- Back to Gallery Index-

Bus

1930 was the only year that New Mexico had a license plate that was explicitly embossed “BUS,” and from the information found on their weight/capacity seals one can infer that they were used for both buses and taxis. This plate was superseded in 1931 by the C-prefix commercial plate with either a “Taxi” or “Bus” seal affixed. In New Mexico buses and taxis were in the early years closely allied classes of vehicles which were differentiated by law as follows: Taxicabs: Motor vehicles for the transportation of persons for hire, having a normal seating capacity of not more than seven persons. Bus: Motor vehicles for the transportation of persons for hire, having a normal seating capacity in excess of seven persons. There might be little difference in the appearance, therefore, between a 7-passenger taxi and an 8-passenger bus. And an examination of the seals on these plates shows that they don’t always follow the above definitions. In 1955 a new type of Bus plate was introduced, bearing just a prefix of “B.” Note: The weight/capacity seals used on these plates are commonly called “tabs” today, but during the years they were in use the only name applied to them was “seal.”

Photo Credits: 1932 Bus and tab courtesy Alan Betts. 1953 Bus and tab courtesy Rogelio Flores.  All others by Bill Johnston.

-Back to Gallery Index-