Illustrated History of Connecticut License Plates

Sample plates are typically made to show what the currently issued license plates look like, or as a prototype to evaluate a new design or numbering format. In Connecticut, these were produced at least as far back as the early 1930s. The early plates used zeroes for the serial number; in the 1970s SAM-PLE became the norm.

These plates have been used for displays at the DMV offices, photographed and sent to law enforcement to familiarize them with the latest plates, and for sale to collectors as well. Connecticut still makes sample plates available to collectors, though the price is now way up at $25/plate.


1968	ca. 1974/1975 Polyvend sample. There are a very few of these around with a 000-000 serial as well.


ca. 1977	1980s- dot was removed.


1991	mid-1990s


CCSU sample. There are a few of each of the various special-issue types with a 000000 serial like this, but most have the SAM-PLE format.	Health Professionals sample. I'm not sure this type was ever even issued.


1995 Special Olympics sample


ca. 2000 Combination sample, complete with misspelling. There were a batch of these that made it out early on. (MJB Collection)	1986 Motorcycle. Not too common of a type for sample plates in Connecticut.


1968 P.U.C. sample. Another uncommon type for a sample.	ca. Early 1980s Van Pool sample

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