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by Roger Mingle

1909 Winfield City Kansas Tag

Kansas Tag 1913

Kansas Tag 1914

Kansas Tag 1915


Kansas Tag 1916

Kansas Tag 1917

Kansas Tag 1918

Kansas Tag 1919


Kansas Tag 1920

Kansas Tag 1921

Kansas Tag 1922

Kansas Tag 1923


Kansas Tag 1924

Kansas Tag 1925

Kansas Tag 1926

Kansas Tag 1927


Kansas Tag 1928

Kansas Tag 1929

Kansas Tag 1930

Kansas Tag 1931


Kansas Tag 1932

Kansas Tag 1933

Kansas Tag 1934

Kansas Tag 1935


Kansas Tag 1936

Kansas Tag 1937

Kansas Tag 1938

Kansas Tag 1939


Kansas Tag 1940

Kansas Tag 1941

Kansas Tag 1942

Kansas Tag 1943


Kansas Tag 1944

Kansas Tag 1945

Kansas Tag 1946

Kansas Tag 1947


Kansas Tag 1948

Kansas Tag 1949

Kansas Tag 1949 2nd

Kansas Tag 1950

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by Roger Mingle
From Carl Fry and Roger Mingle

Over the years Kansas has had some interesting plates. From 1913 to 1929 the plates looked the same statewide. First Kansas tags were issued in June 1913. From 1913 to 1920 tags were made by the St. Louis novelty co. 1921 to 1975 tags were made at the state reformatory in Hutchinson, Ks. 1976 to Present Kansas tags have been made at Center Industries in Wichita.

For a period of time, (1930 to 1950) Kansas identified in which county the tag was issued by a number from 1 to 105. (Don't ask my why Kansas needed 105 Counties). Anyhow, someone decided to use the census by county to determine the County Code #. The first numbers on the plate (from 1 to 105) designated the county. A "T" preceded the county number on plates for trucks.

When they started using the County Code # system in 1930 the 1920 census was used for the 1930 tags. The County Code # system was always 10yrs behind. The County Code # system worked pretty well because county population stayed the same thru the 30s until 1941 at the start of WWII. The 1940 tags were issued on the 1930 census. During the war years (1941-45) the county populations changed wildly. From 1943-46 Sedgwick was #1 except for about 6 months when Crawford county was #1 (ammo plant). Boeing layoffs after the war made Wyandotte county #1. Sedgwick and Wyandotte went back and forth being #1 from 1946 through 1949. The newspapers in Wichita and Kansas City had a running fight in their editorials over who was #1. When the 1950 tags came out with the outdated 1940 census the fight was on. The DMV never said a word about it.

Starting in 1951, Kansas decided to try something different. On the left-hand side of the plate would be two letters, one above the other. These would designate the county. The fight over county population ranking was over.

Kansas tags were issued in pairs from 1930 through 1955 except for 1944-45 and 1949. No one knows why in 1949.

In 1971 a third letter was added next to the county pair for automobiles, this would determine when the plate expired. There were 11 letters chosen, the first letter of your last name determined which initial you got and the plates expired between the months of February and December -- January was the month trailer tags expired. For example, my family's car tags had an 'E' on them and expired in May. Non-commercial (pickup) trucks expired in the same month as the cars but had no expiration date on them, and had "TRUCK" stamped on most of them. This tradition kept going until 1988, with slight changes during that time.

Over the years Kansas usually issued new plates each year. Some notable exceptions are in 1943, when the 1942 tags got a "43" tab added to them so precious steel could be saved for the war effort. In 1944, new tags were issued, but were smaller to save steel. When the new two-letter tags came out in 1951, tabs were used for 1952 and 1953. In 1976 a few plates were issued in pairs -- something not done since 1955, and still today only done for personalized plates. Some 1976 Plates were issued in pairs, to registrations through the letter "C". The rest were single plates, based on a change in the law after plates had been ordered in pairs.

Starting in 1977, stickers were used on auto tags (trucks used stickers starting in 1976), new tags were issued in 1980 for trucks and 1981 for cars, and stickers were used on them. In 1980 or so Personalized (Vanity) plates became available and were issued in pairs. In 1983, new plates were issued, but were used along with the 1980/1981 plates until 1988. Starting in 1989, Kansas abandoned stamping the old two-letter county designator and the expiration letter into the plates for the three-letter/three-number plate style used in many other states, and the county designator, month expiration and year were stickers -- this allowed people to move within the state and just get new stickers for the county and year, plus not having to stock each county with their own personalized plates probably saved the state a buck or two..

Antique tags were first issued in 1955. Antique tags may be issued for cars 35 years and older. The Antique tag is permanent and not renewed. The first Antique tags were embossed with Yellow on Dark Blue Plate. Sometime around 79 or so, Antique tags were made with Dark Blue decal print on white reflective plate. In 2001, you could register a year correct tag for a car that was 35 years or older. The antique rules applied for these as the state does not send you a renewal every year. You're on the "honor system" to pay the annual taxes on the car/truck.

More Tag History at KS DMV

Kansas Counties Car Tag Codes
Sort - By County
Name
  Sort - By County
Tag Letters
  Sort - By County
1930 Census #
County
Name
1930
Census #
Tag
Letters
  County
Name
1930
Census #
Tag
Letters
  County
Name
1930
Census #
Tag
Letters
Allen 24 AL
Allen 24 AL   Wyandotte 1 WY
Anderson 52 AN   Anderson 52 AN   Sedgwick 2 SG
Atchison 15 AT   Atchison 15 AT   Shawnee 3 SN
Barber 67 BA   Barber 67 BA   Crawford 4 CR
Barton 33 BT   Bourbon 17 BB   Montgomery 5 MG
Bourbon 17 BB   Brown 25 BR   Reno 6 RN
Brown 25 BR   Barton 33 BT   Leavenworth 7 LV
Butler 9 BU   Butler 9 BU   Cowley 8 CL
Chase 81 CS   Clark 91 CA   Butler 9 BU
Chautauqua 63 CQ   Cloud 36 CD   Cherokee 10 CK
Cherokee 10 CK   Coffey 44 CF   Labette 11 LB
Cheyenne 82 CN   Cherokee 10 CK   Sumner 12 SU
Clark 91 CA   Cowley 8 CL   Lyon 13 LY
Clay 41 CY   Comanche 90 CM   Saline 14 SA
Cloud 36 CD   Cheyenne 82 CN   Atchison 15 AT
Coffey 44 CF   Chautauqua 63 CQ   Douglas 16 DG
Comanche 90 CM   Crawford 4 CR   Bourbon 17 BB
Cowley 8 CL   Chase 81 CS   Dickinson 18 DK
Crawford 4 CR   Clay 41 CY   Johnson 19 JO
Decatur 74 DC   Decatur 74 DC   Marshall 20 MS
Dickinson 18 DK   Douglas 16 DG   Franklin 21 FR
Doniphan 45 DP   Dickinson 18 DK   Neosho 22 NO
Douglas 16 DG   Doniphan 45 DP   Marion 23 MN
Edwards 79 ED   Edwards 79 ED   Allen 24 AL
Elk 68 EK   Elk 68 EK   Brown 25 BR
Ellis 38 EL   Ellis 38 EL   McPherson 26 MP
Ellsworth 64 EW   Ellsworth 64 EW   Wilson 27 WL
Finney 71 FI   Finney 71 FI   Harvey 28 HV
Ford 35 FO   Ford 35 FO   Osage 29 OS
Franklin 21 FR   Franklin 21 FR   Riley 30 RL
Geary 47 GE   Geary 47 GE   Miami 31 MI
Gove 88 GO   Graham 76 GH   Greenwood 32 GW
Graham 76 GH   Greeley 105 GL   Barton 33 BT
Grant 103 GT   Gove 88 GO   Nemaha 34 NM
Gray 89 GY   Grant 103 GT   Ford 35 FO
Greeley 105 GL   Greenwood 32 GW   Cloud 36 CD
Greenwood 32 GW   Gray 89 GY   Washington 37 WS
Hamilton 101 HM   Hodgeman 93 HG   Ellis 38 EL
Harper 51 HP   Hamilton 101 HM   Pottawatomie 39 PT
Harvey 28 HV   Harper 51 HP   Republic 40 RP
Haskell 100 HS   Haskell 100 HS   Clay 41 CY
Hodgeman 93 HG   Harvey 28 HV   Jackson 42 JA
Jackson 42 JA   Jackson 42 JA   Jewell 43 JW
Jefferson 46 JF   Jefferson 46 JF   Coffey 44 CF
Jewell 43 JW   Johnson 19 JO   Doniphan 45 DP
Johnson 19 JO   Jewell 43 JW   Jefferson 46 JF
Kearney 98 KE   Kearney 98 KE   Geary 47 GE
Kingman 57 KM   Kingman 57 KM   Rice 48 RC
Kiowa 85 KW   Kiowa 85 KW   Linn 49 LN
Labette 11 LB   Labette 11 LB   Smith 50 SM
Lane 97 LE   Lincoln 66 LC   Harper 51 HP
Leavenworth 7 LV   Lane 97 LE   Anderson 52 AN
Lincoln 66 LC   Logan 95 LG   Pratt 53 PR
Linn 49 LN   Linn 49 LN   Morris 54 MR
Logan 95 LG   Leavenworth 7 LV   Mitchell 55 MC
Lyon 13 LY   Lyon 13 LY   Osborne 56 OB
Marion 23 MN   Mitchell 55 MC   Kingman 57 KM
Marshall 20 MS   Meade 86 ME   Phillips 58 PL
McPherson 26 MP   Montgomery 5 MG   Stafford 59 SF
Meade 86 ME   Miami 31 MI   Russell 60 RS
Miami 31 MI   Marion 23 MN   Norton 61 NT
Mitchell 55 MC   McPherson 26 MP   Wabaunsee 62 WB
Montgomery 5 MG   Morris 54 MR   Chautauqua 63 CQ
Morris 54 MR   Marshall 20 MS   Ellsworth 64 EW
Morton 94 MT   Morton 94 MT   Ottawa 65 OT
Nemaha 34 NM   Nemaha 34 NM   Lincoln 66 LC
Neosho 22 NO   Neosho 22 NO   Barber 67 BA
Ness 75 NS   Ness 75 NS   Elk 68 EK
Norton 61 NT   Norton 61 NT   Pawnee 69 PN
Osage 29 OS   Osborne 56 OB   Rooks 70 RO
Osborne 56 OB   Osage 29 OS   Finney 71 FI
Ottawa 65 OT   Ottawa 65 OT   Woodson 72 WO
Pawnee 69 PN   Phillips 58 PL   Rush 73 RH
Phillips 58 PL   Pawnee 69 PN   Decatur 74 DC
Pottawatomie 39 PT   Pratt 53 PR   Ness 75 NS
Pratt 53 PR   Pottawatomie 39 PT   Graham 76 GH
Rawlins 77 RA   Rawlins 77 RA   Rawlins 77 RA
Reno 6 RN   Rice 48 RC   Thomas 78 TH
Republic 40 RP   Rush 73 RH   Edwards 79 ED
Rice 48 RC   Riley 30 RL   Sherman 80 SH
Riley 30 RL   Reno 6 RN   Chase 81 CS
Rooks 70 RO   Rooks 70 RO   Cheyenne 82 CN
Rush 73 RH   Republic 40 RP   Trego 83 TR
Russell 60 RS   Russell 60 RS   Seward 84 SW
Saline 14 SA   Saline 14 SA   Kiowa 85 KW
Scott 96 SC   Scott 96 SC   Meade 86 ME
Sedgwick 2 SG   Sheridan 87 SD   Sheridan 87 SD
Seward 84 SW   Stafford 59 SF   Gove 88 GO
Shawnee 3 SN   Sedgwick 2 SG   Gray 89 GY
Sheridan 87 SD   Sherman 80 SH   Comanche 90 CM
Sherman 80 SH   Smith 50 SM   Clark 91 CA
Smith 50 SM   Shawnee 3 SN   Stevens 92 SV
Stafford 59 SF   Stanton 104 ST   Hodgeman 93 HG
Stanton 104 ST   Sumner 12 SU   Morton 94 MT
Stevens 92 SV   Stevens 92 SV   Logan 95 LG
Sumner 12 SU   Seward 84 SW   Scott 96 SC
Thomas 78 TH   Thomas 78 TH   Lane 97 LE
Trego 83 TR   Trego 83 TR   Kearney 98 KE
Wabaunsee 62 WB   Wallace 99 WA   Wallace 99 WA
Wallace 99 WA   Wabaunsee 62 WB   Haskell 100 HS
Washington 37 WS   Wichita 102 WH   Hamilton 101 HM
Wichita 102 WH   Wilson 27 WL   Wichita 102 WH
Wilson 27 WL   Woodson 72 WO   Grant 103 GT
Woodson 72 WO   Washington 37 WS   Stanton 104 ST
Wyandotte 1 WY   Wyandotte 1 WY   Greeley 105 GL
County
Name
1930
Census #
Tag
Letters
  County
Name
1930
Census #
Tag
Letters
  County
Name
1930
Census #
Tag
Letters
Sort - By County
Name
  Sort - By County
Tag Letters
  Sort - By County
1930 Census #
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