VIRGINIA

The earliest motor vehicle law in Virginia was 1902 Chapter 42, passed on December 20, 1902, and effective immediately.  It provided for speed limits and road regulations only, and was not to supercede any existing or future local ordinance regulating speed within cities or towns.

The first state law to provide for automobile registration was 1906 Chapter 299, passed on March 17, 1906.  This law required owners to register with the Secretary of the Commonwealth, pay a one-time fee of $2 and display a state-issued rear plate.  Motorcycles were specifically exempted from the law.  Dealers were not mentioned, and probably were to register in the same manner as automobiles.  Regarding this law, "Nor shall it apply to any incorporated city or town which now or shall hereafter have ordinances governing the operation of machines within their corporate limits, unless the council of such city or town shall adopt this act in accordance with the provisions of section twenty."  Notwithstanding the fact that this act only contains 16 sections, not 20, this clause appears to function like a blank check for any cities to tax or license vehicles and issue plates if desired!  Except for Manchester in late 1905, we know of no city ordinances providing for motor vehicle registration in the pre-state period prior to 1906, nor are any dated city plates known before 1914.

Registration began on June 13, 1906, with plate #1.  The first-issue plates were white on black, porcelain, and contained smaller letters "VA." after the number.  The same plates continued to be used through the end of 1910.  The highest number reportedly issued was #4599, and the highest known plate is #4421.  The number of registrations issued as of certain cut-off dates are listed below from Secretary of the Commonwealth reports:

 9/30/06     503

12/31/06     750

 9/30/07   1,228   (606 non-resident, of which 367 are from D.C.)

 9/30/08   1,911   (1,000 non-resident, of which 597 are from D.C.)

 9/30/09   3,266   (1,638 non-resident, of which 1,027 are from D.C.)

The next state law, 1910 Chapter 326, was passed on March 17, 1910, and effective June 15, 1910, repealing the 1906 law.  This law required owners of all motor vehicles, including motorcycles, to register with the Secretary of the Commonwealth, pay an annual fee and display an annual state-issued rear plate.  Fees were $5, $10 or $20 depending upon horsepower, motorcycles were $2, and Dealers were $50 plus a business tax.  The registration year was January 1 to December 31.  Non-residents were allowed up to "two periods of seven consecutive days in each calendar year" before having to register.  The Governor was empowered to enter into reciprocal agreements with other states.

All vehicles registered in 1906-09 were required to re-register under the new law by June 15, 1910, and display new 1910 plates.  Vehicles first registered in 1910 under the old law were also required to re-register and pay the new fee, but were allowed to deduct the $2 paid for the original registration, and to use the old plates until January 1, 1911.  These owners apparently skipped directly to the 1911 issue, so both types of plates could be seen in use throughout the rest of 1910.  In conflict with the wording of the 1910 law, a June 16, 1910, article in The Automobile states the following:  "Richmond, Va., June 13 - The new law governing automobiles...goes into effect Wednesday (June 15)...All old numbers stand annulled after Wednesday."

Registration figures for 1910 are as follows:  Passenger 2,470, Motorcycle 234, Total 2,704.  The highest known 1910 plate is #2573, which is more than 100 higher than the passenger figure.  No 1910 motorcycle plates are known, so it is possible that motorcycles were issued passenger plates that year.  Motorcycle plates exist for 1911, the highest known being #428.  No 1910 Dealer plates were issued.  Specially marked Dealer plates began in 1911 with #D1 - D100 being confirmed, while passenger numbers began at #101, and the same blocks were used in 1912.  Private owners who had had numbers below #101 in 1910 had to give them up in 1911.