Garden State on the License Plate:
It is the Law!
Tuesday, February 5th, 2008
Thanks to a 1954 law (see below) all “general issue” (also known as standard passenger) New Jersey license plates since 1959, as seen on the left, have had the words “Garden State” on them. It is one of the longest running continuously slogans on license plates today.
NJSA 39:3-33.2. License plates; words “Garden State” to be imprinted
The Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles in the Department of Law and Public Safety shall, upon the occasion of the next and each subsequent general issue of passenger car motor vehicle registration license plates, cause to be imprinted thereon in addition to other markings which he shall prescribe, the words “Garden State.”
L.1954, c. 221, p. 834, s. 1.
Some other fun facts about New Jersey license plates:
All the types of plates issued since 1959 are still valid provided they have been continuously registered.
For a nominal fee, motorists can get their license plates remade with the same number. So you can see a number issued in the 1950s on the latest type of license plate.
New Jersey only uses the letter Q for its historic vehicle license plates and of course vanity plates.
New Jersey issues New York Press license plates, one of two states other than New York to issue them. The plates have a distinctive NYP on them which some people think means New York Police, despite the fact that New York City Police officers cannot legally live in New Jersey.
For everything you wanted to know about New Jersey license plates, but were afraid to ask visit Jim Moini’s License Plates.