85R21691 RMA-D
By: Pickett H.C.R. No. 124
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The year 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the
first license plate issued by the State of Texas; and
WHEREAS, Introduced in 1917, state-issued license plates
were originally made of sheet iron and featured embossed numbers
painted white on a dark blue background, with the abbreviation
"TEX" on the right-hand side; before that time, Texans were
responsible for obtaining their own license plates, which could be
either homemade or purchased from such places as saddle and
blacksmith shops; and
WHEREAS, The state prison system began manufacturing license
plates in 1935, and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
estimates that by 2016, inmates had created some 650 million
plates; in 1965, the Texas Highway Department, now known as the
Texas Department of Transportation, started offering personalized
vanity plates to the public for an additional fee; and
WHEREAS, As technology advanced through the decades, so did
the manufacture of Texas license plates; TxDOT began producing
digitally printed, vinyl-covered aluminum plates in 2009, and three
years later, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles unveiled the
current general-issue plate, which utilizes black type on a white
background and holographic security features; the Texas DMV now
offers 420 plate designs in addition to the general scheme,
including many that honor military veterans; and
WHEREAS, Over the past century, as the automobile industry
has evolved to become a vital sector of the U.S. economy and a
dominant influence on both American society and the national
landscape, vehicle license plates have themselves become a
ubiquitous, critical element of American life; their sale generates
revenue for a variety of state programs, and their role as
identifying markers provides essential aid to law enforcement
officers in the performance of their work; incidental to their
primary function, the plates have achieved a hold on the popular
consciousness, becoming collector's items, a means of personal
expression, and even a decorative feature, notably in countless
roadside diners; and
WHEREAS, A humble, unobtrusive object, the license plate
serves a number of purposes, from the essential to the whimsical,
and it is indeed fitting that this milestone anniversary be
recognized; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby commemorate the centennial of the first state-issued license
plate in the Lone Star State.