Why were license plates created?

Answer 1

History
License plates have been around almost as long as automobiles, appearing in the earliest period of the transition from the horse, 1890 to 1910. The Netherlands were the first to introduce a national licence plate, first called a "driving permit", in 1898. The first licences were simply plates with a number, starting at 1. By August 8th of 1899 the counter was at 168. When the Dutch chose a different way to number the plates on January 15th 1906 the last issued plate was 2065.

In the U.S., where each state issues plates, New York has required plates since 1901. At first, plates were not government issued in most American jurisdictions and motorists were obliged to make their own. Massachusetts and West Virginia were the first states to issue plates, in 1903. The earliest plates were made out of porcelain baked onto iron, or simple ceramic with no backing, which made them extremely fragile and impractical. Few examples of these earliest plates survive. Later experimental materials include cardboard, leather, plastic, and during wartime shortages copper and pressed soybeans.

Earlier plates varied in size and shape from one jurisdiction to the next, such that if one moved, new holes would be needed drilled into the bumper to support the new plate. Standardization of plates came in 1957, when automobile manufacturers came to agreement with governments and international standards organizations. While peculiar local variants still exist, there are three basic standards worldwide.

12 by 6 inches (300mm by 150mm) - Used in the majority of the Americas.
20.5 by 4.5 inches (520mm by either 110 or 120 millimeters) - Used in the bulk of the European countries and many of their former overseas territories.
14.5 by 5.3 inches (372mm by 135mm) - Used in Australia and some other Pacific Rim countries, about halfway between the dimensions of the other two standards, longer than Western Hemisphere plates but taller than European ones.

Answer 2

One of the main purposes for license plates is and always was to collect a tax. Governments require plates and require that a fee be paid to renew them at regular intervals.

Answer 3

license plates were created so if people hit and run some one can get the license plate number and report them and for burglary purposes

Answer 4

They were first created in the Netherlands to help officials identify which drivers had driving permits, to operate their vehicle. Today licence places act as ID to classify the owner and what jurisdiction the vehicle is registered in.

Answer 5

A vehicle registration plate, usually called license plate or number plate (often referred to simply as a plate, or colloquially tag) is a small metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identification purposes. On many vehicles, they appear in pairs, with one attached to the front and another attached to the rear, although certain jurisdictions and/or vehicle types only require one plate, usually the rear. The plate has a serial number or other alphanumeric number on it which is specific for the vehicle; all plates attached to that vehicle display this number. This number, when coupled with other information on the plates (such as the color scheme, name of the issuing jurisdiction, and/or the type of vehicle) is unique to the vehicle and identifies it in government databases by make, model, year, VIN, and the name and address of the vehicle's registered owner. The unique nature of each set of license plates also makes them useful for vehicle indentification by other entities, such as automobile insurance companies, service stations, parking facilities, and within fleets. In certain jurisdictions, having a current license plate can also be evidence of a vehicle being licensed for use on a public highway, or of a tax having been paid in connection with the vehicle.

In some jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom, where they are known as number plates, one set of plates usually remains with a vehicle from its initial sale through its ultimate demise, as the information displayed on the plates is static throughout the vehicle's life. In others, such as some U.S. states, where they are known as license plates, they are required to be changed periodically (though, for cost-saving purposes, the recent tendency has been to simply replace a small decal on the plate's surface). Additionally, some jurisdictions follow a "plate-to-owner" policy, meaning that when a vehicle is sold, the seller removes the current plate(s) from the vehicle and the buyer must either obtain new plates from his jurisdiction of residence, or attach plates that he already holds from that jurisdiction, as well as formally registering the vehicle, under his name and the plate number, with the appropriate authorities. If the person who sold the car then purchases a new car, he can apply to have his old plates put onto this car. Otherwise, depending on the local laws involved, he must turn them in, destroy them, or simply keep them if he wishes.

Plates usually are either directly fixed to a vehicle or located in a plate frame which is itself fixed to the vehicle. Sometimes the plate frames contain advertisements inserted by the vehicle service center or the dealership from which the vehicle was purchased. Vehicle owners can also purchase customized and specialty frames to replace the original frames. In some U.S. states, license plate frames are illegal. Plates are usually designed to conform to certain standards of clarity with regards to being read by the human eye in day or at night, or by electronic equipment. Some drivers purchase clear, smoke-colored or tinted covers that go over the license plate, usually to prevent such electronic equipment from scanning the license plate number. Although perhaps useful to those avoiding detection from police, these covers are not legal in the entire U.S. and their use is discouraged in other countries.

In most countries, license plates are issued by an agency of the national government, except in Canada, Mexico, Australia, Germany, Pakistan, and the United States, where they are issued by provincial, territorial, or state governments.

License plates have been around almost as long as automobiles, appearing in the earliest period of the transition from the horse, 1890 to 1910. The Netherlands were the first to introduce a national licence plate, first called a "driving permit", in 1898. The first licences were simply plates with a number, starting at 1. By August 8th of 1899 the counter was at 168. When the Dutch chose a different way to number the plates on January 15th 1906 the last issued plate was 2065.

In the U.S., where each state issues plates, New York has required plates since 1901. At first, plates were not government issued in most American jurisdictions and motorists were obliged to make their own. Massachusetts and West Virginia were the first states to issue plates, in 1903. The earliest plates were made out of porcelain baked onto iron, or simple ceramic with no backing, which made them extremely fragile and impractical. Few examples of these earliest plates survive. Later experimental materials include cardboard, leather, plastic, and during wartime shortages copper and pressed soybeans.

Earlier plates varied in size and shape from one jurisdiction to the next, such that if one moved, new holes would be needed drilled into the bumper to support the new plate. Standardization of plates came in 1957, when automobile manufacturers came to agreement with governments and international standards organizations. While peculiar local variants still exist, there are three basic standards worldwide.

12 by 6 inches (300mm by 150mm) - Used in the majority of the Americas.
20.5 by 4.5 inches (520mm by either 110 or 120 millimeters) - Used in the bulk of the European countries and many of their former overseas territories.
14.5 by 5.3 inches (372mm by 135mm) - Used in Australia and some other Pacific Rim countries, about halfway between the dimensions of the other two standards, longer than Western Hemisphere plates but taller than European ones.

Answer 6

to keep track of the 100s of cars that were out there.

Answer 7

Probably to identfy cars easily. Definately : )

Answer 8

To help track your car.