Missouri drivers will be donning new license plates, as soon as this summer. The standard Missouri license plate has not changed for ten years, but the General Assembly made it law for the Department of Revenue to design a new plate and begin distribution by January 2009. David Griffith, with the Department of Revenue, says his department is ahead of schedule.
"Actually, the shelf life for license plates is five years; so, we have far surpassed that threshold," says Griffith, "We were actually mandated by the General Assembly to come up with a new license plate by January ’09; so, we’re six months ahead of where we should be."
According to the Deptartment, drivers won’t need to make a special trip for the new plate. You’ll make the trade for the new design the next time you’re scheduled to renew your plates, and if you renew your plates early, there will be a small reward.
"If your license plates are more than thirty days away; let’s say you come in on June 16, and your plates don’t expire until August," says Griffith, "you’ll need to bring your plates in and surrender those plates, and you’ll be issued some credit. You’ll be issued your new plates. There will be a cost of $2.16; that’s the cost of the aluminum. The state of Missouri is not making any money at all, but that’s the cost… for producing the new license plate."
The new plates have the name of the state across the top, an outline of the state in the middle with a recessed area for the tab, and a depiction of the state bird–the bluebird–and the state floral emblem–the hawthorn–along the bottom. If you have any questions regarding the new license plate, go to the Department of Revenue’s website .
