even issued porcelain plates in the 1910-12 era.

1912 Chapter 27, passed June 15, 1912, effective immediately, required automobiles and motorcycles to pay an annual fee to the Secretary of State, who issued a disc marked with the vehicle type (automobile or motorcycle) and the assigned registration number.  The fees were $5 or $10 depending on horsepower, or $2 for motorcycles.  Dealer fees were the same as automobiles, plus 50c for each additional seal needed.  Renewals were to only cost $3; however, it is thought that no renewals occurred under this law because the next motor vehicle law passed in 1913 extended all 1912-13 plates until 1914 plates were issued.  Non-residents were allowed six months in the state before having to pay a $5 fee, and all local ordinances regulating motor vehicles were prohibited, ending city plates.

The registration year was not specified, but registration began on September 20, 1912, with at least #1 to #134 issued that day, and the discs were dated "1912-13".  Motorists were required to display an owner-provided rear plate with their assigned disc number in 3-inch-tall numbers and "the abbreviated name of the State" in 1-inch-tall letters.  Known examples show "ARIZ" or "ARZ".  Colors were stipulated as either black-on-white or white-on-black, although motorists tended to comply with this aspect of the law rather loosely, as several plates with silver and other light shades are known.  One was even manufactured in porcelain.  The highest known plate is #3429.  Motorcycles received numbers from within the regular passenger series.  Numbers issued by calendar year are as follows:

      1912      1 - 1852   (1,852)

      1913   1853 - 3583   (1,731)

Of the total of 3,583, 483 were issued to motocycles. A 1912-13 disc #4035 is known, raising questions about the numbering system.  Was this an unissued leftover disc?

Another interesting feature was that Dealer registrations during 1912 and 1913 seemed to all be issued in the 1200 - 1299 series.

1913 Chapter 68, passed sometime in 1913 and effective January 1, 1914, required annual state-issued pairs of plates (or single rear plates for motorcycles) in addition to the state-issued disc marked as to vehicle type.  (Discs continued to be issued through 1916.)  The registration year was clearly established as January 1 to December 31, and the law extended all old registrations issued since September 20, 1912, to December 31, 1913.  The only other pertinent change was the adjusting of fees which, while still based on horsepower, would now be $5, $10 or $15, depending on newly-revised horsepower ratings.

Dealer plates were not marked as such in 1914, but were issued scattered numbers in certain blocks out of the passenger series.  Dealer numbers were issued within the #151 - 200 and 1201 - 1300 ranges.  A pair of 1914 plates #1255 is known and was issued to a dealership.  The word "DEALER" was added in 1915.  The registration totals for 1914, and the highest known plate numbers, are listed below (it must be noted that 1914 plate #5050 was sent out of state as a souvenir):

                          PASSENGER/DEALER   MOTORCYCLE

Total registered:              5,040             742

Highest known plate:          #4883             #948