ALBANY -- The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles has released a mockup of what the new state license plates will look like when they are issued beginning in April 2010.
Called the “Empire Gold” plates, the new tags will be required because the state says the the current white and blue plates are losing their reflectivity and readability. The state says that the existing plates were only guaranteed to retain their reflectivity for five years, but have been in use since 2001.
The new plates will command a $25 fee, in addition to the regular vehicle registration renewal cost. The state hopes to use the revenue generated by these new plates to offset deficits in the state budget.
“The bold colors of the new license plate reflect New York’s force and its resilience,” said Commissioner of Motor Vehicles David 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.”
The new plates are gold, with dark blue letters and numbers in the central part of the plate, separated by a small dark blue state silhouette. There is a dark blue banner across the length of the top of the plate, with “New York” printed in gold in the center. “Empire State” is in dark blue letters across the bottom.
The DMV will begin issuing these new “Empire Gold” plates to vehicles whose registrations expire in May 2010. The DMV says that those choosing to keep their current plate number/letter combination on the new Empire Gold plate will be required to pay an extra $20.00 fee. Those motorists holding a personalized plate will automatically be re-issued the same number/letter combination on their new plate.
For more information, visit the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles website.
