License Plate News

[kphoger]

And Nevada's just plain sucks.
I'm actually partial to Delaware's plates, simply because they're so different from the rest.

[flowmotion]

Does anyone know if it's possible to request a specific license plate design? I remember my family had an old station wagon with a yellow on blue license plate, but all the newer cars I've had since then have had the standard blue on white. Is it possible to get yellow on blue, or was that an old California standard not made anymore?

There is a proposal to bring back the black and blue plates as retro designs:

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2012/03/26/california-considers-the-return-of-black-license-plates/

(I'd certainly consider getting one - I can't stand the awful 1990s "California" script on the current plates.)

[kphoger]

Yeah, the lipstick license plate does look pretty funny on a rural pickup.

Is there a website for the new Texas plate other than the one provided?  The graphic looks to be of too poor quality to be legitimate, and I can't seem to verify the new design on any other website.

[CentralCAroadgeek]

The new Texas plate looks really nice in my opinion. My cousins in Texas dislike the current plate for some reason.

Have you guys also noticed that the new California plates have "dmv.ca.gov" written on the bottom? Looks very nice in my opinion. What about you guys?

I'm also wondering when the new Georgia plates are going to be out. They're apparently going to be flat plates.

[agentsteel53]

Have you guys also noticed that the new California plates have "dmv.ca.gov" written on the bottom? Looks very nice in my opinion. What about you guys?

I'm not much of a fan of websites on license plates... you'd figure that when it comes time to re-register (which is about the only time you'd need to visit the DMV website), the website would be included in the reminder letter.

the previous CA design I thought was much cleaner... but of course, there is only one sunset plate!



I've always wished they'd have kept that one.

[CentralCAroadgeek]

the previous CA design I thought was much cleaner... but of course, there is only one sunset plate!



I've always wished they'd have kept that one.

I once tried to design a license plate combining the elements of that plate, the blue plates, and the script plates. Didn't turn out well in my opinion.

If I designed plates for the DMV, I would design one for every major sports team and every colllege/university in California (UCLA is not enough). And maybe some more for other causes and organizations (Like the whale plates , Yosemite, etc.)

[DaBigE]

If I designed plates for the DMV, I would design one for every major sports team and every colllege/university in California (UCLA is not enough). And maybe some more for other causes and organizations (Like the whale plates , Yosemite, etc.)

Sounds like you'd fit in well at the Wisconsin DMV: http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/drivers/plateguide/special.htm

[corco]

Wisconsin has nothing on Idaho (warning PDF) (note that there are 10 different school license plates), although the Wisconsin military plates look a lot like standard issue Idaho plates

[agentsteel53]

Sounds like you'd fit in well at the Wisconsin DMV: http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/drivers/plateguide/special.htm

from the "collector" plate on that page:

Cannot be operated during the month of January without a temporary plate.

I wonder why that is... no collector shows in the winter?

[realjd]

Wisconsin has nothing on Idaho (warning PDF) (note that there are 10 different school license plates), although the Wisconsin military plates look a lot like standard issue Idaho plates

That's it?

Florida's list: http://www.flhsmv.gov/html/tagbrochure.pdf

[formulanone]

We have a lot of criminals in Florida; although I've read in the newspapers that permission to operate the plate machinery is actually coveted job within the clink, and only given to the best trustees. Probably because it beats utter boredom and keeps you away from roadside litter and cleaning bathrooms. It all started with that Challenger plate in 1987 or so, and never really looked back.

I've seen plates from Virginia that will have just about any college program's logo on it, so they might hold the de facto record.

Part of me wouldn't mind a NASCAR plate, but that's like having a "Warning: Will speed" sign on your car.

[DaBigE]

Wisconsin has nothing on Idaho (warning PDF) (note that there are 10 different school license plates), although the Wisconsin military plates look a lot like standard issue Idaho plates

Look closer, Wisconsin has 14 different school plates (13 different UW campuses, plus a recently released one for Marquette).  Also note that there are quite a few more plates listed within the links on the left side of the page.  (Not that I'm trying to initiate a license plate pissing contest.)

from the "collector" plate on that page:

Cannot be operated during the month of January without a temporary plate.

I wonder why that is... no collector shows in the winter?

It is an odd requirement (no clue as to the DMV reasoning), but regardless, would you really want to drive a collector car that time of the year?
Road salt + collector/expensive car = 

[1995hoo]

....

I've seen plates from Virginia that will have just about any college program's logo on it, so they might hold the de facto record.

....

Virginia has over 200 specialty plate designs. The requirements are fairly straightforward. For most designs, the plate sponsor has to get 350 pre-paid applications and the General Assembly then has to pass a law authorizing the plate design. Such laws are fairly routine, multiple bills on that topic are introduced every year and I believe they're usually consolidated into a single one and then passed. The Commonwealth is reluctant to reject proposed plate designs due to First Amendment concerns–they've reached a point where they've issued so many specialized plates that they're afraid if they reject one they'll be sued for denying free speech rights. That happened in Maryland when the State initially issued a Sons of Confederate Veterans plate containing that organization's logo but then recalled the plates as "offensive" because the logo includes the Battle Flag. The State lost the ensuing federal lawsuit.

Some of Virginia's plates are what you might call rather esoteric.....

      

      

[Takumi]

The Parrothead one is more common than you might think. In my neighborhood alone I've seen two.

Also, I read the Pearl Harbor sample as "OOOPH", as in the sound one makes when getting punched in the gut

[kphoger]

My most recent spotting was on a trip to Minnesota:  Sovereign Nation / Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.  Of course, we were at a casino.....

[The High Plains Traveler]

Colorado's plates are all drawn from the same combination pool 123-ABC. These plates were first issued (I think) in 2000 and were intended to replace the older plates that had various letter-number sequences (AB-1234, then ABC-123 and finally ABC1234). For those plates, the letter sequences indicated the county of issuance, while the current plates are randomly issued. The old plates were never called in, though, and so many are still in circulation.

The "news" is that the state is close to exhausting the available combinations of the current set (now being issued in the "Y" series). To extend the number of combinations, once the "Z" plates are issued, the state will go back through and issue plates with all available combinations including the letter "Q", which has not been used until now. Though all other letters including "I" and "O" are used, there was apparently a problem designing a "Q" that fit within the area on the plate that can be embossed. Not fully understanding this issue, I went to look at California plates, which have had a "Q" with a very visible tail for many years, and discovered that this is possible because the circular part of the letter is well above the baseline of the embossed area. I suspect the new Colorado "Q" will be based on this to some extent, rather than the "Q" barely distinguishable from letter "O" used by states such as Kansas.

Following issuance of the "Q" plates, the state will start over with ABC-123 sequence plates. This would imply at least a limited call-in of 1980s-vintage plates still in use with that pattern.

Fun fact for license plate collectors: The current screened mountain range image is based on the design that was embossed for many years. This is not a depiction of an actual mountain range; in fact, in the pre-1977 era when plates were reissued each year, the license plate die was flipped each year so that last year's mountains became this year's sky.

[bugo]

I remember a few years ago it was proposed that NJ transfer to one plate. I think law enforcement was the reason used to stick with two plates. That's fine by me. Two plates look "solid". One plated cars always look like something's missing...

I think the real question is, why hasn't NJ changed the designs of their plates in almost 20 years?

Law enforcement thinks they need a lot of things, but believe me, it's a BS argument.  Other states get by with one plate and their LEOs have no trouble with that.  One plate, IMHO, is enough for the vehicle.

Every time anybody wants to change anything, the cops whine, bitch, and moan.  There's no reason for a front plate.  I like having my Razorback plate on the front of my car.

[agentsteel53]

(AB-1234, then ABC-123 and finally ABC1234).

how did Colorado manage to exhaust ABC1234?  California has 1ABC234 (same number of combinations) and is still only on 6Vxx or so, despite starting that pattern in the late 70s and having a lot more vehicles.

Did Colorado skip a lot of the available ABC1234 space?

[bugo]

Here is one I am conflicted on.  West Virginia and Virginia have joined Kentucky in offering plates to members of the "Friends of Coal", and apparently such efforts are pending in other coal states.

Now, personally, I agree with the group's views, but to have such an opennly political organization on a government issued plate seems to open a Pandora's Box to every such group everywhere.

We have "Choose Life" anti-abortion plates here. Also "Family First" and "Family Values" plates that fund anti-gay groups, as well as a few other plates funding Christian groups. But how to does the state differentiate a non-profit political group from any other non-profit? It's not always clear cut. Take our "Save the Manatees" plate for instance. It funds a group that is viewed by some here as a vocal anti-boating political organization fronting as an environmental charity, while others see the group as purely dedicated to protecting an endangered species. Who would (or should) get to decide? That's why they leave it open to all.

Why can't we get a "Pro Choice" license plate?  They're obviously not leaving it open to everybody.

[bugo]

Here is the ultimate "gag me with a spoon" license plate story:

To preface, (IMHO) people who drive a Lexus are made to think they are above everyone else, like they are exempt from using turn signals (most don't).  Even their commercials with the stuffy snobbish spokesmen give that feel. 

Anyhoo, about 8-9 years ago, a local car dealership in Cleveland (Metro Lexus) somehow got the rights to a series of 1,000 "regular issue" Ohio state plates for those who bought Lexuses from them.  Each brand-new Lexus owner would then receive a license plate with XXX-LEX (the x's being numbers).

So these "holier than thou" luxury drivers (IMHO) pretty much got a "vanity" plate with a Metro Lexus plate frame surrounding it. 

From then on, I have always referred to those cars as Lexsuxes.

You would have to be an idiot to buy a Lexus.  All they are is Toyotas with some extra leather and maybe some wood in the interior.  And late model Toyotas are junk.  You're truly paying for that ugly "L" badge.  If you want a luxury car, get a real one like a Benzo or a BMW.  Or if you must have a Japanese luxury car, get an Infiniti which while having no real identity or image of its own, is a superior car to a Lexus.  Or, even better yet, buy a Caddy CTS-V.  Now THAT is a car.  Lincolns used to be nice but now they're just bland gussied up Fords with stupid names that start with "MK."  I have no idea which Lincoln is which.  Back in the day, nobody confused a Continental with a Town Car, but unless you're a Lincoln dealer who knows the difference between an MKS and an MKZ?

[bugo]

Oklahoma has apparently cancelled the US 66 specialty plate.  I recently switched to Oklahoma tags (after living in the state for nearly 5 years) and I was going to get the US 66 plate but it is no longer listed on the website.

[agentsteel53]

Why can't we get a "Pro Choice" license plate?  They're obviously not leaving it open to everybody.

because shitty old people vote.

[bugo]

I like it...as long as it will still be embossed.  If they go print-only, toss it in the bin with all the other ugly plates.  I don't care what anyone else says, print-only ruins a plate no matter how attractive it is otherwise.

The new Oklahoma plates are flat and hideous.  I'll probably end up getting some sort of specialty plate.  Too bad the US 66 plates are apparently not being issued anymore.

[realjd]

Here is one I am conflicted on.  West Virginia and Virginia have joined Kentucky in offering plates to members of the "Friends of Coal", and apparently such efforts are pending in other coal states.

Now, personally, I agree with the group's views, but to have such an opennly political organization on a government issued plate seems to open a Pandora's Box to every such group everywhere.

We have "Choose Life" anti-abortion plates here. Also "Family First" and "Family Values" plates that fund anti-gay groups, as well as a few other plates funding Christian groups. But how to does the state differentiate a non-profit political group from any other non-profit? It's not always clear cut. Take our "Save the Manatees" plate for instance. It funds a group that is viewed by some here as a vocal anti-boating political organization fronting as an environmental charity, while others see the group as purely dedicated to protecting an endangered species. Who would (or should) get to decide? That's why they leave it open to all.

Why can't we get a "Pro Choice" license plate?  They're obviously not leaving it open to everybody.

At least in Florida's case, the pro-choice groups (NOW I think it was) couldn't get the requisite 1,000 pre-sales to get the plate issued.

[bugo]

My most recent spotting was on a trip to Minnesota:  Sovereign Nation / Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.  Of course, we were at a casino.....

I see Native American tags all the time.  Usually Cherokee or Muscogee Creek but sometimes Pawnee and Osage and other tribes.