Since the earliest days of New Mexico’s license plate history motorists were able to request and receive low numbers which had been issued to them in prior years. Over the years this was done under both formal and informal policies. The following is an extract from a Bureau of Revenue Memo dated November 10, 1954, explaining to license plate distribution offices the procedure under which these plates would be obtained for the 1955 registration year.
SPECIAL LOW NUMBER PLATES
Individuals may have the same low numbered license plate they had in 1954 again in 1955 provided that a written request is submitted to the respective license plate distributors by December 15, 1954. In Santa Fe County the special request must be made direct to the Motor Vehicle Division. All special requests must be in writing. Upon receipt of a special request, the plates will be reserved until December 24, 1954. If application for requested number plates is not made by this date, and fees paid, then the license plate distributor will sell plates to first person calling for them.
(THE ABOVE SHOULD BE PUBLICIZED IN THE LOCAL PAPERS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.)
On other special numbers you are hereby instructed to use discretion but to give preference to those people who had the same number in 1954, however, all license plate distributors are cautioned that all license plates must be sold in numerical sequence.
