SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 672
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were originally made of sheet iron and featured embossed numbers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; the Texas Department
of Transportation 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
Department of Motor Vehicles 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 United States economy
and a dominant influence on both American society and the
national landscape, vehicle license plates have 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 now have a hold on the popular
consciousness and have become collector's items, a means of
personal expression, and even decorative features, 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 Senate of the State of Texas, 85th
Legislature, hereby commemorate the centennial of the first
state-issued license plate in the Lone Star State.
Nichols
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on April 25, 2017.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate