For Immediate Release
Date: May 19, 2008
Contact: David Griffith
Phone: (573) 751-8222

New License Plate Re-issuance a Month Away

JEFFERSON CITY –The Missouri Department of Revenue (Department), today announced that the newly-designed license plate will soon be available at all contract license offices across the state.

“The Department is pleased that the day is almost here when we will begin issuing the newly-designed license plate,” said Director of Revenue Omar Davis. “This new design is one that Missourians can be proud of and one in which a collaborative effort was made to assist law enforcement in identifying vehicles on Missouri roadways.”

Beginning June 16, 2008, the newly-designed plate will be available at the Department’s motor vehicle office and all contract offices. Missourians who register or renew a registration after June 16, 2008, will be able to receive the newly-designed plate. Personalized and specialty plate re-issuance using the new design will be available January 1, 2009. To date more than three million new plates have been produced. Missouri Vocational Enterprises has done an outstanding job of meeting a very demanding deadline to ensure the newly designed plate will be available to all Missourians.

Missouri law required a new license plate by 2009 and with the June 16 re-issuance date, the Department is well ahead of that deadline. The public’s input into the design of the new license plate was invaluable and gave every citizen a voice in what the new plate would look like. Additionally, the Department worked with law enforcement in the design process.

"The plate re-issuance will assist law enforcement in being able to determine if a license plate is expired by simply looking at the color of the tab and the configuration of numbers and letters on the plate. To address the growing problem of tab theft, the new tabs will be placed in the center of the license plate," stated Colonel James F. Keathley, Superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The new design can be seen at the Department’s web site at www.dor.mo.gov and will soon be seen on vehicles across the state beginning June 16, 2008.

###