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Illustrated History of Connecticut License Plates
Joe Wasielewski - ALPCA Member 6996
Passenger 1905-1919
Passenger 1920-1929
Passenger 1930-1939
Passenger 1940-1949
Passenger 1950-1959
Passenger 1960-1969
Passenger 1970-1979
Passenger 1980-1989
Passenger 1990-1999
Passenger 2000-
Reserved Series
Low Number
Special Interest
Vanity
Vanity

Vanity plates are available for many of the types issued: passenger car, combination, commercial, etc.

Connecticut started the vanity plate concept with 'Initial' plates in 1937 - motorists with good driving records were allowed to have plates with their initials (2 or 3 letters). Later on in the late 1940's, 4 letters were available. Since the number of letter combinations was very limited, people had to get creative if their initials had already been issued to someone else. Common ideas were repeating the intials, e.g. JWJW, and using the letter 'X', e.g. XJWX.

In the late 1960s vanity plates could be issued with up to three letters followed by 1 or 2 numbers. A maximum of 5 characters was permitted.

In the early/mid 1970s 6-character plates were allowed. Around this time, the governor first allowed single-letter vanity plates for his closest supporters.

Seven-character plates are now available.


1947  1956
ca. 1940s initial plate. An early example of this type.
ca. 1948 initial plate revalidated to '56. This plate had reflective yellow scotchlite on the background at one time.
   
1956 1956
1956, with white scotchlite.
Perhaps for a doctor?
 Another 1956.
   
 1959  1972
1959 ca. 1967/68 5-character vanity plate. Plates were allowed to have up to 5 characters starting in the late 1960s. There aren't too many 5-character plates in this large die style, as the dies changed shortly thereafter in 1969.
   
1984 1992
1970s used until 1984 1970s used until 1992
   
 1992 1974
Another 1970s used until 1992. If you're wondering why there are so many 1992 plates here; this was the year when Connecticut was in the process of replacing several types of plates with pairs of "map" plates - all-numeric plates, the Polyvend plates, and vanity plates were typically all reissued. 1974 Vanity. Presumably issued to a member of the B.P.O.E.
   
 Polyvend  
Polyvend base, used until 1981.  
   
 1978 1980 
1978. It is odd that there is no dot separator in here. Some states issue distinctive plates to persons with multiple DWI violations.
This is not one of those plates.
   
1988
Late 1970s
ca. 1980s vanity with inverted 'W's as the last 2 'M's.
   
 1992 7-digit 
1980 1989 7-digit vanity?!?
[MJB Collection]
   
 2000 map 
Used until 2000 1990s
   
 repl 1991 
Replacement for one of the 1970s plates shown above. Used until the general reissue in 2000. 1991
   
   

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