MONTANA

The first state automobile law was 1905 Chapter 101, passed March 7, 1905, and effective immediately, which defined motor vehicles and established speed limits and other road regulations, but didn't require registration or plates.  Therefore, the earliest registration of automobiles in Montana was accomplished by cities, up until the next state laws were passed in early 1913.  Anaconda had an ordinance requiring display of license numbers starting in 1907, and a similar requirement in Great Falls may date back as early as 1902.  The 1913 state laws invalidated all local licensing of motor vehicles.

Very similar, but erroneous, reports appeared in The Horseless Age on March 29, 1905, and The Motor Way on April 22, 1905, the first of which starts out as follows:  "Helena, Mont. - The State automobile law, which has recently been adopted, required that all cars be registered with the Secretary of State and display official numbers."  The rest of the article describes the various speed limits and road regulations, but in fact, no registration requirement ever took place in 1905!

A set of twin state laws were passed in quick succession in 1913, both of which remained largely valid until repealed in 1917.  The first, 1913 Chapter 71, passed on March 11, 1913, and effective immediately, set up annual license fees to be paid to the County Treasurer.  The license year was January 1 to December 31, and the rates were $5, $10, $15 or $20 depending on vehicle horsepower.  Any motor vehicles with less than 4 wheels paid the $5 rate.  The state license fee was mandatory as of May 10, 1913, and all local license fees were prohibited.

The second law, 1913 Chapter 73, passed the next day and effective April 11, 1913, required a one-time registration fee of $2 ($10 for dealers) to be paid to the Secretary of State.  Evidently the two laws taken together were intended to cover all facets of automobile licensing.  This law also required owners to display front and rear plates with 3-inch-tall numbers followed by a 2-inch-tall "initial or abbreviation" of the state name, all in black on white.  The plates could be owner-provided, or the registrant could order a pair of undated state-issued plates matching the above specifications for a 50c extra fee.  Non-residents were exempted, and all local auto regulations were prohibited.  Motorcycles were included, however.

The front and rear state-issued plates had differing characteristics.  The rear plate was solid metal with an embossed rim and four mounting holes.  The front plate was made of perforated metal to allow air to pass to the radiator, and had no embossed rim or mounting holes.  Early issues had very square corners while later issues featured rounded corners.  It is not known if any special plates were issued for motorcycles or dealers.  Numbers issued in 1913 ranged from #1 to 5916, while the 1914 numbers continued from #5917 to 10300, the highest listed by January 4, 1915.  The highest number issued, on March 31, 1915, was #10517.  The highest known 1913-15 plate is #10444, a 1915 issue.

A new law, 1915 Chapter 65, passed on March 4, 1915, and effective immediately, amended 1913 Chapter 73 by making the $2 registration fee annual, establishing the registration year as April 1 to March 31, and changing several items relating to the license plates themselves.  Front and rear plates were now identical, with 4-inch-tall numbers, smaller letters "MON" and the year date, the plate size to be 6" x 15".  Plates were annually issued by the secretary of state for an extra fee of 75c, but owners could continue to supply their own metal plates as long as the designated colors for that year and the design matched the above specifications.  Few owners supplied their own, but one surviving example is known.  Therefore, until this law was repealed in early 1917, we are in both the pre-state era and the state-issued era at the same time, although the state plates were actually unofficial, as will be further explained below.  The 1915 plate was first issued on April 15, 1915, and numbers began at #100 in 1915 and 1916.  Smaller motorcycle plates were issued, but no distinctive dealer plates were made until 1916.  It is not known if motorcycle plates also started at #100.  The highest known 1915 and 1916 plates are listed in the following table:

                   1915        1916

      Passenger  #14366      #24191

      Motorcycle   #612          ?

      Dealer      (none)         ?

It is very unusual to find such complete documentation on unofficial state optional plates as has been located for Montana for 1915 and 1916.  A letter from Secretary of State Alderson to Mr. Matheson, President of the Montana State Automobile Association, was published in the Billings Gazette on March 17, 1916, and is excerpted as follows:

      "In the first place the law should be amended so that the payment of the registration fee would entitle the owner to his certificate of registration and one pair of number plates.  At present, the law does not provide for the issuance of plates to the owner when he registers.  This has been the cause of much confusion...

       In order to remedy the situation as far as possible the secretary of state took it upon himself personally and not as a state official to supply plates to owners...

       In order, then, to provide uniformity and to accommodate the public the secretary of state personally bought last year 20,000 pairs of plates.  Less than 15,000 of these were sold, and more than 5,000 pairs remained on his hands unsold and useless.

      Last year dealers demonstrating number plates were not provided by the secretary of state, but numerous dealers this year requested him to do so, and he accordingly contracted for enough to supply all dealers within the state.

      Some owners reading the law rightly assume that the fee is $2.  They send in this amount, and then are surprised to learn that there is an additional 75 cents for plates.

      None of this business has passed through official channels, but has been conducted personally by the secretary of state, the state having nothing to do with it.  I have made some profit from the business...

      I know of no other state which fails to provide plates for owners..."

In 1917, a new comprehensive state law was passed which consolidated fees and created a Registrar of Motor Vehicles.  1917 Chapter 75, passed on March 3, 1917, and effective April 1, 1917, repealed all three previous state laws regarding motor vehicles.  Automobile fees paid to the Registrar were $5, $10 or $15 depending on horsepower, while trucks paid $5, $15, $25 or $40 depending on weight and capacity (separately-designated Truck plates didn't appear until 1922).  Motorcycles paid the $5 rate while Dealers were charged $50 for six pairs of plates and Motorcycle Dealers $15 for six pairs of plates.  The registration year was not clearly defined, but is assumed to be April 1 to March 31 as before.  Half rates were in effect beginning on August 1 of each year.  The separate license fee to counties was discontinued, and non-residents were still exempted.

State-issued pairs of plates were required on all vehicles for 1917; owner-provided plates were specifically outlawed, ending the pre-state era in Montana.  Plates were issued in four categories:  Passenger, Dealer, Motorcycle and Motorcycle Dealer.  The law specified that Dealer plates were to have the letter "D" placed "to the right of the serial number" but in reality, a D prefix was used!  The highest known 1917 plates are as follows:

Passenger #41612, Dealer #D-319, Motorcycle #134-, M/C Dealer ? (1924 verified)