This website showcases the history of license plate issuance for all the State Police and Highway Patrol agencies in the United States of America from the earliest days of motoring to the current century.
Created by hobbyists Norm Ratcliffe and Allan Cooper in March of 2006, this website has grown from an informal idea to the world's largest single repository of police motor vehicle registration plate information anywhere.
The formation of many of America's state law enforcement agencies took place at the same time as the formation of America's car culture. Police patrol went from horseback to horseless carriage in a very short time at the beginning of the 20th Century where many agencies were getting started out of the gate with tackling new motor laws.
State police and highway patrol agencies began to obtain motorcycles and patrol cars and found ways to make them stand apart from the burgeoning number of civilian motor vehicles on the road. To ensure that their vehicles appeared to evoke the same air of authority as their officers, many agencies equipped them with the "uniform" of livery and the "badge" of the license plate.
This website delves as far back as records go and examples exist of these "badges" worn on the bumpers and fenders which carried patrolmen and state troopers in their duties from coast to coast and from decade to decade.
While many of the actual badges and patches of those earliest enforcers of state law have been preserved and showcased, the license plates of their "mechanical partners" were rarely retained or preserved.
This makes this segment of law enforcement collectibles so deeply challenging and interesting. It is a segment of law enforcement collectibles that has been in "low light" for a long time, but has seen a surge of interest lately as many of these agencies celebrate their milestone anniversaries with special and distinctive license plates for their marked patrol vehicles.
We welcome you to browse the information of the agencies that interest you the most and explore those you may not have considered.
The page of each agency is formatted from oldest to newest and where possible, features a period photo of the patrol vehicle of the time.
This website has only been successful as a result of YOU! You the visitor who becomes a contributor of photos and information for which we are missing. We always make sure to provide proper credit to those who have contributed, and if any credit is missing, please notify either one of us to give our contributors their due.
Come on in and Enjoy !
Jim Aitken- (His last batch of photos to add to the greatness of this hobby and website!) Nick Leary- Darryl Lindsay- Mike Doucette- Russ Penka- Bill Ceravola-Robert Francisco- Jason Duffield- Tony Aleria- Joe Caputo- Bill Golden- Allan Attanasio- Bob Blickensdorf- Ray Bak- Ryan McKittrick- Jim Pilchard- Willie Herald- Jason Stone- Kip Wills- Jack Murphy-Keith Eremea- John Biro- Terry Bible- Tom Breen- Phillip Kidd- Scott Henley- Bill Swank- James Wheeler- Robert Ross- Jack McGee- Ed Larney- Bob Schluben- John Cook- Ron Taylor- James Westover- Charlie Carden- Kyle Helvig- Jerry Cuffe- Anthony Barnes- David Brown- Lewis Sudonick-Bill Johnston- Jeff Peeler- Andrew Cochrane- Jay Clement- Dean Walker- Tom Sheehy- David Chandler- Dean Walker- Jerry Scarborough- Jack McGee- ..sorry if I missed anybody.
In July of 2024, this hobby lost an absolute selfless GEM of a human being. James G. Aitken, affectionately known as "Ace" lost his valiant battle against cancer and left a huge hole in the family of police memorabilia collectors.
Jimmy joined the Massachusetts State Police as a mechanic in 1979 and carried himself as a true member of the "French & Electric Blue" A diehard, loyal and honest man who loved his connection to the MSP. Early in his time with the agency, he amassed a massive collection of state police/highway patrol collectibles, but true to his selfless nature, sold it all off to pay for the care of his ailing parents.
Jimmy gradually re-built his collection from scratch at a time where he also gained respect as the man behind the re-design and launch of the MSP's first graphic license plates in 1989.
Jimmy finally retired from the MSP in 2015 after 36 solid years to the agency and its members. You can see on the MSP page of this website, that Jimmy was honored by ALL MSP Command staff upon his retirement.
Jimmy was the backbone of every update on this website since it was launched in 2006. He will continue to be sorely missed.
Back in the Summer of 2024, the Minnesota State Legislature felt the need to change the State Flag and State Seal of the state that had endured many decades without any adverse condition to human existence in the state.
The traditional version of these state symbols were suddenly deemed "offensive" and despite the state's other more pressing matters, the legislature focused its priorities on politically correct imagery.
Both the State Flag and State Seal were changed to reflect a new design that met the satisfaction of state legislators and agrieved parties in the state that felt harm and discomfort from the older imagery.
As further result, the license plates of the Minnesota State Patrol were re-designed to remove the previous state seal and replace it with the new "North Star" design version, which on first glance does not seem that noticeable.
It is the hope of many, that now with the imagery featured in the most hallowed of state symbols has been tempered to reflect "unoffensive symbols", that the state legislators can now focus on more pressing matters for Minnesotans.
An email from a close friend one Wintry day in late January of 2025 shook-off the seasonal doldrums of your humble host. It provided a link to a HI-BID online auction linked to an auction house in Randleman North Carolina.
There among the old lady knick-knacks and humdrum decor items, was an eye-popping black over yellow-orange 1947 North Carolina license plate number SHP-370. I could not believe my eyes! For the longest time, it was believed that the North Carolina State Highway Patrol used regular passenger car license plates from 1937 onward with the exception of 1946, where SHP-244 was discovered about 45 years ago. Every other record showed the passenger car license plate use by the NCSHP from the late 1940's right through to 1977 when HP prefixed license plates for the Patrol were introduced. The condition of the plate was excellent as most 1947 survivors of any kind are usually rusty and beaten up, however it did appear like this plate was folded down the middle gently at one time, likely for ordered disposal.
The bidding was fierce in the final moments, but there was no way I was going to let such a rarity go for a "bargain". This is the only 1947 NCHSP license plate known.
This is now a solid cornerstone to my collection.
We are still a not-for-profit website dedicated to providing a free and comprehensive reference tool for the hobbyist and historian. We bring to you this website at our cost, solely for the showcasing of historical and hobby interest for this interesting subject and to foster interest in others for the same enjoyment. However if you appreciate the resource and want to help us offset our costs to keep bringing this website free to all, we have a DONATE function available on all pages where your monetary contribution will be gratefully accepted. We also rely on your feedback as well as your contributions of photos and information to make this site even more successful than it already has become. If you see something on the road or anywhere else in your travels that we don't have showcased: Please capture the image and send it to us!
