Motor vehicles operated in the District of Columbia were first required to be registered in August of 1903, but their owners were required to make or otherwise procure their own markers in order to display the registration number assigned by the city's Automobile Board. As they were in nearby states, these early homemade plates were often made of leather marked with aluminum house numbers, and kit-type metal plates were presumably also available.

Special plates for vehicles other than privately-owned passenger cars, such as motorcycles, trucks, taxis, and government-owned vehicles, were introduced at various times from 1918 through about the 1970s. Plates introduced more recently are more apt to indicate something special about the vehicle owner, and to be offered at a premium price, rather than about the vehicle itself or its intended use(s).

1938 and 1939. The era of D.C. plates that is easiest to understand today is the 21-year period from 1918 through 1938, when plates were used for 12-month periods that corresponded to the calendar year marked on them.

A decision had apparently been made by early-to-mid 1938 (by which time production of plates for the following year would have had to have commenced) to change the registration year from the calendar year to a twelve-month period beginning March 1 and ending on the final day of February. In order to accomplish the transition, the plate that would have been marked "1939" under the old system is instead marked "EX-2-29-40," the decision having been made to display the date of expiration, not the year of issue, on plates issued for the new period.

To further confuse matters, the March-February registration year was used for only one year. Thereafter (until 1984), an April 1-March 31 period was used. Therefore:

• The 1938 plate, marked "1938," was used for 12 months, Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 1938,
• The 1939 plate, marked "EX-2-29-40," was used for 14 months, from Jan. 1, 1939 to Feb. 29, 1940,
• The 1940 plate, marked "EX-3-31-41," was used for 13 months, from March 1, 1940 to March 31, 1941, and
• The 1941 plate, marked "EX-3-31-42," was used for 12 months, from April 1, 1941 to March 31, 1942.

1947 and 1948. For most of the 40+ years that the registration year remained unchanged (April 1 through March 31) a plate's period of validity was indicated with the expiration date. However, for a five-year period the year of issuance, not date of expiration, was shown. In order to accomplish the transition, upon the March 31, 1948, expiration of a plate marked (with a validation tab) "EX-3-31-48," a plate dated "1948" was issued and used until March 31, 1949. Four additional plates dated in this manner were used, the last being marked "1952" and used until March 31, 1953.

1952 and 1953. At the end of the five year-period described immediately above during which plates were embossed with the year of issuance, the manner of marking plates reverted to the expiration date method. To accomplish this change, expiration of the dated "1952" plate on March 31, 1953, was followed by the issuance of plates marked "3-31-54."

• Andrew Apgar (Okla.)
• Erik Bos (Neth.)
• Chuck Crisler (La.)
• Shannon Dickinson (Ala.)
• David Doernberg (Md.)
• J. Ray Frank (Md.)
• John D. Garst, Jr. (D.C.)

• Charlie Gauthier (Va.)
• Kevin Gauthier (Va.)
• Mike Hart (Mass.)
• Robert Hart (Ohio)
• Skip Lackie (D.C.)
• Jeff Minard (Cal.)
• Corb Moister (Vt.)
• Dave Nicholson (Me.)

• Andrew Pang (Va.)
• Steve Raiche (Fla.)
• Joe Sallmen (W. Va.)
• Eric Tanner (Mich.)
• Rex Turner (Va.)
• John Willard (Pa.)
• J. Reid Williamson (Va.)

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This page last updated on September 5, 2008