Highs & a few Lows for the
Arizona Plates, 1912-1936

Everyone knows the lowest-numbered plate made, it's
usually #1. The highest numbers will never be known since
actual plate production statistics are not known to exist. So to
get some idea of how high plate numbers reached, one needs
to keep track of the highs. Some of the highs are unissued
plates that were never registered to vehicles. Plate
overproduction was common in Arizona and at times exceeded
the actual vehicle registration figures by 25% or more.

The tables that follow show the highest numbers known
for every year from prestate to 1958. With the exception of
1912-21, and 1947, all other plate numbers are from actual sightings.
1912-21 are documented Motor Vehicle statistics. 1914 and 1917
are from unissued plates that were known to exist at one time.
Blank cells mean that no sightings from that county/year have
taken place as of yet.
Many of the figures are very beatable while others will
be difficult to surpass.

If you happen to have any plates that top the charts, feel free to
contact me at AzPlates@Yahoo.com and updates will be made.

Special thanks goes out to Wally Punzmann and Eric Tanner
for their efforts in getting these highs all started.

This #7159, is near the top of the 1915 registrations.
Photo was taken on Yarnell Hill, between Wickenburg and Prescott, Az.

Credit: Photo from the collection of Desert Caballeros Western Museum,
Wickenburg, Arizona

Above are the LOWEST numbers known for passenger plates for these six years.
CLICK on 1917,1921 for LARGER IMAGEs. ( 1914 from private Collection, 1916 Ebay pic,
1920 from the Paul DeBelling Collection, 1921 from the Karl Runkle Collection )

For 1917, Dealers used the 100-200 block of which 2 are known. No 1917 passenger
plates were produced using numbers from that same block.

Greenlee started off with the 13 prefix and switched to 15 in 1924.

			Click on Image to view one of Greenlee County's first registrations with their new County 15 prefix in January 1924. Thank you Ronald Shortridge for sharing your family document!.

All Counties from 1922 thru 1928 started at 100, i.e. Pima's first plate was # 3-100. Click here

for 1923 Newspaper article ( article contained an error on Yuma County reference )

Thanks again to Eric Tanner for his historical contribution!

1929 Santa Cruz

1931 Apache

This 1931 Greenlee County is the highest known of all the 1931 plates.

1937-1958 Highs