License Plate News

[kphoger]

why in the hell, in 2022 is it necessary to code things by county - or month, for that matter

Because, if you remove coding of any sort, then you run the risk of ending up with "brilliant" ideas like this...

[jakeroot]

I'm happy Michigan changes it up. We don't have the Mackinac Bridge on all our plates and I'm happy we have a choice now between the ugly standard plate we have had since 2013 with the Pure Michigan across the top and that ugly seawave with the website on the bottom. I replaced that plate with the throwback Water Winter Wonderland one and like that plate much better.

I always thought the Pure Michigan plate was really good. Dead simple, but clearly recognizable from a distance as Michigan with the blue wave and large centered "M". Very easy to read, no BS behind the numbers. The new Water Winter Wonderland is a great plate too, maybe one of my favorites in the US up there with Oregon's Pacific Wonderland plate.

Not keen on the Mackinaw Bridge plate, the design is good but I would have picked a different time of day. The sunset/sunrise color is a tough background for either white or black numbering.

[jakeroot]

why in the hell, in 2022 is it necessary to code things by county - or month, for that matter

Because, if you remove coding of any sort, then you run the risk of ending up with "brilliant" ideas like this...

http://15q.net/us1/az21yga.jpg

Wouldn't it depend on the overall pattern? WA does not use county coding of any sort, but their plates are a logical AAA0000 pattern.

[Scott5114]

AZ's plate would be ten thousand times better if they hadn't contracted the "ARIZONA" text out to ODOT.

[jakeroot]

AZ's plate would be ten thousand times better if they hadn't contracted the "ARIZONA" text out to ODOT.

[Flint1979]

I've always liked Washington's license plates for some reason.

[mgk920]

I've always liked Washington's license plates for some reason.

The only flaw that I can see in Washington's current design is that they should include a dash '-' between the letters and numbers to make it easier to read.

mike

[Flint1979]

I've always liked Washington's license plates for some reason.

The only flaw that I can see in Washington's current design is that they should include a dash '-' between the letters and numbers to make it easier to read.

mike

Michigan's Water Winter Wonderland license plates are that way where it's just the six numbers and letters all in a row. Washington used to have the - in between the numbers though. Not sure what year they stopped doing that.

[jakeroot]

I've always liked Washington's license plates for some reason.

The only flaw that I can see in Washington's current design is that they should include a dash '-' between the letters and numbers to make it easier to read.

I think that would require them to adopt a new lettering style. The current style is too wide to permit a dash, best I can tell.

[kphoger]

why in the hell, in 2022 is it necessary to code things by county - or month, for that matter

Because, if you remove coding of any sort, then you run the risk of ending up with "brilliant" ideas like this...

http://15q.net/us1/az21yga.jpg

Wouldn't it depend on the overall pattern? WA does not use county coding of any sort, but their plates are a logical AAA0000 pattern.

Of course.  I was joking that, if they open themselves up to new ideas, then they open themselves up to terrible ideas.

[jdbx]

AZ's plate would be ten thousand times better if they hadn't contracted the "ARIZONA" text out to ODOT.

Given the success of so many "retro" reissues in other states like California, Nevada, and Michigan, it would be cool if Arizona were to bring back the white-on-red design as a special issue. I always thought it was one of the most beautiful designs, both for its unique style and simplicity.

[signalman]

AZ's plate would be ten thousand times better if they hadn't contracted the "ARIZONA" text out to ODOT.

Given the success of so many "retro" reissues in other states like California, Nevada, and Michigan, it would be cool if Arizona were to bring back the white-on-red design as a special issue. I always thought it was one of the most beautiful designs, both for its unique style and simplicity.

It wasn't unique. Missouri had the same color scheme.

As for retro, there's been talk of bringing New Jersey's previous color scheme of tan on blue back as an optional plate. I haven't heard much about it in a while though.

[kphoger]

It wasn't unique. Missouri had the same color scheme.

Yep!  I remember license plate spotting as a kid back then, and the only way to tell them apart at a distance is that Arizona had a white blob in the middle (cactus), and Missouri had a colored blob in the middle (sticker).

[elsmere241]

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/24/giant-step-forward-kosovo-serbia-reach-deal-on-vehicle-plates

[SD Mapman]

I actually like the Nebraska design, but then again I'm a sucker for classical-style artwork. (And it's quite nice to see a plate from the center of the country that has something to say other than "WE FARM HERE, GOD DAMN IT!")

On the other hand, South Dakota, what's the point? It's basically a carbon-copy of the current plate. And don't you have something other than Mount Rushmore that you're proud of, that you could use for a change?

The Corn Palace?

If the governor were from Mitchell I could see that happening...

Counties - I do not see the point in noting the county unless there is some point to it, such as different counties charging differently for plates, different emission regulations, different taxes such that it would make sense to register a car at a relative or friends home.  Florida, where the county name seems to be optional and not used in the largest county (Dade) at all seems odd.  Back when Kentucky has a very plain plate, the county was the same font on the stamped plates.  Kentucky has an Ohio county so there were plates that read Kentucky / NNN LLL / Ohio, which had to be confusing to law enforcement and meter maids. 

South Dakota - Didn't they even change their flag from "Sunshine State"  to "Mount Rushmore State"  a few years ago?  South Dakota, all the love in the world, is pretty much all about Mount Rushmore.  The Crazy Horse thing isn't finished and may never be, the Corn Palace is just a thing to hook tourists on the way to Mount Rushmore, as is Wall Drug.  If they did away with Mount Rushmore, then the only other alternative is the farm themes that several other states already do. 

There's slightly different wheel taxes in each county (variance of $1-$2 per wheel). Why is everyone here so against county coding? I think it's a neat way to organize it.

We went away from the Sunshine State so people wouldn't confuse us with Florida back in the 80s. As a local, Mt. Rushmore is just a big rock, but we really don't have anything else noteworthy. You could do something with the state seal but that would get busy. Can confirm, Crazy Horse will never be finished (leastaways unless the Ziolkowski's adjust how they manage the project). The Corn Palace is Mitchell's high school basketball gym (seriously) that they decorated in the 1920s and somehow kept with it.

As far as current alternative designs, we do have the Native Dignity plates:

That's the only alternative design we really have (outside of firefighter/tribal plates). Personally, I think a Crazy Horse plate would have been better than the Dignity statue, but I'm in the minority who dislike the statue (mainly because it ruined a perfectly good view of the Missouri at Chamberlain, probably wouldn't have minded if they'd put it somewhere else).

[Rothman]

I don't think there's any incentive any longer to finish the Crazy Horse statue.  The owners are just milking the attraction and investing in side projects now.

[mgk920]

I actually like the Nebraska design, but then again I'm a sucker for classical-style artwork. (And it's quite nice to see a plate from the center of the country that has something to say other than "WE FARM HERE, GOD DAMN IT!")

On the other hand, South Dakota, what's the point? It's basically a carbon-copy of the current plate. And don't you have something other than Mount Rushmore that you're proud of, that you could use for a change?

The Corn Palace?

If the governor were from Mitchell I could see that happening...

Counties - I do not see the point in noting the county unless there is some point to it, such as different counties charging differently for plates, different emission regulations, different taxes such that it would make sense to register a car at a relative or friends home.  Florida, where the county name seems to be optional and not used in the largest county (Dade) at all seems odd.  Back when Kentucky has a very plain plate, the county was the same font on the stamped plates.  Kentucky has an Ohio county so there were plates that read Kentucky / NNN LLL / Ohio, which had to be confusing to law enforcement and meter maids. 

South Dakota - Didn't they even change their flag from "Sunshine State"  to "Mount Rushmore State"  a few years ago?  South Dakota, all the love in the world, is pretty much all about Mount Rushmore.  The Crazy Horse thing isn't finished and may never be, the Corn Palace is just a thing to hook tourists on the way to Mount Rushmore, as is Wall Drug.  If they did away with Mount Rushmore, then the only other alternative is the farm themes that several other states already do. 

There's slightly different wheel taxes in each county (variance of $1-$2 per wheel). Why is everyone here so against county coding? I think it's a neat way to organize it.

Some people are a bit worried about how secure their vehicle would be (including when they are in it!) if they are from a place that is well outstate (ie, Michigan's upper peninsula) and drove their car to and parked it somewhere in downtown Detroit and the fact that their car is registered in Menominee instead of Wayne County is noted on their car's license plate.

I'm sometimes a bit worried about driving a car with Wisconsin plates in Chicago (although that worry is somewhat tempered by Wisconsin's concealed-carry law).

Mike

[Flint1979]

I actually like the Nebraska design, but then again I'm a sucker for classical-style artwork. (And it's quite nice to see a plate from the center of the country that has something to say other than "WE FARM HERE, GOD DAMN IT!")

On the other hand, South Dakota, what's the point? It's basically a carbon-copy of the current plate. And don't you have something other than Mount Rushmore that you're proud of, that you could use for a change?

The Corn Palace?

If the governor were from Mitchell I could see that happening...

Counties - I do not see the point in noting the county unless there is some point to it, such as different counties charging differently for plates, different emission regulations, different taxes such that it would make sense to register a car at a relative or friends home.  Florida, where the county name seems to be optional and not used in the largest county (Dade) at all seems odd.  Back when Kentucky has a very plain plate, the county was the same font on the stamped plates.  Kentucky has an Ohio county so there were plates that read Kentucky / NNN LLL / Ohio, which had to be confusing to law enforcement and meter maids. 

South Dakota - Didn't they even change their flag from "Sunshine State"  to "Mount Rushmore State"  a few years ago?  South Dakota, all the love in the world, is pretty much all about Mount Rushmore.  The Crazy Horse thing isn't finished and may never be, the Corn Palace is just a thing to hook tourists on the way to Mount Rushmore, as is Wall Drug.  If they did away with Mount Rushmore, then the only other alternative is the farm themes that several other states already do. 

There's slightly different wheel taxes in each county (variance of $1-$2 per wheel). Why is everyone here so against county coding? I think it's a neat way to organize it.

Some people are a bit worried about how secure their vehicle would be (including when they are in it!) if they are from a place that is well outstate (ie, Michigan's upper peninsula) and drove their car to and parked it somewhere in downtown Detroit and the fact that their car is registered in Menominee instead of Wayne County is noted on their car's license plate.

I'm sometimes a bit worried about driving a car with Wisconsin plates in Chicago (although that worry is somewhat tempered by Wisconsin's concealed-carry law).

Mike

And where exactly on any of our license plates is the county it's registered in noted? There is nothing on my car that tells you what county my car is registered in.

[roadfro]

Counties - I do not see the point in noting the county unless there is some point to it, such as different counties charging differently for plates, different emission regulations, different taxes such that it would make sense to register a car at a relative or friends home.  Florida, where the county name seems to be optional and not used in the largest county (Dade) at all seems odd.  Back when Kentucky has a very plain plate, the county was the same font on the stamped plates.  Kentucky has an Ohio county so there were plates that read Kentucky / NNN LLL / Ohio, which had to be confusing to law enforcement and meter maids. 

There's slightly different wheel taxes in each county (variance of $1-$2 per wheel). Why is everyone here so against county coding? I think it's a neat way to organize it.

You can have different tax schemes by county without putting the registered county on the plate or having a plate letter/number scheme based on county.

Nevada does exactly this. With our lack of a state income tax, vehicle registrations are one of our primary funding sources. Several counties collect, through the DMV, supplemental government services taxes dependent upon the county in which the vehicle is based. We do this despite a lack of county stamp/embossing or county sticker on the plate (which would detract from the design of all the special charitable/collegiate/etc plates we have). It's also helpful in case one moves to another part of the state that you can keep your current plate without alteration–as I did officially after finishing college...just had to update my address and pay the different taxes & fees at the next registration cycle.

[J N Winkler]

Some people are a bit worried about how secure their vehicle would be (including when they are in it!) if they are from a place that is well outstate (ie, Michigan's upper peninsula) and drove their car to and parked it somewhere in downtown Detroit and the fact that their car is registered in Menominee instead of Wayne County is noted on their car's license plate.

I'm sometimes a bit worried about driving a car with Wisconsin plates in Chicago (although that worry is somewhat tempered by Wisconsin's concealed-carry law).

I have driven in 48 of the 50 states, and in a vehicle with Kansas plates in 47 of them, and I have never had my vehicle broken into while out of state, despite leaving a car parked and unattended in notoriously sketchy places such as East St. Louis.  The key is to keep the car interior picked up so that nothing is visible through the windows and to remain alert while walking around ("Condition Yellow to avoid Condition Red").

I have never wanted to carry a gun while travelling, either on my person or in my vehicle.  I don't work in security, so I don't have reasons to carry that are related to specific risk or occupational posture.  Besides being a liability nightmare in interstate travel, guns--especially good-quality semiautomatic pistols like a Glock, never mind a Colt 1911 or a Browning Hi-Power--are theft magnets.  In my local area, criminals often obtain guns by stealing them out of vehicles.

I actually like the Nebraska design, but then again I'm a sucker for classical-style artwork. (And it's quite nice to see a plate from the center of the country that has something to say other than "WE FARM HERE, GOD DAMN IT!")

I'm not fond of the new Nebraska plate:  a design based on a floor mosaic in the state capitol is too inside-baseball.  I think I would have gone for one that uses the capitol tower, like the State Patrol badge.

[SP Cook]

I'm sometimes a bit worried about driving a car with Wisconsin plates in Chicago (although that worry is somewhat tempered by Wisconsin's concealed-carry law).

If you are in Chicago, then Illinois gun laws and not Wisconsin's, would apply.  While many states have reciprocity with one another (my permit is good in 39 states) Illinois remains an outlier. 

[kalvado]

Some people are a bit worried about how secure their vehicle would be (including when they are in it!) if they are from a place that is well outstate (ie, Michigan's upper peninsula) and drove their car to and parked it somewhere in downtown Detroit and the fact that their car is registered in Menominee instead of Wayne County is noted on their car's license plate.

I'm sometimes a bit worried about driving a car with Wisconsin plates in Chicago (although that worry is somewhat tempered by Wisconsin's concealed-carry law).

I have driven in 48 of the 50 states, and in a vehicle with Kansas plates in 47 of them, and I have never had my vehicle broken into while out of state, despite leaving a car parked and unattended in notoriously sketchy places such as East St. Louis.  The key is to keep the car interior picked up so that nothing is visible through the windows and to remain alert while walking around ("Condition Yellow to avoid Condition Red").

I have never wanted to carry a gun while travelling, either on my person or in my vehicle.  I don't work in security, so I don't have reasons to carry that are related to specific risk or occupational posture.  Besides being a liability nightmare in interstate travel, guns--especially good-quality semiautomatic pistols like a Glock, never mind a Colt 1911 or a Browning Hi-Power--are theft magnets.  In my local area, criminals often obtain guns by stealing them out of vehicles.

I actually like the Nebraska design, but then again I'm a sucker for classical-style artwork. (And it's quite nice to see a plate from the center of the country that has something to say other than "WE FARM HERE, GOD DAMN IT!")

I'm not fond of the new Nebraska plate:  a design based on a floor mosaic in the state capitol is too inside-baseball.  I think I would have gone for one that uses the capitol tower, like the State Patrol badge.

There are actual realistic concerns and there are peace of mind considerations.
Broken into probably doesn't depend on location that much, I suspect. Tourists from far away may be seen as fat pigs; those traveling  across the state... Not from my perspective. More targeted traffic enforcement seem to be a real thing though.

[jdbx]

It wasn't unique. Missouri had the same color scheme.

Yep!  I remember license plate spotting as a kid back then, and the only way to tell them apart at a distance is that Arizona had a white blob in the middle (cactus), and Missouri had a colored blob in the middle (sticker).

You make a fair point. I completely forgot about Missouri's old design. Perhaps I am just a fan of the retro plate designs. We lived in Arizona during the 1990's, and I liked the red plates at the time.

[jdbx]

Some people are a bit worried about how secure their vehicle would be (including when they are in it!) if they are from a place that is well outstate (ie, Michigan's upper peninsula) and drove their car to and parked it somewhere in downtown Detroit and the fact that their car is registered in Menominee instead of Wayne County is noted on their car's license plate.

I'm sometimes a bit worried about driving a car with Wisconsin plates in Chicago (although that worry is somewhat tempered by Wisconsin's concealed-carry law).

I have driven in 48 of the 50 states, and in a vehicle with Kansas plates in 47 of them, and I have never had my vehicle broken into while out of state, despite leaving a car parked and unattended in notoriously sketchy places such as East St. Louis.  The key is to keep the car interior picked up so that nothing is visible through the windows and to remain alert while walking around ("Condition Yellow to avoid Condition Red").

I have never wanted to carry a gun while travelling, either on my person or in my vehicle.  I don't work in security, so I don't have reasons to carry that are related to specific risk or occupational posture.  Besides being a liability nightmare in interstate travel, guns--especially good-quality semiautomatic pistols like a Glock, never mind a Colt 1911 or a Browning Hi-Power--are theft magnets.  In my local area, criminals often obtain guns by stealing them out of vehicles.

I actually like the Nebraska design, but then again I'm a sucker for classical-style artwork. (And it's quite nice to see a plate from the center of the country that has something to say other than "WE FARM HERE, GOD DAMN IT!")

I'm not fond of the new Nebraska plate:  a design based on a floor mosaic in the state capitol is too inside-baseball.  I think I would have gone for one that uses the capitol tower, like the State Patrol badge.

There are actual realistic concerns and there are peace of mind considerations.
Broken into probably doesn't depend on location that much, I suspect. Tourists from far away may be seen as fat pigs; those traveling  across the state... Not from my perspective. More targeted traffic enforcement seem to be a real thing though.

I live outside of San Francisco, one of the automobile burglary hotspots in all of California. While the problem happens all over town, tourists are a prime target and the burglars LOVE going to places frequented by tourists.  The reason why is that tourists often have all of their luggage in their car. If they look inside the window of a car and see a bunch of suitcases or a backpack, they know there are probably several items of value inside which they can then fence.  The best advice is that you should never leave anything of value in your car, don't even leave anything that gives the impression of value in your car, like an empty backpack or any sort of box or packaging. It blows my mind how often I see neighbors complain on NextDoor about how their wallet or laptop was stolen from their car.

Bringing it back on-topic, even though California does not code plates differently by location, there are several easy ways to spot rental cars, which are a prime target for break-in.  California issues a special fleet registration decal such as the one below. Most (but not all) rental cars have that type of fleet registration, and also many rental car company place decals with bar codes in visible locations on exterior windows. The thieves all know this.

[Flint1979]

I still would like to know where on any of Michigan's license plates that you can tell which county the car is registered in. My whole point is that there isn't anything on the license plates to indicate which county you are registered in so no one in Wayne County is going to be able to know that your car is registered in Menominee County. In fact I highly doubt that anyone in Wayne County is even going to take the time to figure where Menominee County even is.