RHODE ISLAND COMMERCIAL PLATES

Commercial began 4/29/1912.  Registrations by year as follows:

1912-17 UNDATED PORCELAIN BASE

1912      X1 -  X792   (X100 reached 6/14/1912)

1913    X793 - X1323   (X1000 reached 5/30/1913)

1914   X1324 - X1843

1915   X1844 - X2487   (X2000 reached 4/30/1915)

1916   X2488 - X4089   (Type 3 issued by 4/6/1917)

1917   X4090 - X5999   (as of 11/16/1917 - 97 passengers between

                        34679 and 35017 issued 11/16 to 12/31)

VARIATIONS 1912-17   (Verify center-justification on X1 - X99)

Type 1:  1 3/4" wide digits, normal size "X"           X1 - X1999

Type 2:  1 1/2" thin digits, normal size "X"        X2000 - X4032

Type 3:  1 1/2" thin digits, extra large "X"        X4521 - X5999

Annual plates began 1918.  Numbers began at X1 or 1 all years.

1918:  X2347, X4568, X6190 seen on back of Nevada 1918.

2nd hyphen added on 4-5-digits 1923-37.

Registration year 4/1 to 3/31 1940-present; not staggered.

1918     X4082          1927   X-18-716         1936    X-19-253

1919     X4918          1928   X-19-253         1937    X-18-365

1920     X8608          1929   X-17-878         1938      19687

1921     X8517          1930   X-19-170         1939      17-188

1922   X-11670          1931   X-19-711*        1940      16-869

1923   X-13-277         1932   X-16-235         1941      19-455

1924   X-17-267*        1933   X-16-411         1942-43   19-978

1925   X-15-637         1934   X-17-633         1944-46   32-700

1926   X-18-396         1935   X-17-737 

FORMATS 1947-55    X1 - X9999          Letters not seen:

                  XA1 - XZ999          I M O Q  V X

(1950)            AX1 - ZX999 (no XX)  IJMNOPQST WXY

1947    Steel      XT713

        Aluminum  (XY reported)

1948-51 Aluminum   FX570

        Steel      KX696 - VX441

        Dated "51" ZX 20

1952-53            HX379

1954-55 Dated      HX986

        Undated?

1956-57               1 - 44989

1958-59               1 - 44989

1960-61               1 - 42000

1962-64 Steel         1 - 46540

(1964)  Aluminum  47808 - 53628  (5,821 P)

1965-67               1 - 59528

1968-80 BASE   (Numbers in () are reported starts)

1968   Type 1:  Dated "68", sticker box, white back     1 - 74399

1970   Type 2:  As Type 1, but unpainted back       65491 - 67892

1971   Type 3:  Undated, no sticker box   (75000)   75504 - 83777

Oct.72 Type 4:  Reflective, new dies      (85000)   85349 - 91921

1973   Type 5:  Vertical "COMM"           (93000)   94276 - 99901

1973   Type 5a                              (Dormant #s reissued)

1 - 84999 replaced 1981-83 if renewed at Providence office.

85000 - 99999 and all lower numbers renewed by mail replaced

Summer 1997, regardless of final sticker date up to "MAR 98".

1981-98 ANCHOR BASE   (Dormant numbers also issued in all types)

1981 Type 1:  Dated "81"                    1 -  29999

1982 Type 2:  Dated "82"                30000 -  69999

1983 Type 3:  Dated "83"                70000 -  84999,85266,90228,97883

1984 Type 4:  Dated "84"              (Dormant #s only)

1985 Type 5:  Dated "85"              (Dormant #s only)

1986 Type 6:  Dated "86"               100000 - 104957

1986 Type 7:  Undated, no hologram     105500 - 129472

1987 Type 8:  Undated, "87" hologram   135552 - 151390

1988 Type 9:  Undated, Avery           157546 -

1988 Type 10:  Undated, "88" hologram  162664 - 169731

1989 Type 11:  Undated, "89" hologram  171269 - 177236

1990 Types 12-25:  Descriptions on file (Dormant #s only)

                  (333000 specially issued 1996)

All numbers replaced Summer 1997, regardless of final sticker

date up to "MAR 98".

1992-2025 SAILBOAT BASE   Optional extra-cost issue.

1992  "COMMERCIAL" screened in place of slogan.

      Numbers custom made from regular series.

1998-2025 WAVE BASE   (Dormant numbers continually reissued)

10-1-96                                     1 - 260089

Number 0 also in use by 2009.

As of 2020, only issued to trucks over 8,000 lbs.

Lighter trucks receive Combination plates.

LEGENDS

1912-37, 1946-55  No legend, X, XA-XZ or AX-ZX prefix

1930-37 1-2-digits have smaller legends, no slogans (Verify 1936)

1938     "COMM." top

1939-46  "COMMERCIAL" opposite smaller-than-passenger "R.I. 39"

1956-64  "COMMERCIAL" top, "R.I. 56" or "R.I.(62)" bottom

1965-67  "R.I.(65)" top, "COMMERCIAL" bottom

1968-72  "COMMERCIAL" top

1973-85  Vertical "COMM" prefix

1986-98  1-5-digit - 1968-72 or 1973-85 design

           6-digit - 1968-72 design

1997           Embossed vertical "COMM" prefix, screened slogan

1997?-2025  "COMMERCIAL" screened in place of slogan

COLORS 1951-67   Undated 1948-51, 1962-64, 1965-67.

1948-51, 1954-55, 1958-59, 1962-64   Black/White

1952-53, 1956-57, 1960-61, 1965-67   White/Black

TABS        1951, 1955, 1959, 1961   White/Black

            1953, 1957               Black/White

All stickers 1962-present same as passenger.

DIMENSIONS

1930  5-digit  6" x 16 3/4"   (Verify 1922-28)

1944-46 TABS   1" x  1 15/16" (Passenger 1 3/16" x 2 5/16")

1958-present   6" x 12"