Delaware License Plate Slogan: The First State
The First State
License Plate Slogan of Delaware
License Plate Slogan of Delaware
- Current slogan
- The First State
- History basis
- First ratifier, 1787
- First used
- 1962
- Plate colors
- Blue and gold
Delaware License Plate Slogan by Era
Delaware's general-issue passenger plates have carried "The First State" since the early 1960s. The blue-and-gold format changed from riveted numerals to flat screened plates, but the slogan stayed fixed.
The First State
Delaware added "The First State" to its general-issue passenger plates in 1962. The current flat blue-and-gold base debuted in 1969, preserving the same slogan while changing the plate's manufacturing style.
Timeline
Delaware votes 30 to 0 to ratify the U.S. Constitution on December 7 — the first state to ratify, beating Pennsylvania by five days and every other state by weeks or months.
Delaware votes 30 to 0 to ratify the U.S. Constitution on December 7 — the first state to ratify, beating Pennsylvania by five days and every other state by weeks or months.
Delaware begins issuing numbered motor vehicle plates. Low numbers issued in this era remain in circulation today, forming the basis of the state's low-number plate culture.
"The First State" first appears on Delaware general-issue passenger plates.
"The First State" first appears on Delaware general-issue passenger plates.
Delaware's current flat blue-and-gold base debuts, keeping "The First State" at the top of the plate.
Delaware plate number 6 sells at auction for $675,000 — a record for a U.S. license plate at the time, illustrating the scale of the state's low-number plate market.
Delaware plate number 6 sells at auction for $675,000 — a record for a U.S. license plate at the time, illustrating the scale of the state's low-number plate market.
Delaware's Low-Number Plates — A Separate Phenomenon
Delaware uses a sequential numbering system for its plates, and low numbers — single digits, double digits, numbers under 1,000 — have become some of the most valuable license plates in the United States. Families pass them down across generations. When they change hands, they sell for prices that can reach six figures. Plate number 6 sold at auction for $675,000 in 2008, setting a record for a U.S. license plate at the time.
The low-number culture exists because Delaware started issuing plates early and never reset its numbering. A plate from 1909 with a two-digit number can still be legally registered today. The combination of age, continuity, and a small state with a long institutional memory created conditions for a collector market that does not exist at the same scale anywhere else in the country.
The slogan and the numbers are separate systems — "The First State" appears on all plates regardless of number — but together they give Delaware plates a dual identity: a historical claim in the slogan and a status signal in the number. For a broader look at how states distinguish their plates, see U.S. license plate slogans by state.
Meaning of The First State
The slogan marks Delaware's vote on December 7, 1787, when thirty delegates unanimously ratified the U.S. Constitution, beating every other state to ratification. It is one of the few U.S. plate slogans tied to a specific, documented historical date.
Can You Match All 50 License Plate Slogans?
Each round shows a license plate and asks which state issued it. Some slogans are instantly recognizable. Others — 'Legendary,' 'Pacific Wonderland,' 'Constitution State' — will make you think. Questions and answer positions shuffle every time.
Take the License Plate Slogans QuizQuick Answers
What is Delaware's license plate slogan?
What does "The First State" mean on Delaware plates?
When did "The First State" first appear on Delaware plates?
Why are Delaware's low-number plates so valuable?
What color is Delaware's license plate?
When did Delaware ratify the U.S. Constitution?
Sources
- Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles
- Delaware Public Archives — State History
- Alpca.org — Delaware License Plate History
- Delaware State Museums
- License Plate Room — Slogans
Delaware State Symbols
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