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Illustrated History of Connecticut License Plates
Joe Wasielewski - ALPCA Member 6996
All-Terrain
Ambulance
Amateur Radio
Apportioned
Boat Ramp
Bus
Camp Trailer to 1957
Camp Trailer 1958-
Camper
Classic Vehicle
Combination 1
Combination 2
Commercial to 1957
Commercial 1958-
Common
Construction
Dealer Motorcycle
Dealer New to 1969
Dealer New 1970-1989
Dealer New 1990-
Dealer Spec. Equip.
Dealer Used to 1969
Dealer Used 1970-1989
Dealer Used 1990-
Dismantler
Early American
Error Plates
Exp. Test
Factory
Farm
Fire Apparatus
Fish
Foreign Consul
Gasoline
Handicapped
Hearse
High Mileage Veh.
Interstate
Junk
Livery
Marine Trailer
M.F.G.
Military
Miscellaneous/Local
Motorcycle
Municipal
M.V. Dept
Official
Parade
Permits
Political - State
Political - US
Postmaster
POW
Prototype
PUC
Repair to 1969
Repair 1970-
Sample
School Bus
Service Bus
Snowmobile
Special Equipment
Sphinx
State
Student Transport
Taxi
Temp. Metal Plates
Temp. Non-Passenger
Temp. Pass.
Temp. Reg. Certificate
Toll
Trailer
Trans.
Vanpool
Veteran
Volunteer Firefighter
Wrecker
Trailer
Click to see this type in useThese plates are used on heavier commercial trailers. Private trailers typically use Camp Trailer plates.

I am not sure when this type started. Others have reported examples as early as 1932. Generally the size and colors have been the same as Commercial plates.

A peculiar practice you may notice on Connecticut's roads is that heavy construction trailers (Oversize Load type) will display TWO different trailer license plates on the back. Click the photo on the left to see an example of this. Sometimes they're two consecutive plates, other times they've been issued a long time apart from each other.

Trailer plates reached the W-10000 series in mid-2011. In 2016 the universal format (AB-12345) made its way onto Trailer plates.



1938  1950
1938  1950, with yellow scotchlite on stainless steel.
Prior to this, trailer plates were black on silver - the same as Commercial plates.
   
1956 1957
1956. Silver on Black plates were used for Commercial and Trailer plates in '56 and '57. Late in this time period there was also a variant for Commercial plates with white letters - it would make sense that the same style would exist for Trailer plates. 1957
   
 1958  1958
1958-59
This was once a license plate, and was once used at the New Britain Coal Yard.
1958. A more complete example. Actually, a very nice one.
   
 1960  

1960
 
   
 1960 1963 
Another 1960. The numbers were widely spaced until around plate 20000 1963
   
 1964 1966 
1964 1966
Numbers are now closer together.
   
 1967  1967 Temporary
1967 1967 Temporary Trailer
The license was temporary, not the trailer.
   
 1974  1974
1966/1967 issue used until 1974 1974
   
 1975  1982
1975 1982
   
1985 1986
1985 1986
From the beginning of this type, it appears to have taken over 40 years to exhaust its first numbering format, reaching 99999 in the mid-1980s.
   
 1988  
1988
Once 99999 was reached, it was time for a new format. The obvious choice was an S-1234 format. Why? Who knows.
 
   
1990 1991
Once the map base came around in 1987, the next series was V-1234. Presumably this was done since it was the next series available after "S" (T is for Temporary, U is for Hearse). 1991
   
 1996 1996 Apportioned 
1996
1996 Trailer Apportioned
When Apportioned plates were first issued in Connecticut in the mid-1980s, Apportioned Trailer plates were issued as well. It wasn't long before Connecticut realized that they weren't necessary, and stopped issuing them not too long thereafter. These can be tough to find. Anyone have an extra? I can use one.
(MJB collection)
   
 2001 2004 
2001
Although the decal is a 2001 expiration, it's the same color as the 1999s. Perhaps a long-term registration?
2004
The map base was supposed to be off the roads in 2002; but a number of plates, especially trailers, ended up with the new decals on the old plates for a while.
   
2000s  2011
mid-2000s  2011
   
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