TYPE |
INFORMATION |
IOWA TRUCK/COMMERCIAL PLATES
Began 1921. 1921 unmarked. Pickup trucks began to be registered with
truck plates instead of passenger in 1931.
Registration figures by county 1924-75 on file.
County codes same as passenger 1929-72, 1975-78.
Pairs 1945-46, unlike passenger. 1948 tab same as passenger.
Lowest numbers in each county issued as singles 1960 for Truck Tractors.
Colors same as passenger 1921-50. Annual plates issued 1951-76.
1921 500001 - 536144 (36,144) [50,000]
1922 T-1 - T-42300 (42,300) [50,000]
1923 T-50001 - T-91811 (41,811) [40,000]
1924 T-3804 - T-37892 (34,089)
1925 T-8791 - T-51516 (42,726) [60,000]
1926 T-8926 - T-54873 (45,948)
1927 T-5234 - T-60986 (55,753)
1928 T-14100 - T-60477 (46,378) [70,000]
1929 FORMATS A 1 - R 9999 [65,000]
1 1 - 9 999
10 1 - 86 999
Only 3 counties had sufficient registrations to reach 6 digits:
22 1059, 67 1002, 74 1008 (67 1168* seen)
1930-55 FORMATS 1-1 - 9-9999
10-1 - 99-9999
1949 77-10490 seen (expected 1947/48)
1936-40: Locking strip plate with weight class letter issued for rear,
regular plate with no weight class letter issued for front.
1956-57 FORMATS 1-0001 - 9-9999
10-0001 - 99-9999
77-A000 - 77-A689 (1957)
1958-60 FORMATS 1 - 1 - 9-9999 (Small die prefix)
1/0 - 1 - 9/9-9999 (Small county dies used)
(7/7-10000 - 7/7-13999 expected)
7-DIGIT OR LETTER SERIES (POLK CO.) 1948-60
Highest number expected per registration figures:
1948 77-10166 1955 77-12593 1%
1949 77-10681 1956 77-C766 1%
1950 77-11488 1957 77-C933 1%
1951 77-12046 1% 1958 7/7-13005 1%
1952 77-12298 1% 1959 7/7-13629 2%
1953 77-12724 1% 1960 7/7-12800 1%
1954 77-12334 1%
1961-72 FORMATS 1 1 - 9 9999
1/0 1 - 9/9 9999, 7/7 A000 - 7/7 Z999 (no I,M,O,Q used)
LETTER SERIES (To accomodate larger weight class sticker)
Highest number expected per registration figures (*or observed
number if higher):
BLACK HAWK LINN POLK POTT. SCOTT WOODBURY TOTAL %
1961 77 D057 3,058 1%
1962 77 D462 3,463 1%
1963 77 E060 4,061 2%
1964 77 E932 4,933 2%
1965 77 E609 4,610 2%
1966 77 J157* 8,158 2%
1967 57 A191 77 G796 6,989 3%
1968 57 A913 77 L476* 11,391 3%
1969 7 A225* 57 B637 77 N897* 82 A334* 14,097 4%
1970 7 A223* 57 C386* 77 S000* 82 A439 17,052 4%
1971 7 A639* 57 E498* 77 T497* 82 B017 21,655 5%
1972 7 B865 57 E260 77 S352 78 A475 82 B705 97 A924 23,587 6%
1973-74 FORMATS A/A 0000 - D/K 5199 (Capacity 785,200)
County assignments on file. No I,O,Q used. Smaller dies.
1975-78 FORMATS 1/ AA0000 - 9/ AH6999 County assignments
1/0 AH7000 - 9/9 DJ8199 same as 1973-74.
0/0 DJ8200 - 0/0 DK5199 Non-resident (1975).
DJ 8200 - DK 5199 Non-resident (1976-78?).
1979-85 BASE AA 0000 - GT 3999 No I,O,Q used.
DV used.
"TRUCK" bottom instead of county name.
Both debossed and embossed issued.
Highest debossed seen: GH 0740
County assignments on file. GN 3000-9999 omitted.
GB = Non-residents (still with "TRUCK").
Initial assignment: AA 0000 - GB 9999 (1,400,000 P)
Additional assignments: GC 0000 - GT 3999 (137,000 P)
(TOTAL 1,537,000 P)
Monthly Staggered Registration began 1/1/84, expire "FEB 84" to
"JAN 85", same as passenger. Replaced during 1985.
1986-97 BASE AA 0000 - JZ 9999 No I,O,Q,DV used.
1992 MA 0000 - NJ 1101 (NZ 9999 possible)
(2,311,102 P)
County name bottom. Initial county assignment, and additional
assignments, on file. WR issued 1996 in Wright Co.
Initial assignment: AA 0000 - GZ 9999 (1,600,000 P)
Additional assignments: HA 0000 - JZ 9999 (410,000 P)
(HD,JD,JS-JU,MD omitted) MA 0000 - MU 9999 (170,000 P)
(ND probably omitted) (TOTAL 2,180,000 P)
Replaced during 1997. Truck series discontinued 1997; passenger
plates issued since.
LEGENDS
1929 Vertical "TRUCK" after county code
1930-32, 1934, 1936, 1939, 1941 "IOWA-TRUCK-1930" bottom
1933, 1935, 1937-38, 1940, 1942 "IOWA-TRUCK-1933" top
1936-40 REAR LOCKING STRIP "(A) IOWA (36)" top
1943 W/S STICKER "TRUCK"
1944 W/S STICKER "COMMERCIAL"
1945-55 "IA-COMMERCIAL-45" top, no slogan
(1950-59 have tab slots, except 1953)
(1953-54 have tall 1930-52 dies, 1955 has short dies)
1956-60 "COMMERCIAL" bottom (1956-58 have small "IOWA")
1961-74 All numbers in small dies, left-justified to leave space
for weight sticker.
1961-66, 1967 Type 1 "TRK" bottom (1961-62 have no lower bolt holes)
1967 Type 2, 1968-85 "TRUCK" bottom
COLORS 1951-78 All are Fully Reflective 1967-78.
1951 Yellow/Light Blue
1952, 1954, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1962 White/Black
1953, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1963 Black/White (Light Gray 1961)
(1961 Black/Yellow are unmarked half-year plates)
(1962 Black/White seen #3/4 105, unknown purpose)
(Verify Light Gray 1963)
1964 Black/Orange
1965 Red/White
1966 Blue/White
1967, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977-78 Black/White
1968, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976 Red/White