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Passenger Car

The New Mexico Territorial government never required motor vehicles to be licensed but shortly after statehood was attained in 1912 the First State Legislature passed an automobile license law. This first law neglected to mention licensing of trucks, motorcycles, or any other motor vehicles, so it was necessary to correct the oversight by an additional law that was passed in the 1913 legislature. Trucks were then issued the same plates as cars, a practice which continued for some years to come, while motorcycles received their own unique tags. (See the pages on Truck and Motorcycle for details on these plates.)

The license plates issued for cars in 1912, and for cars and trucks in 1913, were undated, green on white. The serial numbers began at #1 and ran through #904 at the end of December 1912. The sequence picked up at #905 in the beginning of January 1913, terminating with #1898 at the end of December 1913. Because the plates were essentially identical in appearance throughout the entire run the only way to tell what year in which they were issued is by the aforementioned serial number ranges. Dated plates were introduced in 1914.

Note: Several municipal jurisdictions did require the licensing of motor vehicles prior to statehood. Please see the page on Pre-states for more information.

 

   
   
    
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
   
       
  

Registration Data for Selected Passenger Plates Illustrated on this Page

  Year Plate # Registered To
  1912 201 R.L. Miller, Deming, 30 H.P. Overland touring
  1913 1179 A.S. McNaghten, 20 H.P. Ford 5-passenger
  1914 378 A.G. Simms, Silver City, 24.5 H.P. Reo touring
  1915 11 A.C. Loveless, Clayton, 20 H.P. Ford touring
  1916 2870 E.G. Minton, Roswell, 27.6 H.P. Overland touring
  1917 2 W.J. McInnes, Lake Arthur, 20 H.P. Studebaker touring
  1918 2 W.J. McInnes, Lake Arthur, 20 H.P. Studebaker touring
  1919 2 W.J. McInnes, Lake Arthur, 1917 Dodge touring
  1920 2 W.J. McInnes, Roswell, 1917 Dodge touring
  1921 310 E.G. Minton, 310 W. Alameda, Roswell, 1919 Buick touring
  1922 5340 Van W. Lane, Estancia, Buick touring (year model not given)
  1924 449 A.F. Sisneros, Española, 1924 Buick touring
  1926 27682 A.F. Sisneros, Española, 1924 Buick touring
  1927 1 Arthur T. Hannett, Santa Fe, 1925 Cadillac sedan
  1928 118 Owen L. Wood, Santa Fe, 1917 Ford
  1931 68-312 Not issued
  1932 64-882 Not issued
  1933 62-378 Not issued
  1934 17-082 M. Goggins, Hagerman, 1917 Ford roadster
  1935 61-074 Celso E. Romero, Mora, 1935 Ford coupe
  1938 87-349 Rudy L. Prochaska, Hobbs, 1937 Terraplane brougham
  1942 16-310 E.G. Minton, Roswell, car model not recorded
  1943 33100 E.G. Minton, Roswell, car model not recorded
  1946 3 W.J. McInnes, Roswell, car model not recorded
  1986 HKL-911 W. Johnston, Las Cruces, 1930 Buick, Model 60
  2010 LHW-049 W. Johnston, Organ, 1949 Diamond T pickup, Model 201

 

 

    

       

 

      

      

      

      

      

      

    


      



      


    













      

                
      





    

 

 

  Photo credits:  2018 #AAMN27 by Richard Miller.  1960 Registration # 21-2853, 1961 Registration #21-2419 (2), 1962 Registration #21-00772, 1964 Registration #16-2175, 1964 Registration #21-3745, 1966 Registration #7-20842, 1968 Registration #20-1099, 1959 Registration #7-8911, 1959 Registration #28-114, 1959 Registration #7-8911, 1977 Registration #BSW-556, 1977 Registration #AEU-160, 1978 Registration #AEG-110, 1982 Registration #ECG126, 1985 Registration #GAF723, 1993 Registration #168FCN, 1994 Registration #168FCN, 1995 Registration #168FCN courtesy of Craig Weisner.  All others by Bill Johnston.

   

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