License Plate News

[kphoger]

I think they should keep going from 9 to 10.

9ZZZ999 → 10AAA00

[Roadwarriors79]

Arizona now has 6 character standard plates again. 3 characters, a space, and 3 more characters. Random letters or numbers, with the purple cactus on the left.

SM-G975U

[jakeroot]

I think they should keep going from 9 to 10.

9ZZZ999 → 10AAA00

Gotta wonder how that missing final number would affect the total plate output. Still, at least it would maintain the pattern Californians know so well.

Bit like Grand Theft Auto, minus the eighth digit:

They could adopt San Andreas plate numbering (from GTA V); after 9 (or 8?), go to 10 and keep the ball moving :

[kphoger]

I think they should keep going from 9 to 10.

9ZZZ999 → 10AAA00

Gotta wonder how that missing final number would affect the total plate output. Still, at least it would maintain the pattern Californians know so well.

What do you mean?  It's the same number of digits and same number of letters.

[jakeroot]

I think they should keep going from 9 to 10.

9ZZZ999 → 10AAA00

Gotta wonder how that missing final number would affect the total plate output. Still, at least it would maintain the pattern Californians know so well.

What do you mean?  It's the same number of digits and same number of letters.

But you're replacing a number that cycles continuously between 0 and 9 with a static "10" at the front. So now instead of one static number, you have two.

I must be missing something.

[jakeroot]

As it relates to the conversation around plate design:

I absolutely hate overdone license plate designs. If it were up to me, every plate would be black on white, or a similarly contrasting color, and nothing in the background. The only design would be the state name on the top, which I suppose you could do up in some graphically appealing way.

Mexico's new rules are very inspiring.

[Pink Jazz]

As it relates to the conversation around plate design:

I absolutely hate overdone license plate designs. If it were up to me, every plate would be black on white, or a similarly contrasting color, and nothing in the background. The only design would be the state name on the top, which I suppose you could do up in some graphically appealing way.

Mexico's new rules are very inspiring.

Arizona's plates seem to have an issue with the retroreflective sheeting fading and peeling off after a while.  At first I thought this only was an issue with the older embossed version of their design, however in recent years I have seen this same issue popping up with their flat plates (especially those in the Axxyyyy series).

[jakeroot]

As it relates to the conversation around plate design:

I absolutely hate overdone license plate designs. If it were up to me, every plate would be black on white, or a similarly contrasting color, and nothing in the background. The only design would be the state name on the top, which I suppose you could do up in some graphically appealing way.

Mexico's new rules are very inspiring.

Arizona's plates seem to have an issue with the retroreflective sheeting fading and peeling off after a while.  At first I thought this only was an issue with the older embossed version of their design, however in recent years I have seen this same issue popping up with their flat plates (especially those in the Axxyyyy series).

I have a friend who has had Arizona plates up here in WA for some time (don't ask me how...he's not military and hasn't lived in AZ for years). His plates are pretty faded. The numbers are still fairly readable but the whole design has lost its detail.

[OCGuy81]

This might have been discussed here already, but what are your thoughts on flat vs embossed plates?

[OCGuy81]

Arizona now has 6 character standard plates again. 3 characters, a space, and 3 more characters. Random letters or numbers, with the purple cactus on the left.

SM-G975U

And it seems like there isn't any sequence, number/letter combos are just issued randomly?

[jakeroot]

This might have been discussed here already, but what are your thoughts on flat vs embossed plates?

I can't help but compare it to the button copy vs retroreflective text debate: the two are from different eras and use different technology to achieve similar outputs.

Personally: I'm indifferent. I lean into embossed plates, as I'm used to them here in WA, but I've seen flat plates that look good too (like Montana).

Arizona now has 6 character standard plates again. 3 characters, a space, and 3 more characters. Random letters or numbers, with the purple cactus on the left.

And it seems like there isn't any sequence, number/letter combos are just issued randomly?

Arizona previously issued sequenced plates starting with AAA0000, but moved to random sequencing within the last year, although I believe the pattern remained AAA0000.

If Roadwarriors79 is saying the plates are issued with totally random characters in all six plates: that's really weird. I've never seen anything like that before. Random characters is not unusual, but the letters and numbers typically remain in the same spots.

[kphoger]

I think they should keep going from 9 to 10.

9ZZZ999 → 10AAA00

Gotta wonder how that missing final number would affect the total plate output. Still, at least it would maintain the pattern Californians know so well.

What do you mean?  It's the same number of digits and same number of letters.

But you're replacing a number that cycles continuously between 0 and 9 with a static "10" at the front. So now instead of one static number, you have two.

I must be missing something.

It will take just as long to get from 10AAA00 to 19ZZZ99 as from 1AAA000 to 1ZZZ999.  Same number of combinations.  So the 10#-to-19# range becomes the new 1# range, the 20#-29# range becomes the new 2# range, and so on.

This might have been discussed here already, but what are your thoughts on flat vs embossed plates?

3M flat plates are fine as long as the font is decent.

Bad:



Good:

[DJ Particle]

Good:

Minnesota has had that design now for almost 45 years.  The only changes since it was introduced are: Slightly different slogan/state fonts, the addition of ".com" in 2006, and the switch to flat laserprint that same year.

[kphoger]

Minnesota has had that design now for almost 45 years.  The only changes since it was introduced are: Slightly different slogan/state fonts, the addition of ".com" in 2006, and the switch to flat laserprint that same year.

In addition to those...

1982 – State outline added as a separator.
1987 – Switched to a darker shade of blue for the sky and bottom band.
1993 – Faded the bottom blue band into the white section above it.

[JayhawkCO]

Good:

Minnesota has had that design now for almost 45 years.

Because it's damn near perfect.  The best standard state plate for a long time.

Chris

[OCGuy81]

That Iowa font with the European style zeroes is pretty bad looking

[kphoger]

That Iowa font with the European style zeroes is pretty bad looking

Oh, don't blame Europe.  They don't use zeroes on their license plates over there (except an implied one).

[StogieGuy7]

No matter how attractive the design of the flat plate is, it would be far better if it were embossed.  Flat plates are crap and are unreadable at certain angles due to glare. That's my $0.02.

Oh, and the current IA plate design may be the ugliest license plate ever (and yes, I know that's a big statement).  Looks so fake, yet a fake would almost certainly be better looking.

[kphoger]

This might have been discussed here already, but what are your thoughts on flat vs embossed plates?

I can't help but compare it to the button copy vs retroreflective text debate: the two are from different eras and use different technology to achieve similar outputs.

No matter how attractive the design of the flat plate is, it would be far better if it were embossed.  Flat plates are crap and are unreadable at certain angles due to glare. That's my $0.02.

But, I think what |jakeroot| is getting at is that what we're calling 'legibility' is perhaps no longer the most important thing when it comes to license plate design.  I suspect there's an increasing importance of camera legibility and a decreasing importance of human eyeball legibility.

[OCGuy81]

Do you all have standard issue plates from your state, or have you helped fund the DMV annual Christmas party with a specialty?

Of our two cars, we have a standard Oregon fir tree plate, and my wife's car has the Smokey the Bear plate that Oregon offers.

[kphoger]

Do you all have standard issue plates from your state, or have you helped fund the DMV annual Christmas party with a specialty?

Of our two cars, we have a standard Oregon fir tree plate, and my wife's car has the Smokey the Bear plate that Oregon offers.

We got a breast cancer awareness plate one year, but then the next year didn't want to spend the money to renew it.  So it's been a standard plate ever since.

* kphoger goes out to the parking lot to count stickers...

I'm on my ninth registration sticker, which means it was back in 2011-2012 that we had the specialty plate.  I remember back then, I had a Camino Colombia Day Pass account, which was how we paid tolls on TX-255 during the period between the removal of the tollbooths and our obtaining a PikePass.  I called the hotline to update vehicle information and told the agent our four-digit license plate number, and she was surprised it was so short.  I figured that was somewhat common, but maybe she was new.

A couple of years ago, Kanas launched an Eisenhower Foundation specialty tag that has an image of a big I LIKE IKE pin on one side.  We considered getting that, just because our youngest son's name is Isaac and we call him Ike half the time.  But we never did get it.

[OCGuy81]

Do you all have standard issue plates from your state, or have you helped fund the DMV annual Christmas party with a specialty?

Of our two cars, we have a standard Oregon fir tree plate, and my wife's car has the Smokey the Bear plate that Oregon offers.

We got a breast cancer awareness plate one year, but then the next year didn't want to spend the money to renew it.  So it's been a standard plate ever since.

* kphoger goes out to the parking lot to count stickers...

I'm on my ninth registration sticker, which means it was back in 2011-2012 that we had the specialty plate.  I remember back then, I had a Camino Colombia Day Pass account, which was how we paid tolls on TX-255 during the period between the removal of the tollbooths and our obtaining a PikePass.  I called the hotline to update vehicle information and told the agent our four-digit license plate number, and she was surprised it was so short.  I figured that was somewhat common, but maybe she was new.

A couple of years ago, Kanas launched an Eisenhower Foundation specialty tag that has an image of a big I LIKE IKE pin on one side.  We considered getting that, just because our youngest son's name is Isaac and we call him Ike half the time.  But we never did get it.

Does Kansas do mandatory re-plates every so often?

[kphoger]

Does Kansas do mandatory re-plates every so often?

I believe so, but I don't know the schedule.  I think there are still some pre-2007 plates floating around out there on vehicles, but there are almost none left.

[1995hoo]

Do you all have standard issue plates from your state, or have you helped fund the DMV annual Christmas party with a specialty?

Of our two cars, we have a standard Oregon fir tree plate, and my wife's car has the Smokey the Bear plate that Oregon offers.

None of our cars has the standard plate. My Acura has the no-longer produced Jamestown plate that had a sailing ship on it; I've had that particular set of plates since 2003. My RX-7 has antique plates. My wife's two cars have the design with the state tree and bird (a cardinal perches on a dogwood branch). The notable thing about all these designs is that they all carry (carried, in the case of my Jamestown plate) a one-time fee, not an additional annual fee like university or sports team plates; the antique plate is also a permanent plate that need not be renewed each year. The one thing we do pay an annual fee for is the personalized plate fee. All four cars have personalized plates, which costs $10 a year except for the antique plates, where it was a one-time fee.

[JayhawkCO]

Do you all have standard issue plates from your state, or have you helped fund the DMV annual Christmas party with a specialty?

Of our two cars, we have a standard Oregon fir tree plate, and my wife’s car has the Smokey the Bear plate that Oregon offers.

This is what I have.  I think it's the best looking specialty plate in CO. 

My wife has:



Chris