TYPE |
INFORMATION |
MAINE
There are no known pre-state plates or city automobile ordinances prior to the first state registration law of 1905. Maine's first motor vehicle law was 1903 Chapter 237, passed March 28, 1903, which provided for speed limits and road regulations only. It is entirely possible that cities felt relieved from passing their own ordinances after this time since the state law covered speed limits in general terms.
FIRST-ISSUE SERIES 1905-11
1905 Chapter 147, passed March 24, 1905, and effective June 1, 1905, required all motor vehicle owners to register with the Secretary of State, pay a one-time fee of $2 (or $10 for dealers and manufacturers) and display a pair of state-issued plates or a single rear motorcycle plate. Owners were also required to obtain an operator's license for a $2 fee. Non-residents were exempted as long as they were registered in their home jurisdiction and displayed a pair of plates or rear motorcycle plate.
Registration began on June 1, 1905, although applications were being accepted and received as early as April 24, with about 100 certificates already issued by May 5. No plates had arrived as of May 11, but they had been ordered. First-issue plates were undated white-on-red porcelain, the first order of which was manufactured in May 1905. (The motorcycle plates were slightly smaller than all other plates.) Unless the original vehicle was sold or or destroyed, these plates remained valid through December 31, 1911.
Transfers were not done, and new vehicle purchases were issued new plates in all cases. The Lewiston Sun-Journal of June 6, 1906, reported that "Agent D. F. Bean sold his auto Saturday and will invest in a new one soon." Mr. Bean first had #51, issued June 1, 1905, which then expired, and was issued #1253 in August 1906 for his new automobile. Similarly, the holder of #53 lost his number in 1907. According to the Biddeford Journal Tribune on July 12, 1907, "J. Will Leavitt has sold his Stanley Auto to George P. Chase." Mr. Leavitt's #53 expired, his new auto was assigned #1818 in June 1907, and the Stanley now owned by Mr. Chase was assigned #1946 in July 1907.
The highest known 1905-11 first-issue plates are as follows: Passenger #10050, Motorcycle #A.761, Dealer #B219. Table 1 lists 1905-11 first-issue plate numbers issued by calendar year according to state auditor reports and newspaper articles.
TABLE 1 - 1905-11 FIRST-ISSUE PLATE NUMBERS ISSUED BY YEAR
PASSENGER MOTORCYCLE DEALER
1905 1 - 736 (736) A.1 - A.104 (104) B.1 - B.25 (25)
1906 737 - 1385 (649) A.105 - A.151 (47) B.26 - B.44 (19)
1907 1386 - 2238 (853) A.152 - A.228 (77) B.45 - B.59 (15)
1908 2239 - 3232 (994) A.229 - A.339 (111) B.60 - B.81 (22)
1909 3233 - 4860 (1,628) A.340 - A.472 (133) B.82 - B.125 (44)
1910 4861 - 7288 (2,428) A.473 - A.624 (152) B.126 - B.166 (41)
1911 7289 - 10053 (2,765) A.625 - A.769 (145) B.167 - B.222 (56)
ANNUAL PLATES STARTING 1912
1911 Chapter 162, passed March 30, 1911, and effective January 1, 1912, required annual registration, fees and license plates. The registration year was January 1 to December 31. Operator's licenses remained at $2 but now became annual as well. Registration fees were set as follows: Passenger vehicles $5, $10 or $15 depending upon horsepower, Motorcycles $3, Commercial automobiles and trucks $10, Traction engines and Log haulers $10, Dealers and manufacturers $25 for 5 pairs of plates (and 75c for each additional plate), and Motorcycle dealers and manufacturers $6 for 3 "sets of seals or other distinguishing marks" (and 50c for each additional seal). Half rates were in effect for all vehicles except motorcycles, traction engines and log haulers after October 1 of each year. Non-residents were allowed 30 days before having to register.
According to Section 8, "Motor cycles will be provided with a registration seal or other distinguishing mark as may be determined by the secretary of state." Although undated porcelain plates were issued for motorcycles in 1912, small vertical dated unpainted brass strips were issued in 1913-15 instead, with plates resuming in 1916. It's interesting to note that the state considered issuing discs such as those being issued in Massachusetts and Vermont (and later New Hampshire as well), but the wording of the law indicates the state wanted to keep its options open. For 1912 only, motorcycle plates were full-sized, exactly like those for all other vehicles except for their "A" prefix.
Undated plates were issued in 1912 (Dark Blue on Yellow) and 1913 (Yellow on Dark Blue), while dated plates began in 1914. The highest known 1912 plates are as follows: Passenger #8179, Motorcycle #A385, Dealer #B263.
1905-11 AMOUNTS AND HIGHEST NUMBERS ISSUED BY MONTH OR DATE
PASSENGER MOTORCYCLE DEALER
1905 JUN 1 #1 #A.1 #B.1
JUN 1 345
JUN 2 357 A.20 B.19
JUN 9 428 A.42
JUN 12 447
JUN 22 484
JUL 14 550 A.73
AUG 12 632 A.82
SEP 11 685 A.87 B.25
SEP 30 "over 700"
NOV 13 731 A.96
DEC 31 736 A.104 B.25
TOTAL 736 104 25
1906 FEB 22 746
MAR 22 763
APR 20 821
MAY 14 874 A.110 B.36
JUN 17 1068
JUL 12 1164
AUG 16 1251
SEP 2 1293
OCT 9 1345
DEC 31 1385 A.151 B.44
TOTAL 649 47 19
1907 JAN 6 1391
FEB 5 1396
MAR 28 1424
APR 119 1543
MAY 182 1725
JUN 159 1884 A.191
JUL 142 2026 15 A.206
AUG 29 8 A.214
AUG 87 2113
SEP 65 2178 A.224
OCT 41 2219 4 A.228 B.59
NOV 16 2235 0 A.228 0 B.59
DEC 3 2238 0 A.228 0 B.59
TOTAL 853 77 15
1908 JAN 8 2246 0 A.228
FEB 6 2252 0 A.228
MAR 25 B.65
MAR 36 2288 4 A.232
APR 129 2417 24 A.256
MAY 169 2586 17 A.273 B.71
JUN 207 2793 18 A.291 4 B.75
JUL 168 2961 20 A.311 3 B.78
AUG 93 3054 20 A.331 1 B.79
SEP 78 3132 4 A.335 1 B.80
OCT 69 3201 4 A.339 1 B.81
NOV 17 3218 0 A.339 0 B.81
DEC 14 3232 0 A.339 0 B.81
TOTAL 994 111 22
1909 JAN 19 3251 1 A.340 1 B.82
FEB 28 3279 0 A.340 5 B.87
MAR 70 3349 5 A.345 5 B.92
APR 170 3519 19 A.364 5 B.97
MAY 355 3874 19 A.383 6 B.103
JUN 344 4218 42 A.425 5 B.108
JUL 277 4495 20 A.445 3 B.111
AUG 157 4652 19 A.464 3 B.114
SEP 90 4742 4 A.468 1 B.115
OCT 70 4812 4 A.472 4 B.119
NOV 34 4846 0 A.472 4 B.123
DEC 14 4860 0 A.472 2 B.125
TOTAL 1,628 133 44
1910 JAN 11 4871 0 A.472 1 B.126
FEB 28 4899 1 A.473 3 B.129
MAR 124 5023 4 A.477 9 B.138
APR 443 5466 19 A.496 7 B.145
MAY 469 5935 30 A.526 7 B.152
JUN 394 6329 34 A.560 2 B.154
JUL 305 6634 20 A.580 3 B.157
AUG 282 6916 19 A.599 2 B.159
SEP 191 7107 10 A.609 1 B.160
OCT 131 7238 13 A.622 2 B.162
NOV 37 7275 2 A.624 2 B.164
DEC 13 7288 0 A.624 2 B.166
TOTAL 2,428 152 41
1911 JAN 26 7314 0 A.624 3 B.169
FEB 27 7341 0 A.624 2 B.171
MAR 85 7426 2 A.626 4 B.175
APR 395 7821 13 A.639 9 B.184
MAY 672 8493 38 A.677 12 B.196
JUN 556 9059 34 A.711 9 B.205
JUL 338 9397 28 A.739 5 B.210
AUG 283 9680 19 A.758 5 B.215
SEP 200 9880 7 A.765 3 B.218
OCT 102 9982 3 A.768 1 B.219
NOV 36 10018 1 A.769 2 B.221
DEC 35 10053 0 A.769 1 B.222
TOTAL 2,765 145 56
Sources:
Bangor Daily News
Bar Harbor Record
Bath Independent and Enterprise
Biddeford-Saco Journal
Daily Kennebec Record
DIRECTORY LISTINGS: All from Portland Sunday Telegram unless noted.
1905-07 1908 1909
2/25/06 1 - 736 4/12 2251 - 2294 ? (3231 - 3271)
2/24/07 737 - 1396 5/10 2294 - 2335 4/18 3272 - 3295
2/23/08 1397 - 2251 5/17 2336 - 2378 4/25 3297 - 3335
5/24 2379 - 2427 5/2 3336 - 3380
5/31 2428 - 2470 5/9 3381 - 3420
6/7 2471 - 2514 5/16 3421 - 3450
6/14 2515 - 2556 5/23 3451 - 3488
6/21 2557 - 2599 5/30 3489 - 3539
6/28 2600 - 2646 6/6 3540 - 3590
7/5 2647 - 2694 6/13 3591 - 3639
7/12 2697 - 2741 6/27 3640 - 3695
7/19 2742 - 2781 7/4 3696 - 3751
7/26 2782 - 2821 7/11 3752 - 3801
8/2 2822 - 2869 7/18 3802 - 3853
8/9 2870 - 2910 7/25 3854 - 3903
8/16 2911 - 2951 8/1 3904 - 3957
8/23 2952 - 2990 8/8 3958 - 4009
8/30 2991 - 3031 8/15 4010 - 4040
9/13 3032 - 3071 8/22 4041 - 4121
9/20 3072 - 3095 8/29 4122 - 4175
9/27 3095 - 3111 9/5 4176 - 4236
10/11 3111 - 3143 9/12 4237 - 4301
10/25 3145 - 3168 9/19 4302 - 4360
11/15 3169 - 3201 9/26 4362 - 4422
11/29 3202 - 3212 10/3 4424 - 4478
12/27 3213 - 3230 10/10 4479 - 4545
10/17 4546 - 4599
10/24 4600 - 4650
10/31 4651 - 4700
11/7 4701 - 4750
11/14 4751 - 4800(!)
11/21 4781 - 4807
11/28 4808 - 4838
12/26 4839 - 4855
1910 1911 1912
2/20 4856 - 4887 1/15 7258 - 7290 1/21 1 - 150
4/3 4888 - 4933 1/22 7291 - 7305 1/28 151 - 288
4/10 4934 - 4985 2/19 7306 - 7328 2/4 289 - 449
4/17 4986 - 5029 3/5 7329 - 7345 2/18 450 - 653
? miss(5030 - 5077) 3/12 7346 - 7361 3/24 693 - 822
5/1 5078 - 5128 ? (7362 - 7386) 3/31 654 - 692,
5/8 5129 - 5185 3/26 7387 - 7407 823 - 1063
5/15 5186 - 5235 4/9 7408 - 7436 4/7 1064 - 1275
5/22 5236 - 5286 4/16 7437 - 7516 4/14 1276 - 1551
5/29 5287 - 5342 4/23 7517 - 7622 ? miss(1552 - 2129*)
6/5 5343 - 5387 4/30 7623 - 7721 4/28 2130 - 2591
6/12 5388 - 5460 5/7 7722 - 7777 5/5 2592 - 2962
6/19 5461 - 5517 5/14 7778 - 7868 5/12 2963 - 3290
? miss(5518 - 5568*) 5/21 7869 - 8036 5/19 3291 - 3632
7/3 5569 - 5622 5/28 8037 - 8172 5/26 3633 - 4235
7/10 5623 - 5675 6/4 8173 - 8363 6/2 4236 - 4590
7/17 5676 - 5730 6/11 8364 - 8584 6/9 4591 - 5169
7/24 5731 - 5790 6/18 8585 - 8674 6/16 5170 - 5689
7/31 5791 - 5842 6/25 8675 - 8805 6/23 5690 - 5846
8/7 5843 - 5878 7/2 8806 - 9038 6/30 5847 - 5996
8/14 5879 - 5962 7/9 9039 - 9126 7/7 5999 - 6242
8/21 5963 - 6011 7/16 9127 - 9249 7/14 6243 - 6626
8/28 6012 - 6203 7/23 9250 - 9325 7/21 6627 - 6945
9/4 6204 - 6360 7/30 9326 - 9390 7/28 6946 - 7209
9/11 6361 - 6511 8/6 9391 - 9465 8/4 7210 - 7424
9/18 6512 - 6596 8/20 9466 - 9563 8/18 7425 - 7507
9/25 6597 - 6812 8/27 9564 - 9656 ? (7508 - 7608)
10/2 6813 - 6958 9/10 9657 - 9747 9/22 7609 - 7831
10/9 6959 - 7087 9/24 9748 - 9797 9/29 7832 - 8018
10/16 7088 - 7149 10/1 9798 - 9876 10/27 8019 - 8105
10/23 7150 - 7197 10/15 9877 - 9949 12/29 8106 - 8143
11/13 7198 - 7256 10/29 9950 - 10007
*18 scattered numbers 5519 - 5564 in Bangor Daily News, 6/28/1910,
4 scattered numbers 5523 - 5567 in Lewiston Daily Sun, 6/28/1910,
4 scattered numbers 5533 - 5557 in Biddeford-Saco Journal, 6/28/1910.
40 scattered numbers 1556 - 2120 in Lewiston Daily Sun, 4/27/1912.
82 numbers 1552 - 1633 in New England Auto List, April 1912.
1913 1914 1915
1/19 1 - 176 1/18 1 - 158 1/3 1 - 196
1/26 177 - 320 1/25 159 - 278 1/10 197 - 447
2/2 321 - 432 2/1 279 - 467 1/17 448 - 667
2/9 434 - 518 2/8 468 - 643 1/24 668 - 781
2/16 519 - 592 2/15 644 - 821 1/31 782 - 1117
2/23 593 - 652 2/22 822 - 902 2/7 1118 - 1331
3/2 653 - 669 3/1 903 - 935 3/28 1332 - 1793(!)
3/9 670 - 736 3/8 936 - 998 4/11 1750 - 1858
3/16 737 - 780 3/15 999 - 1099 4/18 1859 - 2458
3/23 781 - 859 3/22 1100 - 1260 4/25 2461 - 2925
3/30 860 - 963 3/29 1261 - 1515 5/2 2926 - 3386
4/6 964 - 1162 4/5 1516 - 1838 5/9 3387 - 3861
4/13 1163 - 1280 4/12 1839 - 2148 5/16 3862 - 4608
4/20 1281 - 1559 4/19 2149 - 2441 5/23 4609 - 5463
4/27 1560 - 1806 4/26 2442 - 2875 5/30 5464 - 6435
5/4 1807 - 2237 5/3 2876 - 3238 6/6 6436 - 7418
5/11 2238 - 2785 5/10 3239 - 3633 6/13 7419 - 8408
5/18 2786 - 3171 5/17 3634 - 4107 6/20 8409 - 9398
5/25 3172 - 3552 5/24 4108 - 4550 6/27 9399 - 10383
6/1 3553 - 4046 5/31 4551 - 5252 7/4 10384 - 11404
6/8 4047 - 4726 6/7 5253 - 5907 7/11 10405 - 12412
6/15 4727 - 5401 6/14 5908 - 6847 7/18 12413 - 13373
6/22 5402 - 6024 6/21 6848 - 7419 7/25 13374 - 14591
6/29 6025 - 6893 6/28 7420 - 8097, 8/1 14592 - 15000
7/6 6894 - 7275 8110 - 8234 8/15 15001 - 16000
7/13 7277 - 7681 7/5 8098 - 8109, 8/22 16001 - 16500
7/20 7682 - 8044 8235 - 8768 8/29 16501 - 17245
7/27 8045 - 8406 7/12 8769 - 9493 9/5 17246 - 18068
8/3 8407 - 8955 7/19 9494 - 9859 9/12 18069 - 18591
8/10 8956 - 9204 7/26 9860 - 9927 9/19 18592 - 18716
8/17 9205 - 9419 8/2 9928 - 11230 10/10 18717 - 19000,
8/24 9420 - 9533 8/9 11231 - 11458 20001 - 20085
8/31 9534 - 9703 8/16 11459 - 11771 10/17 20086 - 20304
9/7 9704 - 9845 8/23 11772 - 12086 12/12 20305 - 20892
9/14 9846 - 9980 8/30 12087 - 12719 12/19 20893 - 21210
9/21 9981 - 10111 9/6 12720 - 13378 12/26 21211 - 21279
9/28 10112 - 10159 9/13 13379 - 13929
10/5 10160 - 10190 9/20 13930 - 14113
10/12 10191 - 10208 10/4 14114 - 14240
10/19 10209 - 10257 10/11 14241 - 14306
11/2 10258 - 10323 10/18 14307 - 14330
11/9 10324 - 10333 10/25 14331 - 14399
11/16 10334 - 10346 11/8 14400 - 14447
11/30 10347 - 10349 11/22 14448 - 14470
12/6 14471 - 14477
2/1 X1 - X68
3/29 X69 - X139
Lewiston Daily Sun, 4/4/1914: X145, X150, X153-154, X160, X163, X172-173.
Lewiston Daily Sun, 5/6/1914: X233, X243, X269.
1912-13 ISSUED BY MONTH:
PASSENGER MOTORCYCLE DEALER
1912 JAN 1 - 569 (569) A1 - A7 (7) B1 - B105 (105)
FEB 570 - 711 (142) A8 - A10 (3) B106 - B135 (30)
MAR 712 - 1114 (403) A11 - A20 (10) B136 - B157 (22)
APR 1115 - 3016 (1,902) A21 - A87 (67) B158 - B212 (55)
MAY 3017 - 5301 (2,285) A88 - A194 (107) B213 - B233 (21)
JUN 5302 - 6448 (1,147) A195 - A252 (58) B234 - B242 (9)
JUL 6449 - 7228 (780) A253 - A305 (53) B243 - B252 (10)
1913 JAN 1 - 578 (578) B1 - B123 (123)
FEB 579 - 767 (189) B124 - B147 (24)
MAR 768 - 1316 (549) (26) B148 - B179 (32)
APR 1317 - 3965 (2,649) (115) B180 - B243 (64)
MAY 3966 - 6800 (2,835) (151) B244 - B279 (36)
JUN 6801 - 8343 (1,543) (99) B280 - B290 (11)
JUL 8344 - 9391 (1,048) B291 - B296 (6)
AUG 9392 - 9979 (588) (none)
SEP 9980 - 10198 (219) B297 (1)
OCT 10199 - 10334 (136) (none)
NOV 10335 - 10349 (15) (none)
DEC 10350 (1) (none)
REGISTRATIONS AS OF:
PASS. S X D M/C M/C D. Z
1914 2/1 196 68 116 7 2 2
(4/1 +843 +49 +48 +31 +3)
7/1 12,058 185 523 278 573 25 15
8/4 13,303
11/1 14,456 576 634 310 727 25 21
11/4 14,464 580
12/31 (15,065) 661 310 727 25
1915 2/1 1,295 182 146 13 4
7/1 16,444 415 871 307 754 34 21
9/1 18,864
10/1 19,322 966 1,006 317 942 34 27
12/1 (21,764 "machines") 324
12/31 (22,374) 1,098 324 950 35
10/10/1915: "The motor vehicle registrations from number 18,717 to 20,304
are published herewith. The 19,000's are missing from the following list,
not having been issued owing to the fact, Secretary of State John E. Bunker
explains that the plates were side tracked on the way from the factory and
were not received until after the department was obliged to begin on the
20,000 series. It was concluded to finish up that series therefore rather
than break into the 19,000's."
Kennebec Journal, 12/21/1915:
"The 1915 registration plate No. 21289 has just been issued and very
likely will prove to be the last to issue for the season."
With 16,444 passenger plates issued as of 7/1/1915, 18,864 as of 9/1/1915,
and 19,322 (#20322) as of 10/1/1915, only 458 were issued during September.
Therefore, the 19000 series could not have been reached before year-end.
Additional directories known as of 2006:
1911 B167 - B169 listed
1913 1 - 1162, A1 - A34, B1 - B165, L1 - L7, S1 - S3, T1 - T109, MCD 1-7 (Alan Young)
2121 - 2785, A81 - A110, B167 - B216, S12 - S14, T133 - T143, M/C Dealer 11-12
(Fred Roe, Hollister, MA)
1914 1897 - 11733, A24 - A213, B181 - B212, X158 - X430 (Alan Young)
11409 - 14158, S1 - S267, X431 - X550(George Marshall Naul d.2015, Chestertown, MD)
1916 1 - 1639 (Alan Young)