France was the first country to introduce the license plate.
While the first “everyday” automobile hit the streets in 1908, license plates have actually been around for much longer.
The history of license plates for automobiles dates back to the Paris Police Ordinance of August 14, 1893. This ordinance, introduced by the French authorities, marked the inception of an essential system to regulate and identify vehicles on the road. The primary purpose of these early license plates was to establish ownership and enable law enforcement to identify and track vehicles more effectively.
However, this innovation quickly gained traction and was adopted by other countries as the automobile industry expanded globally.
The first country to introduce the license plate was France in 1893, with the passage of the Paris Police Ordinance. Germany followed suit in 1896 and the Netherlands became the first country to introduce a national license plate known as a driving permit in 1898.