License Plate News

[kalvado]

Unlike in Kansas, since the 2009 the actual plate numbers have nothing to do with the counties at all. For a year or two there was no way to identify the county a license plate was issued in at all. The current letter code stickers were only implemented when law enforcement complained about the lack of information. So I suspect that's who the intended end user of the current system is. Sure, you can train an OHP officer to memorize all 77 codes, but I suspect that a small town cop in Stringtown or whatever is probably a lot closer to a layperson than society would care to admit.

Forgive my ignorance, but why would a police officer need to easily identify what county a license plate is from?

So that they don't piss off local tax base too much... Robin Hood tax should be applied to strangers, preferably out of state ones.

I was thinking about this...  If that's the real reason, then it wouldn't matter that the codes make any sense at all.  Caddo County could be XW, and Oklahoma County could be YP, and Tulsa County could be IB.  All the cop in Anadarko would have to know is whether or not the vehicle they pulled over is from Caddo County or not:  anything other than XW, which he sees on every car in his county every day, is from somewhere else.

Maybe knowing few urban codes for fat cats to sponsor local budget is also a good idea.
But that reinforces what was said before - those codes are not for general public and actually against general public interest.

[vdeane]

Unlike in Kansas, since the 2009 the actual plate numbers have nothing to do with the counties at all. For a year or two there was no way to identify the county a license plate was issued in at all. The current letter code stickers were only implemented when law enforcement complained about the lack of information. So I suspect that's who the intended end user of the current system is. Sure, you can train an OHP officer to memorize all 77 codes, but I suspect that a small town cop in Stringtown or whatever is probably a lot closer to a layperson than society would care to admit.

Forgive my ignorance, but why would a police officer need to easily identify what county a license plate is from?

So that they don't piss off local tax base too much... Robin Hood tax should be applied to strangers, preferably out of state ones.

I was thinking about this...  If that's the real reason, then it wouldn't matter that the codes make any sense at all.  Caddo County could be XW, and Oklahoma County could be YP, and Tulsa County could be IB.  All the cop in Anadarko would have to know is whether or not the vehicle they pulled over is from Caddo County or not:  anything other than XW, which he sees on every car in his county every day, is from somewhere else.

If there's an intent to minimize the odds that someone would fight the ticket in court, then a plate from as far away as possible is ideal.  And, of course, urban/rural/other biases could filter in.  I've heard that driving with Yankee plates in the South makes on a cop magnet, for example.

[Rothman]

Unlike in Kansas, since the 2009 the actual plate numbers have nothing to do with the counties at all. For a year or two there was no way to identify the county a license plate was issued in at all. The current letter code stickers were only implemented when law enforcement complained about the lack of information. So I suspect that's who the intended end user of the current system is. Sure, you can train an OHP officer to memorize all 77 codes, but I suspect that a small town cop in Stringtown or whatever is probably a lot closer to a layperson than society would care to admit.

Forgive my ignorance, but why would a police officer need to easily identify what county a license plate is from?

So that they don't piss off local tax base too much... Robin Hood tax should be applied to strangers, preferably out of state ones.

I was thinking about this...  If that's the real reason, then it wouldn't matter that the codes make any sense at all.  Caddo County could be XW, and Oklahoma County could be YP, and Tulsa County could be IB.  All the cop in Anadarko would have to know is whether or not the vehicle they pulled over is from Caddo County or not:  anything other than XW, which he sees on every car in his county every day, is from somewhere else.

If there's an intent to minimize the odds that someone would fight the ticket in court, then a plate from as far away as possible is ideal.  And, of course, urban/rural/other biases could filter in.  I've heard that driving with Yankee plates in the South makes on a cop magnet, for example.

I've been pulled over a couple of times in the South and I find the Yankee variable to only be one factor.  A speed trap is a speed trap, after all.

[kalvado]

I am most happy living in a state that does not put any mention of 'county' on my car's license plates (Wisconsin).  It does add an element of anonymity to mindlessly driving around the state.



Mike

Can agree with this. In New York, we don't have counties on the plates, but oftentimes your local car dealer will install a plate frame that says Nissan of *city/town name* for example. When my family and I were going on a road trip from Long Island to Buffalo/Niagara Falls, I took off the plate frames so people wouldn't know we were tourists.

By the way, there are county specific plates in NY.
If you do registration through county clerk office - most popular in pre-internet days in rural areas without dmv offices - county keeps a good chunk of all fees, and may issue a AB 123 type plate. These are general issue plates. I don't see a lot of them, and codes run out. I remember that from a scandal - TY being Rensselaer county (for Troy) ran out, and clerk used her initials for the next batch...

[mgk920]

In Wisconsin, any county or municipal 'wheel' taxes are collected by WisDOT at plate renewal time and remitted by them to the proper agencies.

Mike

[SD Mapman]

I keep my license plates unframed.  While the main reason is that I just don't care for the look, it also helps remove obscuration of the plate as a possible excuse for a traffic stop.

Same here, with one minor exception; we hit a deer a few years ago and partially shredded the license plate. It started to bend along the seam earlier this year, so I got a frame from my alma mater to keep the plate from falling apart. It only partially obscures the registration sticker, but you can still tell it has the right year color. If I ever get pulled over for it before next January (when I get a new sticker) I'll explain the situation and tell the cop that I'll head to the county treasurer's office and get an unnecessary new sticker.

Were I in that position, I'd probably try to get the whole plate replaced as soon as financially feasible (unless the fee structure is such that "never" is when that would be).

Potential license plate damage due to small debris and other objects striking the front bumper cover is one reason why I'm glad Oklahoma is not a front-plate state.

I'd rather get the new sticker than the plate; I like that it was one of the first "new" plates that Lawrence County issued (there were only 172 cars before us and I think we went up there in December). Plus, you can see on the back one I'm up-to-date on everything.

[Scott5114]

Unlike in Kansas, since the 2009 the actual plate numbers have nothing to do with the counties at all. For a year or two there was no way to identify the county a license plate was issued in at all. The current letter code stickers were only implemented when law enforcement complained about the lack of information. So I suspect that's who the intended end user of the current system is. Sure, you can train an OHP officer to memorize all 77 codes, but I suspect that a small town cop in Stringtown or whatever is probably a lot closer to a layperson than society would care to admit.

Forgive my ignorance, but why would a police officer need to easily identify what county a license plate is from?

So that they don't piss off local tax base too much... Robin Hood tax should be applied to strangers, preferably out of state ones.

I was thinking about this...  If that's the real reason, then it wouldn't matter that the codes make any sense at all.  Caddo County could be XW, and Oklahoma County could be YP, and Tulsa County could be IB.  All the cop in Anadarko would have to know is whether or not the vehicle they pulled over is from Caddo County or not:  anything other than XW, which he sees on every car in his county every day, is from somewhere else.

Well, having a good set of general-purpose, well-publicized county abbreviations is helpful. I would imagine if you saw a tweet that said "Tornado warning for HP and KM counties, take cover now. Cell expected to reach SG in 30 minutes #kswx" you'd at least have some idea of what was going on.

Actually, part of the reason why I've wanted the Oklahoma county codes is because I have a spreadsheet for my business where I track in-state sales by county and city, so I can keep track of sales taxes I owe. Since most of my in-state sales are to CL/ML/OK that's how I enter them, but I know at some point I'm going to get a random Web order from Haskell County or something and need to put something else in that column.

[kalvado]

Unlike in Kansas, since the 2009 the actual plate numbers have nothing to do with the counties at all. For a year or two there was no way to identify the county a license plate was issued in at all. The current letter code stickers were only implemented when law enforcement complained about the lack of information. So I suspect that's who the intended end user of the current system is. Sure, you can train an OHP officer to memorize all 77 codes, but I suspect that a small town cop in Stringtown or whatever is probably a lot closer to a layperson than society would care to admit.

Forgive my ignorance, but why would a police officer need to easily identify what county a license plate is from?

So that they don't piss off local tax base too much... Robin Hood tax should be applied to strangers, preferably out of state ones.

I was thinking about this...  If that's the real reason, then it wouldn't matter that the codes make any sense at all.  Caddo County could be XW, and Oklahoma County could be YP, and Tulsa County could be IB.  All the cop in Anadarko would have to know is whether or not the vehicle they pulled over is from Caddo County or not:  anything other than XW, which he sees on every car in his county every day, is from somewhere else.

Well, having a good set of general-purpose, well-publicized county abbreviations is helpful. I would imagine if you saw a tweet that said "Tornado warning for HP and KM counties, take cover now. Cell expected to reach SG in 30 minutes #kswx" you'd at least have some idea of what was going on.

Actually, part of the reason why I've wanted the Oklahoma county codes is because I have a spreadsheet for my business where I track in-state sales by county and city, so I can keep track of sales taxes I owe. Since most of my in-state sales are to CL/ML/OK that's how I enter them, but I know at some point I'm going to get a random Web order from Haskell County or something and need to put something else in that column.

It may be a good idea in general but may be pretty hard to implement.
First, there is little reason for an average person to remember counties beyond adjacent ones. NY has 62 counties, 12 of them with <50k population. 
Next, how much confusion can those codes cause? It is totally possible for a small business to get customers from the adjacent state. So, 62 county codes for NY should not overlap with 67 in PA, 14 in MA, 14 in VT and 8 in MA. Probably beneficial is codes shouldn't include 50 states and 13 candaian territories abbreviations (TX for Texas county mentioned above is ready for confusion - e.g. for a long haul traveler "TX county" in weather message), and maybe 200-something country specific internet domains.

There are FIPS codes, which may be not very human-friendly, but designed to be unique.

Last, but not the least. Is there a good reason to have those codes on license plates?
Oh, and would overlapping MA and PA codes cause problems in NY?

[thenetwork]

Colorado's license plates make it to the big time:

https://theathletic.com/news/colorado-rockies-uniform-city-connect/BrPiblTH9l0Y/

[jakeroot]

Colorado's license plates make it to the big time:

https://theathletic.com/news/colorado-rockies-uniform-city-connect/BrPiblTH9l0Y/

Love to see it. Colorado has a great license plate! Possibly my favorite in the country.

[DRMan]

California is piloting vinyl license plate wraps, to be used on the front of your car in place of a traditional plate. From https://uni-watch.com:

https://www.motor1.com/news/590018/how-to-get-front-license-plate-wrap-california/

[kalvado]

California is piloting vinyl license plate wraps, to be used on the front of your car in place of a traditional plate. From https://uni-watch.com:

https://www.motor1.com/news/590018/how-to-get-front-license-plate-wrap-california/

Looks like a good idea, actually. I am a bit surprized by the cost, $90+. I would think such sticker itself shouldn't cost much more than Aluminum plate, which is largely a sticker on a base anyway.

[GCrites]

That's not just "smoother", it lets the plate work around things like cameras and radar sensors for driving aids.

[Flint1979]

Just went to SOS and got my new Michigan license plate. My old one was in bad shape, it was peeling and in a few spots. Went with the Water Winter Wonderland one and like the looks of that plate better than our old plates. This one is actually a throwback to the 1960's but it's available again and they look nice. Almost like Delaware's except it says Michigan of course and Water Winter Wonderland instead of First State.

[LateSleeper]

Just went to SOS and got my new Michigan license plate. My old one was in bad shape, it was peeling and in a few spots. Went with the Water Winter Wonderland one and like the looks of that plate better than our old plates. This one is actually a throwback to the 1960's but it's available again and they look nice. Almost like Delaware's except it says Michigan of course and Water Winter Wonderland instead of First State.

Shine a flashlight at the plate at night, see if the dark blue background reflects back. If it's reflective, it'll look like it's lit up from behind, almost white with a hint of the navy blue. I believe different angles produce different levels of reflection.

[pderocco]

California is piloting vinyl license plate wraps, to be used on the front of your car in place of a traditional plate. From https://uni-watch.com:

https://www.motor1.com/news/590018/how-to-get-front-license-plate-wrap-california/

I keep hearing that California requires front plates. Yet several percent of all cars don't have them, including mine. Even when stopped for another reason, I've never had a cop mention my lack of a front plate. Obviously, they don't enforce it.

Actually, I'm wondering when California will abandon embossed plates, and switch to those ugly "screened" ones used by so many states. (I think they're probably ink-jet printed, not screened.)

[halork]

Colorado's license plates make it to the big time:

https://theathletic.com/news/colorado-rockies-uniform-city-connect/BrPiblTH9l0Y/

Love to see it. Colorado has a great license plate! Possibly my favorite in the country.

Horrible as a baseball uniform. Green is NOT a Rockies color. Even has the yellow expiration sticker on the sleeve.  Maybe next they can dress up Ohio State in blue uniforms and Michigan in red this fall.

[Flint1979]

Colorado's license plates make it to the big time:

https://theathletic.com/news/colorado-rockies-uniform-city-connect/BrPiblTH9l0Y/

Love to see it. Colorado has a great license plate! Possibly my favorite in the country.

Horrible as a baseball uniform. Green is NOT a Rockies color. Even has the yellow expiration sticker on the sleeve.  Maybe next they can dress up Ohio State in blue uniforms and Michigan in red this fall.

Well we have unretired the old blue and yellow license plates from the 1960's and they look almost like Michigan's colors, I'd be wondering if a Michigan State fan has passed on this plate and gone with the ugly one just because of the color of the plate. Since Ohio State is in another state they wouldn't apply unless they are living in Michigan for some reason or another.

[mgk920]

California is piloting vinyl license plate wraps, to be used on the front of your car in place of a traditional plate. From https://uni-watch.com:

https://www.motor1.com/news/590018/how-to-get-front-license-plate-wrap-california/

I keep hearing that California requires front plates. Yet several percent of all cars don't have them, including mine. Even when stopped for another reason, I've never had a cop mention my lack of a front plate. Obviously, they don't enforce it.

Actually, I'm wondering when California will abandon embossed plates, and switch to those ugly "screened" ones used by so many states. (I think they're probably ink-jet printed, not screened.)

Here in Wisconsin (requires front plates), there is an exception to requiring a front plate if the car was built without a place to put one.

YMMV.

Plates here are still embossed and a few years ago WisDOT did test an inkjet printed special issue design.  The best that I can tell, the results were unsatisfactory.

Mike

[SEWIGuy]

California is piloting vinyl license plate wraps, to be used on the front of your car in place of a traditional plate. From https://uni-watch.com:

https://www.motor1.com/news/590018/how-to-get-front-license-plate-wrap-california/

I keep hearing that California requires front plates. Yet several percent of all cars don't have them, including mine. Even when stopped for another reason, I've never had a cop mention my lack of a front plate. Obviously, they don't enforce it.

Actually, I'm wondering when California will abandon embossed plates, and switch to those ugly "screened" ones used by so many states. (I think they're probably ink-jet printed, not screened.)

Here in Wisconsin (requires front plates), there is an exception to requiring a front plate if the car was built without a place to put one.

Not sure about that. My wife got pulled over for not having a front plate on a car that "was built without a place to put one," and was given a sixty day warning. We eventually got one put on, but had to drill holes through the bumper to do it.

[mgk920]

Several years ago, when I got a new (to me) car, my mechanic did the same thing (drilled a pair of self-tapping screws into the bumper), so I guess that that was a place to legally put one.

Mike.

[jdbx]

California is piloting vinyl license plate wraps, to be used on the front of your car in place of a traditional plate. From https://uni-watch.com:

https://www.motor1.com/news/590018/how-to-get-front-license-plate-wrap-california/

I keep hearing that California requires front plates. Yet several percent of all cars don't have them, including mine. Even when stopped for another reason, I've never had a cop mention my lack of a front plate. Obviously, they don't enforce it.

That really depends on jurisdiction.  There are certain areas that are notorious for front-plate tickets, especially from parking enforcement officers.  That includes San Francisco, Santa Monica, and Walnut Creek from personal experience.  I don't like the way a front plate looks on my car, so I got a detachable mount that takes 15 seconds to install and remove for when I am going to be parking somewhere that I expect to get hassled.  I don't see the two plate law going away any time soon, law enforcement agencies are pretty adamant about that.

[tigerwings]

When I moved to Colorado my lease truck didn't have a front mount, so I zipped tied the plate to the front bumper.

I had a co-worker their get stopped twice for no front plate. She said it was a police excuse for DWB.

[LateSleeper]

My 04 Corolla has a smooth front bumper - no license plate mount. It's always had two screws drilled into it that hold the front plate. I got the same number re-made on IL's new design, screwed it in where the old plate was. Honestly, I don't know what's holding the screws in place...!

[Road Hog]

A lot of vehicles in Texas have stopped carrying front plates as well. They still issue two plates for front and back. I first noticed it about 4 years ago after I had left the state for a few months and came back. Must be a low police priority or at some point the state made front plates optional.