The DAV Tags Story: Miniature License Plates for Your Keychain
When my parents bought their house decades ago, the former owner had left a box of miniature license plate keychain tabs. We kept the items as a neat collection of historic automotive memorabilia, but it wasn’t until recently that we discovered what they were.
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What is a DAV tag?
These tiny metal identification tokens are called “DAV tags” and were distributed by the Disabled American Veterans organization between the 1940s-1970s.
They measured between 0.75-1.5 inches long and had a car’s license plate number, state of registration, and year of registration printed on the front. The back stated, “Postage Guaranteed. Finder – deposit any mailbox. Disabled American Veterans National Headquarters, Cincinnati 6, Ohio” (Regardless of which state the car was registered in, the mailing address was DAV headquarters in Cincinnati).
License plate keychain tags were around since the late 1930s, when companies like B.F. Goodrich Tires invited customers to order miniature replicas of their license plate with the real plate numbers printed on them.
In 1941, the Disabled American Veterans — a government-created group that provides services for military veterans with disabilities and their families — saw an opportunity to raise money for veterans during wartime. According to historians’ accounts and hobbyist records, the DAV purchased the Idento Tag company and began proactively manufacturing and mailing these metal tags out to the owners of registered vehicles, using the exact license plate number as it was listed in the state’s vehicle registration database (through each bureau’s cooperation).
Upon receiving the tag, the person would be asked for a donation to the Disabled American Veterans in exchange for the gift.
When the vehicle owner would lose their keys with this identification tag on them, a stranger would (ideally) drop the keys in a mailbox, where the U.S. Post Office would deliver them to the DAV’s Cincinnati address. The DAV would then return the keys to the registered owner of the vehicle, hoping that the deed would encourage the person to donate again out of appreciation and request another tag in the future when they updated their plates.
Over the years, the tags evolved from stamped, painted metal to printed stickers on metal frames to paper prints in plastic sleeves — until eventually being discontinued.
If you like collecting vintage car-related memorabilia or are looking for a unique gift for a gearhead, these DAV tags are a neat bit of history. You can find many non-rare ones on Ebay for a couple of dollars.
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Aaron is unashamed to be a native Clevelander and the proud driver of a Hyundai Veloster Turbo (which recently replaced his 1995 Saturn SC-2). He gleefully utilizes his background in theater, literature, and communication to dramatically recite his own articles to nearby youth. Mr. Widmar happily resides in Dayton, Ohio with his magnificent wife, Vicki, but is often on the road with her exploring new destinations. Aaron has high aspirations for his writing career but often gets distracted pondering the profound nature of the human condition and forgets what he was writing… See more articles by Aaron.