On November 23, 1931, under the administration of Governor Doyle E. Carlton, at the request of the Chairman of the State Road Department, Attorney General Cary D. Landis ruled it shall be the duty of the State Road Department to maintain the state roads and enforce the laws enacted to preserve its physical structure. As a result of this ruling, the road department hired 12 weight inspectors who were placed under the supervision of the division engineers.

This was the beginning of state law enforcement in Florida. Uniformed Officers of the SRD drove patrol vehicles with SRD coded license plates from 1931 to 1939.

In 1939, the Florida Legislature created the State Department of Public Safety with two divisions; the Florida Highway Patrol and the Division of State Motor Vehicle Drivers Licenses. The legislation authorized 60 officers to patrol the public highways and to enforce all State laws in effect, or hereinafter enacted, regulating and governing traffic, travel and public safety upon the public highways, and providing penalties for violations thereof, including the operation, regulation and licensing of motor vehicles and drivers thereof, and other vehicles thereon, with full police power to bear arms and to arrest persons violating said laws.

In 1947, the first FHP Patrol station was built in Tallahassee. At the close of 1950, the FHP had 171 Patrolmen on the road. The 1951 Legislature authorized a pay increase to $275 per month and increased the authorized strength to 300 patrolmen; however, the lack of funds kept the Department from employing them.

In late 1952, the Patrol realigned the divisions. Boundaries were changed and divisions became Troops and were designated as A, B, C, D, E and Headquarters Troop.

By 1960, Troop E, headquartered in Miami, had grown so much it was necessary to take Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, and Okeechobee Counties and form Troop L headquartered in West Palm Beach. Broward County was added to Troop L in 1981. At the end of 1963, the Patrol had 566 officers.
In 1964, the wording 'State Trooper' began to show up on all Florida Highway Patrol cars on the doors and trunk. The word 'State' appeared above the seal and the word 'Trooper' appeared below the seal. Sergeant Tom Joyce, Public Information Officer, brought this information and samples back from the State of Tennessee after a meeting.

In 1983, the Patrol purchased its first Mustang Patrol Cars. The Mustang's handling was one of its greatest assets. Patrol cars of the past were as fast but did not have the high speed handling capabilities of the Mustang. The vehicle responded well to high speed and low speed curves.

Motorcycles were once a staple of the Highway Patrol enforcement program and became extinct for a period of time. They are now back and hopefully, here to stay. The Patrol's new motorcycle section was re-instituted in Miami for traffic enforcement in the latter part of 1985. Their return was brought about largely due to an outbreak of highway robberies occurring on I-95 in Dade County.

The Florida Highway Patrol took delivery of 200 new Chevrolet Camaro patrol cars in 2002. In addition to the installation of the radio system and new low profile Whelen light bars, each trooper issued the high performance patrol car had to complete a five-hour familiarization class on the handling, braking and acceleration of the 310 horsepower vehicle.

License Plates of the Florida Highway Patrol

SRD-coded license plates of the State Road Department were issued annually and used on the patrol cars of SRD inspectors who were the fore-runners of the FHP troopers. They were used on SRD patrol vehicles from 1931 until 1939 when the FHP was formed. The plates utilized the same color and format as regular Florida passenger vehicle license plates at the time and were issued in pairs. All plates of this series were approximately 5 1/4" x 12" embossed steel and it appears that the SRD code alternated from the prefix position for even years to the suffix position for odd years. SRD plates were still issued to other State Road Department vehicles for many years later well-into the 1960's, but none in a policing capacity.

• 1931- White over maroon: ### SRD over 1931-FLORIDA
• 1932- Orange over black: SRD ### over FLORIDA-1932
• 1933- Black over orange: ### SRD over 1933-FLORIDA
• 1934- White over black: steel locking strip with 19 and 34 at each end. FLA embossed in center over SRD ###
• 1935- Black over yellow: steel locking strip with 19 and 35 at each end. FLA embossed in center over ### SRD. Embossed grapefruit motif in top corners.

It is believed by most, that FHP-prefixed license plates were issued to FHP patrol vehicles beginning in 1940. It is also believed based on the few surviving specimens and old photos, that the FHP plates in the early years used the opposite color scheme of regular passenger plates of the day. The plates were still approximately 5 1/4" x 12" embossed steel and issued in pairs. There is also the belief that a double-colored background plate was used by the FHP in 1941 with dark blue on the left half and red on the right half and using white embossed characters. There is no known surviving physical specimen to support this belief, but the 1941 photo seen below lends itself to interpretation as it offers no clear and confirming detail being a black and white photo.

1960 was the year when permanent license plates began to be used by the FHP for all of its marked patrol vehicles. The plates were supplied by the 3M Company of Minnesota, which is a practice that still intermittently continues to this day. In fact, the older Type 1 and Type 2 versions of these plates featured the very distinctive choppy mitered die fonts that Minnesota license plates used from the late 1920's until 1954.
FHP license plates from 1960 onward vary in material and composition, sometimes very slightly, so I will attempt to do my best to accurately describe the variations as they are known to me and approximately when they were issued. As with everything on this website, I rely heavily on the observations of others who may have a better recollection or knowledge of what they have seen or have, so if there are any errors, please advise me.

Type 2 FHP plates were same in format, color, and dies as Type 1, however made of aluminum and shellacked on both sides. All subsequent issues for the FHP are made of aluminum. Only a couple of these types remain in captivity, and it is believed that Type 2 plates were not part of a wide-range change-over but made in continuance of the Type 1 issue with the cheaper material. Plate number FHP 880 in this format is “out there” and Norm's looking for it or any of its contemporaries. Drop him a line if you know where it is.

This photograph shows how to tell the difference between an early-issue FHP permanent license plate and all subsequent types. Although the screened state name and slogan remain the same, the FHP prefix and dash are the tell-tale difference.
On a Type 1 and Type 2 plate, the letter P of FHP is almost entirely under the letter O of FLORIDA. The dash is also a large parallelogram.
All later types use a thinner font for the FHP prefix where the P falls under the letter L of FLORIDA and the dash is smaller and more square. The thinner FHP prefix and smaller dash was introduced in anticipation of FHP fleet numbers going into 4 digits and the space for the extra number was required.

From 1987 until 2003, the FHP began issuing "Troop Plates". The plates featured the added distinction of displaying the Troop letter where the plate number was assigned. These license plates varied in so many ways as the plates were primarily manufactured and donated by 3M as a means to test the durability of their plates in the Florida climate. The plates follow the same format with the state name positioned between the upper mounting holes silkscreened blue in upper case font. The word TROOP was silkscreened in blue with smaller upper case font on the bottom of the plate which was positioned off-center between the lower mounting holes. The space to the right of TROOP was to accommodate a reflective white decal with the assigned troop letter in blue. The FHP prefix was followed by one to four assignment numbers. These elements are the only consistent application on these plates. Character die types, sheeting, gauge of aluminum, holograms and paints are a hodge-podge over the course of 15 years and it is difficult to tell which came before the other.

Dated holograms in the reflective sheeting have only been detected on a couple of examples. Again, I will do my best with the chronology here by placing them in the order based on the date of those holograms where the month/year appears. Otherwise, I must rely on period photos and input of those individuals who can attest as to "which came when".

• Troop A - Panama City HQ, Pensacola, and Marianna
• Troop B - Lake City HQ, Gainesville, Ocala, Cross City
• Troop C - Tampa HQ, Lakeland, Brooksville, Pinellas, Land-O-Lakes
• Troop D - Orlando HQ, Deland, Cocoa, Kissimmee
• Troop E - Miami HQ, Keys
• Troop F - Bradenton HQ, Ft Myers, Naples, Arcadia
• Troop G - Jacksonville HQ, St Augustine, Palatka
• Troop H - Tallahassee HQ & GHQ, Perry, Quincy, Madison
• Troop I- (Obsolete) Weight Section-Orlando
• Troop K - FL Turnpike
• Troop L - Lantana HQ, Ft Pierce, Davie
• Troop M- (Obsolete) Motor Vehicle Inspection
• Troop Q - Statewide Investigations

From November 15th 1989 to December 31 1989, the Florida Highway Patrol introduced very attractive graphic license plates commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the FHP. The plates were embossed aluminum with a reflective white background. Across the span of the plate just below the upper mounting holes was the title FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL silkscreened in blue. An assignment number up to four digits was embossed in green to the center right of the plate. On the left side of the plate was a silkscreened graphic in orange, dark blue, aquamarine and green. The emblem of the FHP was superimposed over a motif of the state which is topped with a scroll that reads: COURTESY-SERVICE-PROTECTION. The FHP emblem is flanked on the left by a crop of palm trees and foliage, with a scroll below it that reads: 1939-1989- 50 YEARS.

The plates were stated by some to have been run "rear only" on marked FHP vehicles and others state they recall being run on the front. Some say the assignment numbers were issued based on seniority, others say they were radio call numbers. Many also state they were just issued randomly. What IS the biggest oddity in all of this, is that not only is there a strange lack of confirmed information about these plates, but in all of the years I have been collecting and documenting state police and highway patrol license plates, I have NEVER come across a period photo of one of these plates actually in use!
I know they were, but I would just LOVE to see what one looked like "in action back in the day".
Once the Anniversary was over, these plates were for the most part retained by the assigned FHP officer and kept as souvenirs.

In 2003, the Florida Highway Patrol gradually began phasing-out the "troop plates" which had been in use for over 16 years in favor of a new and attractive graphic design.
While attending a conference in Atlanta, Georgia, FHP Colonel Chris Knight had observed the attractive and distinctive graphic license plates used by the Georgia State Patrol on their vehicles. Upon his return to Tallahassee, Colonel Knight began setting in motion the necessary action to get equally attractive and equally-distinctive license plates made-up for his FHP fleet.
As had been the case with FHP license plates since 1960, the 3M company was eager to assist again. For many years, in exchange for research and evaluation information, 3M Corporation has provided FHP vehicle license plates at no cost. The information 3M Corporation gathers from examining used FHP license plates helps to identify both positive and negative characteristics concerning the longevity and appearance of the materials used to manufacture the plate. This information is critical to their research technology.
In addition, 3M Corporation also provided upgraded American flag license plates for the front of FHP patrol vehicles which will be featured further along on this page.
The earlier versions of these plates had embossed numerals on an all-white background and the later version phased-in a cream-colored background and all-screened numerals .

2014 marked the Florida Highway Patrol's 75th Anniversary. The occasion was marked with a variety of celebrations and keepsakes. One of which was an attractive Diamond Anniversary license plate for the marked FHP fleet. The embossed aluminum plate comprised of a black background trimmed in white along the step border. The state name was centered at the top of the plate in white trimmed orange silkscreen. STATE TROOPER was done the same way but placed at the bottom center of the plate. A stylized FHP shoulder patch emblem was silkscreened and occupied the far left field of the plate. The emblem had a curved white scroll banner with ANNIVERSARY spelled out in dark blue with miniature versions of FHP emblems. Below that on the lower portion of the orange, a diamond motif was flanked by 1939 and 2014 on either side. The assignment number was embossed in white mitered Florida DMV dies.
These plates were displayed on the rear of marked FHP vehicles for the duration of the anniversary.
In 2015, the FHP fleet returned to the 2003 layout license plate.

A souvenir version of this 75th Anniversary license plate was made with the characters FHP75 embossed in white in lieu of an assignment number (seen further below).

In 2015, the popularity of the black background 75th Anniversary plate paved the way for continued use after the event by eliminating the diamond anniversary white band that spanned the center of the FHP emblem.
The "bannerless" black FHP license plates are still in use.

Florida Highway Patrol Front Plates

From the beginning and up until 1953, FHP plates were issued in matched pairs to be run front and rear on the vehicles. From 1953 until at least 1970, no recognized or consistent front plates were used on FHP vehicles.
In 1970, a state safety campaign titled ARRIVE ALIVE went into full-swing that dealt with matters of proper highway speed, road manners and use of seat-belts where available. The FHP promoted this campaign to reduce motoring-related deaths and injuries by affixing ARRIVE ALIVE license plates to the front of their patrol vehicles.

Motorcycle License Plates of the Florida Highway Patrol

The earliest known surviving FHP motorcycle license plate dates back to 1942, but it may be safe to assume that FHP plates were issued to patrol motorcycles since the beginning and even perhaps during the State Road Department days. If the assumption is to be correct based on color schemes and formats in the state at that time and the fact that for most of the time, FHP plates were the painted in OPPOSITE colors of the standard used by civilian motorcycles at the time, this is how it should have played out. It is also an assumption that FHP issued motorcycle plates annually. All plates in horizontal format and embossed steel. The A prefix indicates large motorcycle over 5 HP

1939- White over red- 8" x 3" Clipped-cornered embossed border- A 3 FLA 9 over FHP ##
1940- Black over white- 8" x 3" Clipped-cornered embossed border- A 4 FLA 0 over FHP ##
1941- White over red- 8" x 3" Clipped-cornered embossed border- A 4 FLA 1 over FHP ##
1942- Blue over orange- 8" x 3" Clipped-cornered embossed border- A 4 FLA 2 over FHP ## 1943 tab on 42 base

Florida Highway Patrol Souvenir Plates

Some souvenir or promotional license plates of the FHP have been made over the years. The majority of which have been National Trooper Coalition and International Association of Chiefs of Police conference souvenir plates. These plates are usually provided as gifts to visiting delegates from other police agencies who attend the hosted event.
As more are developed and discovered, I will showcase in this section.

Florida Marine Patrol License Plates

As Florida is comprised primarily by coastline and waterways, enforcement of law on Florida's bodies of water were once overseen by the Florida Marine Patrol. These were the "Water Troopers" of the Sunshine State. The FMP, much like the FHP were comprised of sworn state law enforcement officers to ensure proactive and reactive policing under the oversight of the Florida Department of Natural Resources. FMP officers were armed and outfitted in uniforms and drove marked patrol cars similar to their brethren in the FHP with only color variances of same as well as a different style hat.
The Florida Marine Patrol, the Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, the Florida Marine Research Institute and the Office of Fisheries Management and Assistance Services of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection all merged to form the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) on July 1, 1999 as required by an amendment to the Florida Constitution. The enforcement mandate of the DEP remains essentially the same, but the traditional FMP as it had come to be known is no more.
Only one type of license plate for FMP vehicles was known to be issued so far, and used for at least 30 years. A standard 6"x12" embossed steel plate in the dark blue over lemon yellow color scheme used on 1961 regular Florida license plates. The state name is embossed in upper case font and centered between the top mounting holes. The prefix FMP is followed by a parallelogram dash and a number up to three digits. The state slogan SUNSHINE STATE is centered between the lower mounting holes. It should be noted too that the FMP prefix uses dies that are slightly smaller than the number. It is believed that FMP license plates began at number 1 and went into the 900's. Different front plates or no front plates were used, however the most common type used was an embossed steel plate in dark blue over light yellow with FLORIDA emblazoned across the mid section of the plate.