PENNSYLVANIA

While it is very possible that motorcycles were included in city ordinances requiring automobiles to be licensed, we know of no confirmed examples.  Motorcycles were included under the definition of motor vehicles in the 1903 state registration law and the 1905 license law, but would have displayed plates that were identical to those used on automobiles or other vehicles.  One interesting old photo shows a motorcycle with a pair of full-size 1909 plates mounted on the sides of the rear wheel.  When state-issued registration plates began in 1910, motorcycle registration began anew with a $2 fee and an owner-provided number on the rear mud-guard in 3-inch-tall numbers.  This system continued through 1913, leaving Pennsylvania motorcycles in a second pre-state era for 4 years! The registration totals for these years are listed as follows:

         1910    3,854

         1911    4,826

         1912    7,298

         1913   10,677

1913 Act 385 revised the previous law in several ways.  Passed on July 7, 1913, and probably effective on January 1, 1914, this act provided for annual state-issued rear motorcycle plates for a $3 fee.  1914 motorcycle plate numbers used a letter "O" prefix beginning at #O1 and the highest known number is #O14359.  According to the state's report, there were 14,335 motorcycles registered in 1914.