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1940:
- "19 TEXAS 40" along top.
- At some point late in the numbering, the dies for the number 4 change.
- Passenger plate color: purple on white.
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1941:
- "TEXAS 1941" along top.
- Bus
plates introduced.
- Passenger plate color: yellow/orange on black.
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1942
- "TEXAS-42" along bottom.
- "Y" serial letter used after A,F, K, N, & V.
- A program was begun to recycle old license plates for the war effort.
This is perhaps part of the reason why pre-WWII Texas plates are much
more difficult to find than many other states.
- Passenger plate color: black on yellow-orange.
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1943-1944:
- As in many states, plates were not issued to conserve metal for
the war effort. Thousands of old plates are collected & melted
down.
- 1942 plates were to be revalidated with a 1943 windshield sticker,
but the program was killed.
- Instead, 1942 plates were revalidated with small metal tabs for
43 & 44.
- These tabs featured a 2-letter prefix which continued on plates
through 1955. The prefix is serial, not a county or type code.
- 1943 tab color: yellow-orange on black.
- 1944 tab color: cream on green.
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txdot
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1945:
- New plates issued singularly due to continuing metal shortage.
- "TEXAS-45" at top.
- Plates were a more square shape, with a two-letter "stacked" prefix
followed by 1 to 4 numbers.
- "Truck"
& "Truck
Tractor" plates replace Commercial.
- "Farm
Truck" plates replace "Farm".
- Passenger plate color: black on yellow-orange.
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1946:
- Slightly bigger plate with "TEXAS-(date)" at top (even yrs.) or
bottom (odd yrs.) through 1950.
- Passenger plate color: cream on black.
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1947:
- A delivery problem caused a plate shortage, so 1946 plates were
revalidated with a 1947 windshield sticker that expired on July 15.
(I do not believe any of these stickers are known to still exist).
- Eventually the new plates were issued, in pairs again.
- Passenger plate color: white on black.
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1948:
- Exempt plates become permanent and no longer have an embossed year.
- "House
Trailer" plates introduced. "Side Car"
plates discontinued.
- Passenger plate color: yellow on black
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1949:
- Passenger plate color: black on yellow-orange.
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