Well it seems that almost everyone else knew that “new” New York plates were announced just 2 weeks ago, but if you didn’t (like me), then you’ll be interested in this post.
Evidently, many of the state’s DMVs redesign their plates to “weed out” vehicles with expired registrations. Citing this concern, and others, New York State decided to introduce a new plate design:
“The bold colors of the new license plate reflect New York’s force and its resilience,” said New York State Commissioner David J. Swarts. “These new plates, in the official colors of the State of New York, will help maintain highway safety, reduce the number of unregistered and uninsured vehicles on our roads, and generate $129 million in General Fund revenue over two years, which will help address the State’s financial crisis.”
When you renewed your registration or registered a new vehicle, an additional fee of $25 was planned. If you wished to keep your existing letter/number combination, there was an additional $20 fee. But after a public outcry, the license plate decision was cancelled. Evidently, over 100,000 motorists signed an online petition protesting the new plate design and fees. Governor Patterson remarked: “The license plates were not due to be changed this year so we would just put it back to the regular time that we change license plates.”
When will see the “new” New York plates? Not sure. But if my personal opinion matters, I miss the Liberty Plates:
