License Plate News

[on_wisconsin]

Here is a "only in Texas" plate:

[route56]

I just did my tags today... officially transferred my "ROUTE56" vanity plate to my new vehicle ('98 Monte Carlo, 170k, engine and tranny good, looks very good for its age)

It took the person at the treasurer's office ~ 10-15 minutes to enter all the information and print my new decal (apparently done on a laser printer, the sticker is actually attached to my receipt)

Since I live in Jefferson county, there was no queue to speak of.

[Quillz]

Came across a truck the other day with a "7XXXYYY" license plate in California, but I thought they were only up to the 6XXXYYY range? The truck itself looked pretty beat up and old, so I'm thinking they put a brand new license plate on an old car.

[Road Hog]

Came across a truck the other day with a "7XXXYYY" license plate in California, but I thought they were only up to the 6XXXYYY range? The truck itself looked pretty beat up and old, so I'm thinking they put a brand new license plate on an old car.

California may have an age limit on plates like Texas does (8 years). Or the truck came from out of state.

[CentralCAroadgeek]

That's just a commercial vehicle plate. They have a different 0A00000 format (though now 00000A0) compared to the passenger plates. The commercial plates are currently in the 00000G1 series. Hope this answers your question.

[Scott5114]

The Sedgwick County tag office is notorious for long queues and in fact has (or at any rate used to have) an old framed black-and-white photograph, taken in the 1960's, showing a queue trailing out of the tag office and wrapping around a block which showed signs of being cleared in anticipation "of the inner loop freeway" (which was cancelled in 1976).

This is why I like the somewhat bizarre Oklahoma system of "tag agencies". In Oklahoma the DPS (Department of Public Safety) directly handles only driver testing and issuance of new driver licenses and state IDs. All other services are rendered by a private "tag agent"–plate registration and renewal, driver license renewal, and other such things. Just about every town has at least one (even tiny Goldsby, where I grew up, which doesn't even have a post office). There are several in Norman and probably at least a hundred in Oklahoma City. If the wait is too long, or the computers are down, you can just go to the next one.

[agentsteel53]

Came across a truck the other day with a "7XXXYYY" license plate in California, but I thought they were only up to the 6XXXYYY range? The truck itself looked pretty beat up and old, so I'm thinking they put a brand new license plate on an old car.

most likely you saw, and misparsed, a commercial plate.  7X12345. 

highest I've seen for actual issue is 6WNx123 or so ... and CA would not issue a vanity which conflicts with any actual or planned numbering scheme.  after 9XXX123, the next issue is slated to be 123XXX1, so those are unavailable for vanity as well.

each first-letter set seems to last about 4 months, so we still have half of 6W, and all of 6X, 6Y, and 6Z to go.  I believe all of those will be used (except maybe 6ZZZ) so 7AAA is a little over a year away.

as a reference, 6TH and 6TK were issued in Sept and Oct of last year, respectively.  my car is a 6TH, registered 9/9/11.

[kendancy66]

Came across a truck the other day with a "7XXXYYY" license plate in California, but I thought they were only up to the 6XXXYYY range? The truck itself looked pretty beat up and old, so I'm thinking they put a brand new license plate on an old car.

California may have an age limit on plates like Texas does (8 years). Or the truck came from out of state.

I am sure that there is no age limit like that in CA.  I regularly see the Gold on Blue, Gold on Black, and even Black on Gold plates that are from the 1950's.  Even the embossed lettering state plates that were the predecessor to the current script lettering state that started during 150 year statehood anniversary, are over twelve years old now.  I think those date from before 2000.

[Occidental Tourist]

Came across a truck the other day with a "7XXXYYY" license plate in California, but I thought they were only up to the 6XXXYYY range? The truck itself looked pretty beat up and old, so I'm thinking they put a brand new license plate on an old car.

most likely you saw, and misparsed, a commercial plate.  7X12345. 

highest I've seen for actual issue is 6WNx123 or so ... and CA would not issue a vanity which conflicts with any actual or planned numbering scheme.  after 9XXX123, the next issue is slated to be 123XXX1, so those are unavailable for vanity as well.

each first-letter set seems to last about 4 months, so we still have half of 6W, and all of 6X, 6Y, and 6Z to go.  I believe all of those will be used (except maybe 6ZZZ) so 7AAA is a little over a year away.

as a reference, 6TH and 6TK were issued in Sept and Oct of last year, respectively.  my car is a 6TH, registered 9/9/11.

Old cars get new plates all the time in California.  Especially if they are resold at a car lot or lose a front plate.

And as indicated above, you probably saw a commercial plate, which is standard issue for light pickups, and sometimes issued for SUVs.  Based on the plate being a 7X12345, it was likely issued 3 or 4 years ago.  Trucks and SUVs outsell cars here and the DMV blew past 7X12345 and 8X12345.  They are now on 12345X1.

[agentsteel53]

there is, indeed, no age limit on CA plates.  in fact, for particularly old model years, if you can acquire a pair of plates from that year, in good condition, you can display them.  this is called the Year of Model policy.  I see plates as old as the 1930s fairly regularly on the road, due to the mild weather and the prevalent car enthusiast culture.

I believe the YOM policy is 1964 or newer, but they are thinking about extending it to the early 80s.

one interesting (quite unofficial!) variant I saw was a 1960s WV van with a 6ABC123 plate.  the plates were black with yellow, echoing the car's model year.  I am pretty sure the owner just repainted a modern issue! 

[txstateends]

http://www.dallasnews.com/incoming/20120725-old-look-is-new-again-with-latest-texas-license-plates.ece

Apparently, after only having the last style since 2009, TX has decided, as of now, to do a way-back rollback in design (or lack of    ).  Sorry, but whose bright idea was this??!!??  If it was so very difficult for the patrollers to see the plates all decked out, why did the majority JUST decide (in a state-wide contest) on the blue-skies-and-mountains look not too long ago??  >ugh<

[Alex]

http://www.dallasnews.com/incoming/20120725-old-look-is-new-again-with-latest-texas-license-plates.ece

Apparently, after only having the last style since 2009, TX has decided, as of now, to do a way-back rollback in design (or lack of    ).  Sorry, but whose bright idea was this??!!??  If it was so very difficult for the patrollers to see the plates all decked out, why did the majority JUST decide (in a state-wide contest) on the blue-skies-and-mountains look not too long ago??  >ugh<

I do recall the contest...goes to show you the population's preference was not the state's preference in the long run. Why bother.

This is pretty much a carbon copy of the old 80s design with the exception of the star and state slogan. Plain and boring made worse with, as Cullen put it, the stupid 3M font...

[rawmustard]

Two new "Pure Michigan" license plates were revealed today. The white-on-blue one will eventually become the standard plate (available beginning in early 2013), while the Mackinac Bridge design will be available sometime thereafter. My take on it is that I'm tired of them thinking the tourism slogan needs to be put on everything. I'll only give up my "Spectacular Peninsulas" plate when they pry it from my cold dead hands.

[kphoger]

stupid 3M font...

I just noticed today that US Government plates are 3M flats.  I was much saddened.

On a brighter note, I spotted a license plate from Durango in a parking lot in Wichita on Monday.

[Brandon]

I kind of like the new Michigan bridge plate.  Personally, I wish we had something as unique for Illinois.  But, alas, we have a barely definable head of Lincoln.

[US12]

I miss that good old all Blue "Great Lakes State" plate.

[The High Plains Traveler]

http://www.dallasnews.com/incoming/20120725-old-look-is-new-again-with-latest-texas-license-plates.ece

Apparently, after only having the last style since 2009, TX has decided, as of now, to do a way-back rollback in design (or lack of    ).  Sorry, but whose bright idea was this??!!??  If it was so very difficult for the patrollers to see the plates all decked out, why did the majority JUST decide (in a state-wide contest) on the blue-skies-and-mountains look not too long ago??  >ugh<

I do recall the contest...goes to show you the population's preference was not the state's preference in the long run. Why bother.

This is pretty much a carbon copy of the old 80s design with the exception of the star and state slogan. Plain and boring made worse with, as Cullen put it, the stupid 3M font...

They're out. Yuk. I saw one in Creede CO last weekend. (Our RV park in South Fork was 99% Texas rigs). Answering my earlier question on the topic, they are still avoiding vowels, since the plates began with B.

[6a]

How about this stream of consciousness...all it's missing is a twitter tag.

[formulanone]

Ohio: "The Gateway State"...does that mean I'll try other states after that one?

[Brandon]

I miss that good old all Blue "Great Lakes State" plate.

I don't.  License plates should have some design and an artistic flair, IMHO.

[US12]

I miss that good old all Blue "Great Lakes State" plate.

I don't.  License plates should have some design and an artistic flair, IMHO.

True, but the blue bar Michigan plate they replaced it with has no artistic flair. The new Pure Michigan one is slightly better than the Blue Bar.

[Road Hog]

Ohio: "The Gateway State"...does that mean I'll try other states after that one?

That might change to Colorado this fall.  8)

[Alps]

Two new "Pure Michigan" license plates were revealed today. The white-on-blue one will eventually become the standard plate (available beginning in early 2013), while the Mackinac Bridge design will be available sometime thereafter. My take on it is that I'm tired of them thinking the tourism slogan needs to be put on everything. I'll only give up my "Spectacular Peninsulas" plate when they pry it from my cold dead hands.

Now that's a return to good plate design for that state! Nice.

Ohio: "The Gateway State"...does that mean I'll try other states after that one?

If you or someone you know has tried Ohio, we are here to help. It IS possible to get yourself off Ohio for good.

[agentsteel53]

why "Pure Michigan"?  what's wrong with just "Michigan"?

though I suppose it beats "myFlorida.gov" for state motto.

[kphoger]

why "Pure Michigan"?  what's wrong with just "Michigan"?

Maybe there are separate ones for Detroit.