For Immediate Release
Date: April 11, 2008
Contact: David Griffith
Phone: (573) 751-8222

Department of Revenue Announces New License Plate Issue Date

JEFFERSON CITY – Omar Davis, Director of the Missouri Department of Revenue, today announced that the newly designed license plate that all Missourians had an opportunity to vote on and select will soon be available.

“We are excited to be a part of the comprehensive program that gave all Missouri citizens a voice in choosing our new license plates,” said Director Davis.  “The new design will display a bluebird sitting on a hawthorn branch and clearly represents our great state.”

Beginning June 16, 2008, Missouri will introduce the newly-designed plate. The new license plates will be available at the Missouri Department of Revenue’s (Department) motor vehicle office and all contract offices and ready for issue for all those whose plates are due for renewal in June, 2008, or are titling/registering a new vehicle. In addition to the new graphics, the new plate configuration will include the month of expiration with the first alpha letter representing the month of expiration and the tab color will indicate the expiration year. These elements will assist law enforcement in quickly identifying the proper registration of all vehicles.

It has been ten years since Missouri last changed the design of its license plates; the normal shelf life of a license plate is five years so we have far exceeded that time frame. The law required a new license plate by 2009 and with the June 16th re-issuance date, the Department is well ahead of that deadline.  The Department held public meetings last year on the new plate design and opened Internet voting for all Missourians to have an opportunity in choosing the look of their new license plate.  The outpouring of support and input to the new design was overwhelming and demonstrated that all Missourians had a voice in the selection process.

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. 

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