The New Jersey State Police was created in 1921 and lead by their first Superintendent, H. Norman Schwarzkopf, the father of famed "Stormin' Norman " Schwarzkopf of more contemporary fame and well-deserved international accolade.

The distinctive triangular badge of the NJSP indicates the 3 founding principals of the NJSP : Duty, Honor, Fidelity, represented by a star in each corner of the insignia. This hat badge was designed by none other than Newark businessman and local jewelry designer, Julius George Schwarzkopf, father of the first superintendent, and "Stormin' Norman Schwarzkopf's Grandfather!

Sixteen hundred men, between the ages of twenty-two and forty, made application for the one hundred and twenty positions allowed by the law to become New Jersey State Police Officers. Out of the total number of applicants, only two hundred and twenty-seven received a passing mark. From this number, one hundred and sixteen men reported to Sea Girt on September 1, 1921. Of this number, eighty-one officers and troopers completed the rigorous three month training program.

On December 1, 1921, the new troopers were administered the oath of office and on December 5, 1921, in a blinding snowstorm, started out on horseback and motorcycle to their posts throughout the state. The first modes of transportation consisted of sixty-one horses, twenty motorcycles, one car, and one truck. The horse remained the principal means of transportation throughout the 1920's. Toward the end of the decade, more cars and motorcycles were added as the demand for increased services in the traffic patrol and investigative field heralded a change in the basic patrol function.

In the 1930's, the State Police, with 208 men, were responsible for policing over 7,000 square miles of rural area of the state. The large, almost unmanageable, patrol area required troopers to be spread in small groups, sometimes only three to five men per substation. A change in traffic enforcement philosophy was also instituted in 1946, with the purchase of twenty-four conspicuously colored black and white patrol cars with large blue lettering. The vehicles would serve as a visual deterrent to potential violators. The remaining 163 police vehicles were inconspicuously painted black and utilized for both patrol and investigative functions. More black and white vehicles were to be added to the fleet each year.

With the reorganization of state government in 1948, the Department of State Police would become a Division in the Department of Law and Public Safety. The Division continued to expand in growth and functions with the opening of the Garden State Parkway in 1954. With the exceptional job troopers were doing patrolling the turnpike, there was never any doubt that troopers would also be assigned to exclusively patrol the new 173 mile super highway. A realignment of the Division in 1954 from two regions and district operations back to troop designations was completed.

The New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway details were temporarily consolidated as Troop D, Turnpike/Parkway Patrol. A tradition within the organization came to an end that same year. The motorcycle, which had been used as a patrol vehicle since the inception of the organization some 33 years earlier, was phased out of existence. An aviation unit was formed in 1960, despite the NJSP conducting sporadic air patrols with borrowed aircraft going back to the 1930's.

In 1975, the traditional black and white troop cars would enter the history books with the boots and breeches and motorcycles. An all white patrol car would emerge as the principle troop vehicle. The first complement of all white Plymouths had no other markings other than the “triangle” on the door and the words “State Police” on the trunk. After realizing how plain looking the cars were, chevrons were added to all car doors and the decal “State Police” added to the right front fender.

In 1978, the "STATE POLICE" markings were replaced with “STATE TROOPER.”

In 1979, the Highway Patrol Bureau of the Division of Motor Vehicles was transferred to the State Police and made part of the Field Operations Section. On January 20, 1984, the 125 members of the Highway Patrol Bureau were sworn in as members of the State Police.
The summer of 2003 saw the resurrection of the Motorcycle Unit. The pilot program brought 4 Harley-Davidson Electra-Glides to the Holmdel Barracks for use in Patroling the always traffic choked, Garden State Parkway.

The current body of more than 2,600 enlisted and sworn members, and 1,200 professional staff share one distinction regardless of their rank or designation, they are members of one of the most prestigious law enforcement organizations in the world -- the New Jersey State Police.

License Plates of the New Jersey State Police

When the NJSP was founded in 1921, the agency's fleet consisted of 61 horses, 1 patrol car, 20 patrol motorcycles, and 1 truck. License plates used by New Jersey State Police have been standard issue passenger license plates from 1921 until approximately the 1959.

Some older NJSP touring cars were stated to display a placard or "title sign" affixed to the car, which was used in addition to the passenger plates of the day.

There has been speculation that some stacked "SP" prefixed NJ license plates were used on NJSP vehicles prior to the June 1959 base plate, however these are Somerset County passenger plate designations and NOT a prefix for state police usage.
The New Jersey State Police did not commence "agency-specific" license plates on their marked vehicles until the early 1960's when the black on straw 1959 base plate was launched.

The following passenger license plate images through 1957 have been provided by Jim Moini of http://moini.net/

1921-Passenger license plate used. Approx. 6" x 15". Embossed steel. White over green.	1922-Passenger license plate used. Approx. 6" x 15". Embossed steel. White over black.	1923-Passenger license plate used. Approx. 6" x 15". Embossed steel. Red-orange over black.
Circa 1922
1924-Passenger license plate used. Approx. 6" x 15". Embossed steel. White over red.	1925-Passenger license plate used. Approx. 6" x 15". Embossed steel. White over dark blue.	1926-Passenger license plate used. Approx. 6" x 15". Embossed steel. White over orange.
1927-Passenger license plate used  Approx. 6" x 15". Embossed steel. White over green.	1928-Passenger license plate used .Approx. 6" x 15". Embossed steel. White over light blue.	1929-Passenger license plate used .Approx. 6" x 15". Embossed steel. White over dark grey.
Circa 1928
1930-Passenger license plate used Approx. 6" x 15". Embossed steel. White over grey.	1931-Passenger license plate used Approx. 6" x 15". Embossed steel. White over red.	1932-Passenger license plate used Approx. 6" x 15". Embossed steel. White over black.
1933-Passenger license plate used Approx. 6" x 15". Embossed steel. Red-orange over black.	1934-Passenger license plate used Approx. 6" x 15". Embossed steel. Light green over black.	1935-Passenger license plate used Approx. 6" x 15". Embossed steel. Silver over black.

Around the late 1920's/early 1930's, the New Jersey State Police introduced a "sign plate" that was used on certain patrol vehicles during that time. These sign plates were used as an "add on" to the regular passenger license plates registered to the patrol vehicle.
These markers were made of a moulded and textured rectangle measuring 6 1/4" x 10 5/8" for the sign portion and threaded steel mounting posts measuring 8 " from the bottom end into the top of the receiver on the backside of the plate.

The raised letters bearing the title STATE POLICE were painted in off-white with finely-crushed glass bead coating to provide reflective properties in low light conditions.

The threaded posts were dropped into openings in bumper fascias or fenders of marked NJSP vehicles with wing nuts tightened to secure to the fixture of the patrol car.
These posts usually had a steel bolstering sleeve on the posts to offer extra durability and strength to the posts themselves.

Circa 1936
1936-Passenger license plate used Approx. 6" x 15". Embossed steel. Orange over black.	1937-Passenger license plate used Approx. 6" x 15". Embossed steel. Light green over black.	1938-Passenger license plate used Approx. 6" x 15". Embossed steel. Silver over black.
1938
1939-Passenger license plate used with stacked county prefix letters. Approx. 6" x 10 3/4". Embossed steel. Orange over black.	1940-Passenger license plate used with stacked county prefix letters. Approx. 6" x 10 3/4". Embossed steel. Light green over black.	1941-Passenger license plate used with stacked county prefix letters. Approx. 6 3/4" x 10 3/4". Embossed steel. White over black.
NJSP Trooper Wagner- 1938

1944-Passenger license plate used with stacked county prefix letters. Approx. 6 3/4" x 10 3/4". Embossed steel. Black over straw.	1945-Passenger license plate used with stacked county prefix letters. Approx. 6 3/4" x 10 3/4". Embossed steel. Dark blue over straw.	1946-Passenger license plate used with stacked county prefix letters. Approx. 6 3/4" x 10 3/4". Embossed steel. Black over straw.
Circa 1945

1948-Passenger license plate used with stacked county prefix letters. Approx. 6 3/4" x 10 3/4". Embossed steel. Black over straw.

1949-Passenger license plate used with stacked county prefix letters. Approx. 6 3/4" x 10 3/4". Embossed steel. Straw over black.

1950-Passenger license plate used with stacked county prefix letters. Approx. 6 3/4" x 10 3/4". Embossed steel. Black over straw.

1951-Passenger license plate used with stacked county prefix letters. Approx. 6 3/4" x 10 3/4". Embossed steel. Straw over black.	1952-Passenger license plate used with stacked county prefix letters. Approx. 6" x 12". Embossed steel. Orange over black.	1953- 1952 passenger license plate used but validated for 1953 via a 1 1/4" x 2" embossed aluminum tab painted in black over straw with 53 embossed and serial number engraved over top.
1953
1953
1954- 1952 passenger license plate used but validated for 1954 via a 1 1/4" x 2" embossed aluminum tab with 54 embossed in red and serial number engraved over top. Fitted into tab slots at either side of the embossed 52 underneath.	1955- 1952 passenger license plate used but validated for 1955 via a 1 1/4" x 2" embossed aluminum tab with 55 embossed in white and serial number engraved over top. Fitted into tab slots at either side of the embossed 52 underneath.	1956- 1952 passenger license plate used but validated for 1956 via a 1 1/4" x 2" embossed aluminum tab with 56 embossed in black and serial number engraved over top. Fitted into tab slots at either side of the embossed 52 underneath.

In 1959, the state of New Jersey "re-plated" all motor vehicles registered in the state which included the vehicles of the NJSP.
The plates were embossed and made of three different types of metals spaced-out over several years: thin aluminum, heavy steel (which rusted prematurely) and galvanized light steel.
These undated plates were painted black over straw. NJSP license plates had the title STATE POLICE embossed at the top center of the plate between the upper mounting holes and N.J. embossed at the bottom center of the plate. The registration number consisted of the prefix SP followed by a short dash and the assignment number prefixed by the letter A.
These plates had an embossed border, but the border was painted with the straw background color.
It is believed that the numbers for NJSP license plates commenced at SP-A100 and that the numbers could be re-issued upon transfer to a newer vehicle.

As can already be seen above, the variations on NJSP license plates for the course of almost 20 years were subtle. There was also a lot of over-lap where older plates were transferred onto newer cars where some early 1960's plates were still being used into the 1970's.
In 1979, the change in NJSP license plates was not so subtle. A bold color scheme of buff over medium blue was introduced to all drivers in the Garden State that year and was issued through 1992.
The NJSP version of the plate still used the same formatting as the previous black over straw issue, however a silhouette of the state shape was used as the dash between the SP prefix and the assignment number.

In 1992, New Jersey went to a completely new style of license plate, including those used by the State Police. The plates were made of embossed aluminum but had a completely reflective background.
The background was comprised of a medium yellow at the top of the plate just below the step border where it gradually faded into white towards the bottom. The state name was inscribed in silkscreened font in the top center of the plate, as were two "decal boxes" in the upper right corners which were never used for validation decals by the NJSP.
STATE POLICE was embossed between the lower mounting holes.
The numbering system continued with the SP prefix followed by the state silhouette "dash", the letter A and three numbers.
On later issues, subtle changes to the background color and state name font took place, and around 2011, the state silhouette "dash" was dropped to make room for an A suffix. This was done to accommodate an increase in the NJSP fleet numbers.

New Jersey State Police assigned to New Jersey Turnpike

New Jersey State Police assigned to Garden State Parkway

New Jersey State Police assigned to Atlantic City Expressway

Motorcycle License Plates used by New Jersey State Police

The New Jersey State Police began utilizing motorcycles as part of their patrol fleet since their inception in 1921 with twenty of them that first year.
NJSP motorcycles have always used regular state-issue motorcycle license plates (with no reserved numbers) which were made of embossed steel and measuring approximately 3 3/4" X 8" since day-one in 1921 until the motorcycle was eliminated from the NJSP fleet in 1954.

The plate's registration number began with the letter C (Cycle) followed by up to 4 numbers. Confirmed numbers used by NJSP motorcycles in the earliest days besides the ones seen in the photos below are: C 8216 (1927), C 5913 and C 5936 (1942), C 5625 (1943).
The motorcycle was re-introduced to the NJSP fleet in 2003. Current NJSP motorcycles plates follow any range of numbering systems in place for motorcycle registrations in the Garden State.

Again, my thanks to Jim Moini for sharing many of the motorcycle license plate photos seen below which can be seen at http://moini.net/

1953. Trooper Eugene Halton of Troop C. Last year for motorcycles for NJSP until 40+ years later. (Courtesy Keith Halton)
Original 1953 NJ Motorcycle Driver's License for Trooper Eugene Halton seen above for official government use. (Courtesy Keith Halton)
Late 1940's- Early 1950's motorcycle fender plate. (Courtesy Allan Attanasio)

Special Types

License Plates of the New Jersey Highway Patrol

As with the NJSP and other license plates issued in the Garden State, 1959 saw the introduction of an embossed 6" x 12" black over straw license plate for use by NJ DMV Officers/Inspectors. The earlier versions had the title MV OFFICER embossed at the top center of the plate between the upper mounting holes. The abbreviated N.J. was embossed along the bottom center of the plate. The plates were also made on three different types of metallic material: thin aluminum, heavy steel and light galvanized steel over the course of several years. The earlier plates had an embossed border painted as part of the straw background. The registration number had an MV prefix followed by a short dash and the assignment number prefixed with the letter A.
Later versions of this plate followed the same color and format but were exclusively embossed aluminum with a step border and the title MV INSPECTOR at the top center of the plate.
Eventually the A prefix ahead of the assignment number was dropped leaving only the MV- prefix followed by a number up to three digits.