IDAHO

Like many western states, the earliest registration of automobiles was under the authority of various cities in the state.  It is unknown when licensing, or issuance of plates, began, but the oldest documented city plates are those issued in Boise in 1908.  All local registration ended in early 1913 with the passage of the first state law.  No dated 1913 city plates are known, but they might have existed in Hailey, which had annual dated issues in 1910-12.

The first state motor vehicle law, 1913 Chapter 179, was passed on March 13, 1913, and effective May 7, 1913.  Owners were required to register their vehicles with the Secretary of the newly-created State Highway Commission.  Annual fees were $15, $20, $25 or $40 depending on horsepower, and $5 for motorcycles. The annual dealer fee was $35, plus $1 for each additional plate needed.  Non-residents were exempted to the extent that their state allowed Idaho owners to operate motor vehicles in their home state.  All registered vehicles were exempt from any other taxation, and all local licensing was invalidated.  The registration year was January 1 to December 31.

The Secretary provided an annual state-issued rear plate which was to be 6" x 15" in size.  The highest known passenger plate for 1913 is #2301.  Dealer plates were to have the word "Dealer" in addition to the regular legends.  Dealers were issued one plate with their assigned number embossed.  If they applied for additional plates, they were issued blank Dealer plates with space for the business owner to paint on the assigned number.  Two 1913 Dealer plates are known, both of the flat, hand-painted duplicate type, the highest being #49.

The law states that motorcycles, in lieu of the large auto plate, "may display" the registered number in 2-inch-tall figures, along with the state name and year date, on the rear mud guard.  It is therefore believed that motorcycles were issued passenger plates in 1913, and likely 1914 and 1915 as well, but that the cumbersome large plates didn't have to be mounted if the owner displayed the 2-inch mudguard figures.  Based on the highest known 1913 passenger plate number of #2301, and the fact that 2,083 passenger vehicles and 261 motorcycles were registered in 1913, #2301 is too high for the passenger category of 2,083 but fits within the total of 2,344 for both types combined.  Similar situations exist for 1914 and 1915, the registration breakdowns of which can be found on the Idaho Prestate Motorcycle page.  A pair of photos taken in 1914 show a man and his motorcycle with a 1914 passenger plate #180 mounted to the rear wheel spokes.

The earliest Idaho motorcycle plate known is 1916 #750 (754 motorcycles were registered that year).  It is suspected that 1916 is the first year of issue, and that passenger plates (or, optionally, owner-provided plates) were used in 1913-15.  A new law, 1915 Chapter 64, passed one day short of exactly two years later on March 12, 1915, effective immediately, amended several sections of the 1913 law.  The most significant changes involved the application for registration and payment of fees to County Assessors instead of directly to the Secretary of the State Highway Commission, and the addition of chauffeur licensing.  However, there was no change in the language regarding motorcycle number display requirements.