I’m not sure about other states, but in mine you can transfer your tag from one car to the next. So I’ve only had two license plate numbers in my life (and let’s just say that’s not a small number of years). But I’m pretty sure that even if I get senile, I’ll always remember the first one and probably forget the one I have now.
So, how many tags have you had, and can you remember the first one?
Yeah. I remember my first two license plates.
It’s my current one I have to write down so I can remember it.
161 600
Things get confused after the mid-80s as both my Wife and I had cars when we got married but vehicles became “ours” very quickly.
I would have to look to see what plate is on the car I am driving today.
Yes but I’ve only ever owned 2 cars.
I remember them all. My first was my ham call letters. All my cars have had custom plates, so they’re not hard to remember. Some are still hanging up in my garage. 5 cars all total, although the states sometimes changed and some plates were reissued (some states do that every few years).
Nope - and I’m good at remembering numbers
Yes I do. It’s decades old and I use it in certain passwords since a) it’s from another state and b) I mix up the plate number and add to it. If someone wants to go back in time in order to crack my passcode then they are welcome to it. 
OK, I’m hijacking my own thread, but that brings to mind the question of why people hang their plates in the garage. I get why you do that, since yours are custom, but my brother does it and he just has random plate numbers. And they’ve had quite a few vehicles, and in their state you have front and rear plates, so every rafter in his garage is decked out with a slew of plates. One time I asked him why he did it, and he just shrugged and said, “That’s just what people around here do.” (Neither of us lives in our home state anymore.)
So is the hanging plates thing just decorative, or is there something I’m missing about it?
Can I remember my first car’s license plate number? Hell yes! I even can remember my first drivers license number. I know the plate number to our current car. Not the one on my truck though.
I can also remember my oldest sister’s first plate number. I worked on it more then I did my own rig. It is no longer in use in the state of Oregon. I often wonder what ever happened to her old Pontiac. I had it in very good shape when she moved out of the folk’s place with it. She is no longer with us, so I can not ask her. If I ever see it again, I would ask if it were for sale. That was a fun car.
Most of my life I’ve lived in states where the plate stays with the car, not the owner. And between wife & I we’ve gone through quite a few cars in quite a few states.
I can remember my two current ones, my first two cars as a new driver, and the one personalized plate I once had along the way. The other 20-ish plates? No clue.
I now live in a keep-the-plate state, so it’s likely I’ll have this current number for the rest of my driving years.
Aside: It’s the same story with phone numbers. I know my current number and the two I grew up with. And none of the dozens in between. When I changed states last year I rejected porting my mobile to a local number here. Xkcd was right: http://xkcd.com/1129/
As crazy as it sounds, there are folks who collect plates. Some folks want one set from all 50 of the states. Some also want plates from the territories & protectorates as well. One of my friends is collecting all of the styles of plates, year by year, that were issued in the state of Colorado.
I have sold plates to these collectors. They saw some plates that I had in a box & got all excited to have them. So, I sold them the ones that they wanted. $20.00 seems to be the going price around here for a set of plates. Of course, as with all collectibles, rarity, condition, and age matters.
I swear there is a collector for everything!
Just had to add, the wrecking yard I worked at while in high school used license plates to shingle the main shop roof.
Sure: Alaska plate 41304. I had to give the number to the cops quite a few times as a teen 50 years ago. My DL was 181232.
On the other hand, I can’t remember what I had for dinner last night.
My dad was a member of the Knights of Columbus, and he’s always had the special tags for his cars. When we were kids, they were CC 4647 and CC 4648. Then Maryland changed the license plate numbering, and I have no idea what happened next.
As for me, I don’t remember any tag number - not eve the current ones. I know the one on the Sonata ends in 030, and I think the one on the truck has a 6 in it. No clue about the tags on the trailer, the camper, or the Harley.
944 LRF
And I haven’t thought about it in years.
California plate 462 JBV. It was a 1973 Plymouth Satellite that I ‘inherited’ from my dad when he bought a new car.
WLL 610. Still have it on pegboard in my workshop along with the other plates I’ve used.
No.
I’ve had a lot of license plates in my life. Mostly motorcycles, but a few cars in there along the way, too.
Strangely, I remember two plates. The plate on my current car, and the plate on a motorcycle way back in the mid to early eighties. Very strange. Why would I remember that one?
I’ve owned only one car and my parents gave me personalised number plates for it (with my initials) for my 21st birthday. So the number plate is pretty easy to remember.
Nope. The only reason I know my current one is because it’s personalized. I also don’t know my driver’s license number.
It’s nostalgia. And seems like such a waste to chuck 'em in the trash.