ALBANY -- The next time you head to the DMV to register your car, truck, or motorcycle, you will likely walk away with a different looking license plate.
According to the State Department of Motor Vehicles, the “Empire Gold” license plates which were unveiled last November are now available for purchase effective April 1. The new plates, which are reminiscent of plates used in the 1970s, will be available for passenger, commercial, and trailer registrations.
“Traditionally, new license plates are offered approximately every ten years and the last time we issued a new plate was the current Empire plate in 2001,” said DMV Commissioner David Swarts. “We are proud of the retro design of the new Empire Gold plate and we are pleased to offer it to the motoring public.”
The DMV says that the current white and blue plates will continue to be valid on properly registered vehicles, but will no longer be issued by the state when the existing supply runs out.
The new registration fee is $25 for a two plate set and $12.50 for vehicles that receive single plates such as trailers. Prior to April 1, the plate fee was $15 for a two plate set and $7.50 for a single plate.
You may recall that the state had previously proposed an additional $25 fee for these new plates, in addition to the standard registration fees. That proposal was dropped after considerable backlash from state residents and politicians alike.
The DMV says that customers will be able to order the new plates even if it is not time for them to renew. Also by the end of May, customers in most vehicle classes will have the option to keep the same plate number they have on their current plates when requesting new Empire Gold plates. The fee to keep the same plate number is $20 in addition to the previously mentioned plate fee. Motorists who have blue and white personalized or “vanity” plates may also choose to obtain the new Empire Gold plates. They will not be charged the additional $20 fee because they currently pay an annual personalized fee.
The DMV says that old plates should not be returned to the DMV, but should be recycled based on local guidelines. Before those plates are recycled it is strongly advised that motorists effectively deface the old license plates by using a permanent ink marker to cross out the plate number or have them destroyed by cutting them in half. Plates that are not defaced and simply disposed of may end up being used illegally.
Additional information regarding the new license plates can be found by visiting the Department of Motor Vehicles website at www.nysdmv.com.
