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Illustrated History of Connecticut License Plates
Joe Wasielewski - ALPCA Member 6996
All-Terrain
Ambulance
Amateur Radio
Apportioned
Boat Ramp
Bus
Camp Trailer to 1957
Camp Trailer 1958-
Camper
Combination 1
Combination 2
Commercial to 1957
Commercial 1958-
Common
Construction
Dealer Motorcycle
Dealer New to 1969
Dealer New 1970-1989
Dealer New 1990-
Dealer Spec. Equip.
Dealer Used to 1969
Dealer Used 1970-1989
Dealer Used 1990-
Early American
Exp. Test
Factory
Farm
Fire Apparatus
Fish
Gasoline
Handicapped
Hearse
High Mileage Veh.
Interstate
Junk
Livery
M.F.G.
Miscellaneous/Local
Motorcycle
Municipal
M.V. Dept
Permits
Political
POW
Prototype/Error
PUC
Repair to 1969
Repair 1970-
Sample
School Bus
Service Bus
Snowmobile
Special Equipment
State
Taxi
Temp. Metal Plates
Temp. Non-Passenger
Temp. Pass.
Temp. Reg. Certificate
Toll
Trailer
Trans.
Vanpool
Veteran
Wrecker
Temp. Pass.
These plates are issued to passenger vehicles for temporary registrations - such as when purchasing a used car or registering a car temporarily in order to have it inspected for permanent registration.

These are verified back into the 1940s, as cardboard plates similar to the design of the 1954 pictured below. Various design tweaks as pictured below took place over the years.

These plates have holes punched in them for attachment in the same manner as a regular plate, however they often appear taped inside the rear windshield of the vehicle.

These plates are now valid for a period of 10 days.

Up until the early 1980s there were also metal temporary plates of similar design to regular passenger plates, with a 'T' suffix. These were typically used for vehicles whose plates were lost.

When purchasing a new car, the car will be issued either regular passenger license plates through the dealer, or a yellow 'Temporary Registration Certificate'. These are detailed on their own page.


1954   1964
1954 1964
From a 1937 Cord Phaeton Conv. bought from an individual in Haddam, CT on Nov. 27, 1964
 
   
 1965  1966
1965 1966
Very nice condition for one of these plates
   
 1967  1968
1967 1968
The "CONN" legend lost its serifs sometime between late 1967 and early 1968, possibly as the numbering series rolled over. The date legend typeface was changed as well.
   
 1968  1971
1968
Next, a letter suffix was introduced.
1971
   
 1978 1984 
1978. Numbering series rolled over back to 'A'.
I have no idea why the caption was reversed from "TEMP. PASS." to "PASS. TEMP." for a short period of time.
1984
   
 1986  1987
1986
Minor change in formatting.
1987
   
 1987  1988
1987
A new numbering format was introduced in 1987. A full-sized letter was used for the first time.
1988
   
 1988  1990
1988
The "computerized" design came out in 1988, and the plates were changed from printed cardboard to a lighter cardstock.
1990
   
 1991  1992
1991 1992
   
 1995  1996
1995 1996
Very slight changes in the font for the "CONN" and lower legends.
   
 1997  1999
1997
The more "modern-looking" computerized plates came next. However, the fonts for the "CONN" and lower legends took a step backwards to the previous design.
1999
   
 2000  2004
2000 2004
I've about given up on trying to figure out the numbering system on these plates.
   
 2006  2007
2006 2007
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