In 120 years there has been a tremendous evolution of what is arguably two of the three most important elements of the automobile, the car itself and the key – but what happened to the license plate?
Why are we still seeing a 12” by 6” piece of metal or plastic fastened to the rear and, in some states, the front of such high-tech vehicles?
Why are we still seeing a 12” by 6” piece of metal or plastic fastened to the rear and, in some states, the front of such high-tech vehicles?
As of November, 2020, there were 276,491,174 vehicles registered in the U.S., and nearly every one of them is adorned with an alphanumeric metal or plastic panel, on the rear and, in some states, on the front as well.
The manner that they have to be manufactured and obtained by a customer still raises issues of long lines and crowded DMV offices. But like other parts of the automobile’s past, there is more to the history of license plates than what meets the eye. As unlikely as it may seem, these vehicle identifiers have actually been influenced by technology, culture and current events.
The manner that they have to be manufactured and obtained by a customer still raises issues of long lines and crowded DMV offices. But like other parts of the automobile’s past, there is more to the history of license plates than what meets the eye. As unlikely as it may seem, these vehicle identifiers have actually been influenced by technology, culture and current events.
But is it time to finally bring the license plate
in line with the rest of the automobile technology?
1893 It is thought that France became the first country to issue “number plates” to vehicles.
1898 Heroin was first introduced, and was included in many cold remedies as well as cough syrup. Morphine, opium, and cocaine too were being sold at pharmacies across the country. Now, heroin is known as a highly addictive and dangerous drug, and the opioid crisis was declared a public health emergency in 2017.
1901 New York became the first U.S. state to require license plates, On Apr. 25, 1901, New York Governor Benjamin Odell Jr. signed into law a bill requiring owners of motor vehicles to register with the state. It also mandated that every automobile or motor cycle bear “the separate initials of the owner’s name placed upon the back thereof in a conspicuous place, the letters forming such initials to be at least three inches in height.” Owners were expected to provide their own identifying letters, and in those early days there were no restrictions on materials, style or color. Some used metal house letters on leather or wood, others painted the letters directly on their vehicles.
1903 On May 15, 1903, the state legislature passed a new law requiring the New York Secretary of State to assign each registered owner a number that would be displayed on the back of the vehicle. And that same year—though New York drivers would have to provide their own plates until 1910--Massachusetts became the first to distribute state-issued plates. So, the first license plates ever issued by the states were released by Massachusetts. They gave drivers porcelain plates, as this was before the invention of metal stamped plates.
Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, The Motor Car Act 1903 was an Act of the United Kingdom Parliament that received royal assent on 14 August 1903 which introduced motor vehicle registration, driver licensing and increased the speed limit.
Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, The Motor Car Act 1903 was an Act of the United Kingdom Parliament that received royal assent on 14 August 1903 which introduced motor vehicle registration, driver licensing and increased the speed limit.
1906 West Virginia produced the first stamped metal license plate. In Florida, plates were crafted out of dark leather and metal lettering. A whopping 174 vehicles were registered that year, most of them powered by steam. There was no Department of Motor Vehicles, no tag agencies and most residents bought their plates at local hardware stores.
1908 Before the invention of the Model T (also known as a Tin Lizzie) in 1908, car ownership wasn't feasible for the everyday American. But, once the somewhat affordable, $850 car hit the streets, people all over the country began learning how to drive.
1910 Scottish inventor Alexander Cumm patented a flushing toilet in 1775, but toilets as we know them today were really only introduced in 1910 — but they were for the very wealthy only. And before that, even in huge metropolises like New York City, people used communal outhouses and chamber pots. It would take decades before indoor plumbing became the norm in rural areas. In Florida, it was quickly apparent that the leather license plates did not hold up too well in the subtropical climate. So, the state re-designed the plates to be all-metal.
1916 Stanford Mail Order Company, New York, marketed girdles to 'Misses and Small Women.'" They replaced corsets as the favorite undergarment of women in the 1910s, but they've since been replaced by Spanx. The first federal child labor laws were also passed in 1916, but it was only ruled to be unconstitutional two years later — and there would be no real regulation until the 1938's Fair Labor Standards Act. The 1900 Census suggests that almost two million kids aged 10 to 15 were working full-time jobs.
1918 Women were two years away from winning their battle for voting equality and the passage of the 19th Amendment.
1920 The 18th Amendment was passed, which officially amended the Constitution to include a federal ban on alcohol. Before gas stations became permanent fixtures, people used to have to buy gas in cans at their local blacksmith shop or pharmacy and pour it into the tanks themselves. The first hair dryer was invented in 1888, but it was the size of vacuum cleaner — not exactly a practical home appliance. It also did not work effectively enough to become mainstream. But once hair dryers became smaller and more portable in the 1920s, they blew up. Now, 88% of American households report owning at least one.
1916 Stanford Mail Order Company, New York, marketed girdles to 'Misses and Small Women.'" They replaced corsets as the favorite undergarment of women in the 1910s, but they've since been replaced by Spanx. The first federal child labor laws were also passed in 1916, but it was only ruled to be unconstitutional two years later — and there would be no real regulation until the 1938's Fair Labor Standards Act. The 1900 Census suggests that almost two million kids aged 10 to 15 were working full-time jobs.
1918 Women were two years away from winning their battle for voting equality and the passage of the 19th Amendment.
1920 The 18th Amendment was passed, which officially amended the Constitution to include a federal ban on alcohol. Before gas stations became permanent fixtures, people used to have to buy gas in cans at their local blacksmith shop or pharmacy and pour it into the tanks themselves. The first hair dryer was invented in 1888, but it was the size of vacuum cleaner — not exactly a practical home appliance. It also did not work effectively enough to become mainstream. But once hair dryers became smaller and more portable in the 1920s, they blew up. Now, 88% of American households report owning at least one.
1921 Although Alaska was not yet a state and had very few roads, its territorial government produced a license plate now considered the Holy Grail of historic plates by hobbyists and collectors. In 2000, a reported $60,000 was paid for one of the few surviving examples of a genuine 1921 Alaska license plate.
1928 Idaho license plates appeared with the words “Idaho Potatoes,” now regarded as the first license plate slogan in America. Penicillin would be discovered in 1928 by Dr. Alexander Fleming. It would take two more decades for a patient to be successfully treated by it.
1931 Pennsylvania became the first state to issue customized license plates, which were limited to a driver’s initials.
1928 Idaho license plates appeared with the words “Idaho Potatoes,” now regarded as the first license plate slogan in America. Penicillin would be discovered in 1928 by Dr. Alexander Fleming. It would take two more decades for a patient to be successfully treated by it.
1931 Pennsylvania became the first state to issue customized license plates, which were limited to a driver’s initials.
1936 The iconic “bucking bronco”, still in use today, first appeared on a Wyoming license plate. In the same year, bloodletting was actually recommended as a treatment for infections and other ailments all the way through the 1940s.
1944 The metal shortage caused by World War II forced states to use alternative materials for plates, namely embossed fiberboard, cardboard and soybean-based plastic. 1948 The American mathematician and engineer Dr. Claude Shannon published A Mathematical Theory of Communication—an article that would later earn him the nickname “The father of modern digital communications and information theory.” |
1957 After meeting with world governments and international standards organizations, automobile manufacturers imposed uniform dimensions on license plates. The standard size for license plates in all American states was set at 6” x 12”. Meanwhile, the invention of the microchip and the semiconductor transistor that is still most commonly used today, enabled analog computing to go digital.
1963 The first computer credited with using integrated circuits - the Apollo Guidance Computer - was developed for the Apollo Program. This computer weighed 70 lbs. with dimensions of 24x12.5x6.5 inches. The speed of the computer was 2.048 Mhz. This computer was for computation and electronic interfaces for guidance, navigation and control of the spacecraft.
1965 The “vanity plate” was born when states began allowing drivers to customize their plates with letters and numbers of their choice.
1971 After 3M (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company) introduced “High Intensity Grade Reflective Sheeting,” states made the product mandatory on license plates to improve the visibility of moving and stationary vehicles.
1965 The “vanity plate” was born when states began allowing drivers to customize their plates with letters and numbers of their choice.
1971 After 3M (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company) introduced “High Intensity Grade Reflective Sheeting,” states made the product mandatory on license plates to improve the visibility of moving and stationary vehicles.
1977 License Plates Reach the Supreme Court. The land’s highest court gives their decision on the case of Wooley v. Maynard. Up until that point, the state of New Hampshire required all noncommercial vehicles to have license plates containing the state motto “Live Free or Die.” Resident George Maynard cut off the words “or Die,” believing they went against his religious beliefs. He was cited for violating the state law, fined, and after refusing to pay, jailed for 15 days.
Maynard sued and the case eventually made its way to the Supreme Court. In a 6-3 decision, the court ruled that New Hampshire could not require citizens to display the state motto, stating “New Hampshire’s statute in effect requires that appellees use their private property as a ‘mobile billboard’ for the State’s ideological message…The First Amendment protects the right of individuals to hold a point of view different from the majority, and to refuse to foster, in the way New Hampshire commands, an idea they find morally objectionable.” Home computers, Space Invaders, and data entry were all the rage.
1980 The all-important World Wide Web was ushered in and the eternal boogeyman: Automation. Dr. Mark Dean started working at IBM and was instrumental in the invention of the Personal Computer (PC). IBM ships PC's running MS-DOS.
1984 Michael Dell purchased an early Apple computer at the age of 15 for the strict purpose of taking it apart to see how it worked. It was in college that Dell found the niche that would become his boom. The PC world was still young and Dell realized that no company had tried selling directly to customers. The Mac Operating System was a graphic user interface (GUI) initially released with the first Mac in 1984.
Maynard sued and the case eventually made its way to the Supreme Court. In a 6-3 decision, the court ruled that New Hampshire could not require citizens to display the state motto, stating “New Hampshire’s statute in effect requires that appellees use their private property as a ‘mobile billboard’ for the State’s ideological message…The First Amendment protects the right of individuals to hold a point of view different from the majority, and to refuse to foster, in the way New Hampshire commands, an idea they find morally objectionable.” Home computers, Space Invaders, and data entry were all the rage.
1980 The all-important World Wide Web was ushered in and the eternal boogeyman: Automation. Dr. Mark Dean started working at IBM and was instrumental in the invention of the Personal Computer (PC). IBM ships PC's running MS-DOS.
1984 Michael Dell purchased an early Apple computer at the age of 15 for the strict purpose of taking it apart to see how it worked. It was in college that Dell found the niche that would become his boom. The PC world was still young and Dell realized that no company had tried selling directly to customers. The Mac Operating System was a graphic user interface (GUI) initially released with the first Mac in 1984.
1985 The first windows program allowed running several programs at a time. There were drop-down menus, scroll bars, icons, and dialog boxes.
1989 Tim Berners-Lee, born in 1955, a computer scientist, was the first to have a HTTP communicate with a server using the internet. He is also the founder of the World Wide Web Foundation and is known to be the inventor of the internet.
1990 Most state plates stopped displaying congressional districts, county designations and police codes. States began relying on computers to contain this information.
1995 Microsoft Windows 95 was released August 24, 1995 and sold more than 1 Million copies within 4 days.
2002 Inventor Dean L. Naddeo published a patent on June 11, 2002 for the improvement of existing license plates. Naddeo's intention was to create further uses of traditional license plates to maximize their capabilities. Electronic license plates are claimed to be more efficient in lowering crime, lowering cost, and replacing other forms of identification (such as algorithms) through the introduction of electronic monitoring. Electronic license plates would also help increase state revenue, since plates could flash or display a message when the driver has not registered their car or is driving without being insured.
2007 The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administration conducted North America’s first state-by-state and province-by-province survey of vanity plates. The study found some 9.7 million vehicles with personalized vanity license plates in America and Canada.
2008 Compliance Innovations, LLC patent for Electronic Vehicle Tags is published on October 16, 2008. The invention included a binding connection holding the transmitter/receiver, the logic board, the electronic paper display and the battery together, wherein the display will become disabled if any of the transmitter/receiver, the logic board, the electronic paper display and the battery are separated. Android, a Linux based Operating System found on smartphones and tablets, was introduced.
2000-2010 ‘Floppie disks' were put out to pasture and we officially entered the era of the "cloud," where we save all of our data to online storage services like Box, Dropbox, iCloud, Google Drive, Carbonite, and Microsoft's SkyDrive. Dial up internet disappeared, as did calling 411 to find a local restaurant, with the advent of Google Maps, Bing, Foursquare, and Yelp.
GPS devices were a thing of the past, replaced by smart phones. Thanks to Craig Newmark, the internet became the place to go to find a job or sell your old couch. Landlines, pay phones, maps and buttons on phones passed away. Now, some phone manufacturers have recently added gesture controls and even touchless controls. The Palm Pilot had no chance with the advent of the Blackberry, and then, of course, the Blackberry had no chance of survival with the advent of the touch-screen smartphone. VCR was killed by the DVD – which was then brutally murdered by streaming services. Newspapers, CDs, envelopes, fax machines, phone books, dictionaries, encyclopedias, alarm clocks, record stores..... all started following the way of the dinosaur.
GPS devices were a thing of the past, replaced by smart phones. Thanks to Craig Newmark, the internet became the place to go to find a job or sell your old couch. Landlines, pay phones, maps and buttons on phones passed away. Now, some phone manufacturers have recently added gesture controls and even touchless controls. The Palm Pilot had no chance with the advent of the Blackberry, and then, of course, the Blackberry had no chance of survival with the advent of the touch-screen smartphone. VCR was killed by the DVD – which was then brutally murdered by streaming services. Newspapers, CDs, envelopes, fax machines, phone books, dictionaries, encyclopedias, alarm clocks, record stores..... all started following the way of the dinosaur.
2011 A patent for a Method and System for rendering content on the exterior of a vehicle is published by Neville Boston and Michael Jordan. This patent is later assigned to Smart Plate, Inc and on March 16, 2014, was assigned to ReviverMX, who published a similar patent on April 14th, 2015.
2013 In California, pursuant to Senate Bill 806 (Hueso, Chapter 569, Statutes of 2013), signed by Governor Gerry Brown, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) conducted a pilot program to evaluate the use of alternatives to the department-issued stickers, tabs, license plates, and registration cards. The goal of the pilot program was to allow DMV to collaborate with the private sector to develop innovative ways to better serve customers while at the same time reduce processing and mailing expenditures for the state. This including evaluation of Electronic Registration Cards, License Plate Wraps and Digital License Plates.
A bill was filed in Florida to create a pilot program that was approved by the Florida Legislature at the behest of Compliance Innovations. 320.06 (5) stated that "The department may conduct a pilot program to evaluate the designs, concepts, and technologies for alternative license plates. For purposes of the pilot program, the department shall investigate the feasibility and use of alternative license plate technologies and the long-term cost impact to the consumer. The pilot program shall be limited to license plates that are used on government-owned motor vehicles as described in s. 320.0655. Such license plates are exempt from the requirements in paragraph (3)(a) [the requirement that all license plates in Florida have to made of "metal specially treated with a retroreflection material, as specified by the department."]
A bill was filed in Florida to create a pilot program that was approved by the Florida Legislature at the behest of Compliance Innovations. 320.06 (5) stated that "The department may conduct a pilot program to evaluate the designs, concepts, and technologies for alternative license plates. For purposes of the pilot program, the department shall investigate the feasibility and use of alternative license plate technologies and the long-term cost impact to the consumer. The pilot program shall be limited to license plates that are used on government-owned motor vehicles as described in s. 320.0655. Such license plates are exempt from the requirements in paragraph (3)(a) [the requirement that all license plates in Florida have to made of "metal specially treated with a retroreflection material, as specified by the department."]
2015 California's Digital License Plate Pilot Program became operational in December 2015, with five vehicles
2017 After acquiring Smartplate, Inc who had previously raised $612,956.00 in funding, ReviverMX raised over $21 million to fund the development of the RPlate. More than 10 patents are filed by ReviverMX, Inc. from 2017 to 2019, relating to various potential add-ons to Electronic/Digital License plates, two of which are still pending and two have been abandoned relating to camera systems and antenna systems on digital license plates.
California's Digital License Plate Pilot Program grew to approximately 85 vehicles.
The Arizona Department of Transportation commenced a pilot program with a goal to test the functionality, durability, and viability of Digital License Plates in Arizona’s areas with extreme high and low temperatures, as well as to test the ability to operate in areas with low/no-cellular connectivity. Arizona’s pilot was to be limited to 10 Arizona Department of Transportation-owned vehicles throughout the state. The Arizona Department of Transportation selected vehicles with higher monthly mileage to ensure that plate display devices are adequately exposed to the elements.
California's Digital License Plate Pilot Program grew to approximately 85 vehicles.
The Arizona Department of Transportation commenced a pilot program with a goal to test the functionality, durability, and viability of Digital License Plates in Arizona’s areas with extreme high and low temperatures, as well as to test the ability to operate in areas with low/no-cellular connectivity. Arizona’s pilot was to be limited to 10 Arizona Department of Transportation-owned vehicles throughout the state. The Arizona Department of Transportation selected vehicles with higher monthly mileage to ensure that plate display devices are adequately exposed to the elements.
2018 ReviverMX raises a further $10 million in funding after offering $15 million in stock for sale. The finance round is led by Australian-based ACK Group; former Emotient (acquired by Apple) CEO, Ken Denman, and former R.L. Polk and Carfax CEO, Stephen Polk, join Board of Directors of ReviverMX.
California's Digital License Plate Pilot Program grew to approximately 1,400 vehicles.
California's Digital License Plate Pilot Program grew to approximately 1,400 vehicles.
2019 A patent filed on August 8, 2014 is published by Compliance Innovations, LLC for the Apparatus and Method for an electronic vehicle plate, including the alphanumeric identification and/or registration compliance status symbol that can be displayed by the electronic display on electronic paper. Because the electronic vehicle plate requires no power consumption to maintain an image on electronic paper, the electronic vehicle plate can rely on an internal battery for the operation of the electronic vehicle plate and does not need external power. As a result, the electronic vehicle plate can be mounted on a vehicle with no electrical connection to the vehicle. Additionally, the electronic vehicle plate may be configured to need no electronic connection to any computing, power, and/or communications resources of the vehicle.
ReviverMX President and CEO, Sean MacNeill offers to sell $50 million Series B Preferred Stock and Common Stock issuable upon conversion of such Series B Preferred Stock in ReviverMX and succeeds in raising $999,999.00.
ReviverMX President and CEO, Sean MacNeill offers to sell $50 million Series B Preferred Stock and Common Stock issuable upon conversion of such Series B Preferred Stock in ReviverMX and succeeds in raising $999,999.00.
January 2019, the Digital License Plate was fully authorized by the Arizona Department of Transportation and Arizona Department of Public Safety, and was made available to the public for use as an alternative registration product. Arizona's license plate statute does not state that the plate must be metal. Therefore, no additional statutory authority was required for Arizona to implement this pilot, and to authorize the Digital License Plate. Although use of the Digital License Plate has been approved by the state, Arizona Department of Transportation’s pilot project was ongoing through March 2020. The Arizona Department of Transportation is not involved in the sale or installation of the Digital License Plates, and statewide adoption of this product is at no cost to the state. Reviver communicates with Arizona Department of Transportation’s database through a web service, where they transmit a specific set of information. Based on the information submitted, the system authenticates whether the customer has valid registration, and allows Reviver to mark verified owners as having a Digital License Plate.
June 2019, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation began conducting a pilot to test the functionality, durability, and readability of Digital License Plates. There was no amendment to existing legislation and no new legislation passed by the Pennsylvania General Assembly that required the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to establish and conduct the pilot. Instead, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation reviewed Pennsylvania Vehicle Code § 43.6., which authorizes the department to issue temporary registration plates. Under the authority of this current law, Digital License Plates are considered a temporary registration plate. Pilot testing was limited to 20 state vehicles, seven of which are commercial trucks and 13 are passenger vehicles.
August, 2019, the California Department of Motor Vehicles published its Report on Alternative Registration Products Pilot Program and concluded that in general, there were no significant law enforcement, DMV, or customer concerns with any of the three pilot products. As optional products, the cost is borne by the consumers, with minor fiscal impact to the state. The DMV believed that all three products can be feasibly implemented through a collaborative effort amongst all impacted stakeholders. DMV stated that it will continue to work together with stakeholders from the law enforcement, governmental, consumer, and business communities to ensure these ever-evolving alternative products meet the needs of Californians. DMV recommended all three products be fully authorized in statute for permanent use.
The report further stated that of the three pilot projects, the Digital License Plate, contracted with Reviver Auto (formerly ReviverMX) provided the most extensive change to a vehicle registration product. "This is due to the Digital License Plate’s use of technology and physical change from a metal plate to a digital display. According to the company, the Digital License Plate had been in development since 2008; however, its participation in the California pilot was its first authorized deployment in the United States."
Further pilot programs were instituted in Texas and Washington.
The report further stated that of the three pilot projects, the Digital License Plate, contracted with Reviver Auto (formerly ReviverMX) provided the most extensive change to a vehicle registration product. "This is due to the Digital License Plate’s use of technology and physical change from a metal plate to a digital display. According to the company, the Digital License Plate had been in development since 2008; however, its participation in the California pilot was its first authorized deployment in the United States."
Further pilot programs were instituted in Texas and Washington.
2020 Robert Wood CEO of ReviverMX, Inc. offered $16,500,000.00 in stock for sale and raised $6,648,500.00 – convertible promissory notes with 48 investors. ReviverMX received a Federal PPE Loan for $1,144,000.00, approved on April 9, 2020
2020 Robert Wood CEO of ReviverMX, Inc. offered $16,500,000.00 in stock for sale and raised $6,648,500.00 – convertible promissory notes with 48 investors. ReviverMX received a Federal PPE Loan for $1,144,000.00, approved on April 9, 2020
2021 House and Senate bills were filed in Florida to authorize the implementation of digital license plates and were supported by lobbyists hired by ReviverMX. The bills were filed to replace the existing authorization to create a pilot program that was approved by the Florida Legislature in 2013 at the behest of Compliance Innovations. The bills initially specifically limited the pilot program to ReviverMX as the sole vendor. The bills failed to pass. Meanwhile, ReviverMX received a Federal PPE Loan for $1,144,428.00 on January 15, 2021 and has raised $100 million to fund their development of their RPlate.
Despite all this technological advancement and life-changing advances, the 12x6 metal license plate still remains.
The existing digital license plates manufactured by Reviver are purchased from them or their agents, and are not available through the state’s division of motor vehicles where they have been approved.
Unlike most technologies, the adoption of digital license plates has been stifled in many states by political bureaucracy and powerful lobbyists intent on protecting revenue streams for traditional antiquated methods of manufacturing and distributing license plates and by inherent state limitations on advancements to either accept or accommodate the onset of the digital age.
It is time to implement this digital technology from the top down, and for states to embrace it and accept the fact that the technology will not only benefit the citizens of their states, but also provide modern technology and implement a vehicle licensing system that eradicates many long standing public safety issues.
The existing digital license plates manufactured by Reviver are purchased from them or their agents, and are not available through the state’s division of motor vehicles where they have been approved.
Unlike most technologies, the adoption of digital license plates has been stifled in many states by political bureaucracy and powerful lobbyists intent on protecting revenue streams for traditional antiquated methods of manufacturing and distributing license plates and by inherent state limitations on advancements to either accept or accommodate the onset of the digital age.
It is time to implement this digital technology from the top down, and for states to embrace it and accept the fact that the technology will not only benefit the citizens of their states, but also provide modern technology and implement a vehicle licensing system that eradicates many long standing public safety issues.
2023 AND BEYOND: "THE FUTURE IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK..."™ Artificial Intelligence will become ingrained in transport and road safety projects in 2023, with AI-enabled cameras and sensors built into both commercial and personal vehicles to prevent distracted, drowsy or impaired driving. This trend will escalate even more now with the passing of the infrastructure bill in the United States and the emphasis on embracing new technologies, post-Brexit, in the United Kingdom. Measures around incorporating anti-drunk driving technology in all new cars, despite pushback, will and should happen. In the fleet industry, we will also continue to see a rise in the technology used in commercial vehicles to make trucking a safer and more appealing career, which is crucial amid the current driver shortage further disrupting supply chain operations.
The TekPlate™ Digital License Plate will afford opportunities to embrace AI and enhance the driving experience, while providing integrated safety protocols for states and enforcement of driving regulations that will make the world a safer place.
The TekPlate™ Digital License Plate will afford opportunities to embrace AI and enhance the driving experience, while providing integrated safety protocols for states and enforcement of driving regulations that will make the world a safer place.