New KY License Plates

[AutoMechanic]

Virginia has stamped plates which are nice and we have over 200 designs so that’s even better. I like the stamped because they sit together better since we have two plates here. I don’t think they will ever go to the printed ones at least I hope not. I don’t get the standard plates anymore because they put Virginia is for lovers on the bottom and I hate that saying lol plus regular plates are lame so I just get specialty ones always. I usually change designs when the others start to wear then just hang the others on my wall.

 

[earlyre]

in Ohio...if you get a regular "off the stack" plate from your local BMV, it's embossed. (yes BMV, in Ohio it's a Bureau, not a Department)
anything else, personalized, a logo plate with room for fewer characters, or a re-issue of your existing number, it's the screen printed type.

I currently have a set of each type with my current plate number.
the Embossed ones were transferred over from my last car, which had a minor bumper collision that bent the plate up... so it didn't really fit on the front plate bracket I had to install on this car so when it came time to renew them, i paid the extra ~$10 for a Re-issue of the same number.

 

[92saturnsl2]

in Ohio...if you get a regular "off the stack" plate from your local BMV, it's embossed. (yes BMV, in Ohio it's a Bureau, not a Department)
anything else, personalized, a logo plate with room for fewer characters, or a re-issue of your existing number, it's the screen printed type.

I currently have a set of each type with my current plate number.
the Embossed ones were transferred over from my last car, which had a minor bumper collision that bent the plate up... so it didn't really fit on the front plate bracket I had to install on this car so when it came time to renew them, i paid the extra ~$10 for a Re-issue of the same number.

I don’t think Ohio requires front plates anymore? I get a Cincinnati news channel via antenna somehow where I live and thought I heard a news story on that.

 

[earlyre]

I don’t think Ohio requires front plates anymore? I get a Cincinnati news channel via antenna somehow where I live and thought I heard a news story on that.

as of July 1, 2020. they passed that law in early 2019...a few days after I Drilled the Holes in my bumper for the bracket( car was prev. titled in MI, & IN).
since the "Damage" was already done, I got the new set of plates when i renewed in 2019. I currently have a set of several diff "vanity plates" to cycle through for the front. (Stark Industries, Transformers, etc)

same bill that eliminated the need for the front plate, increased the gas tax, and added Reg. Fees to Hybrid/Electric Vehicles.
Those fees are why i don't have personalized plates. I'm already paying an extra $100/yr (b/c Hybrid), personalized adds another $75/yr.
the current $150/yr they're getting from me is quite enough.
if my car was a plug in- or full electric, it'd be $200/yr.

 

[opus1]

...Those fees are why i don't have personalized plates. ...

I've debated getting the specialty/charity plates that Illinois offers but a former governor (Blago) made a comment when he was in office that it was obvious that Illinois didn't charge enough for plates since so many people were willing to fork over extra money for vanity or specialty plates; I decided I didn't want to give him the wrong impression by buying them over the standard issue plates.

 

[PandaBear]

One of the neighbors had work done on their house and one of the carpenters had this as his front plate - novelty plate since Indiana doesn't require front plates:
View attachment 30756

Is it legal when you put a "fake" plate up front when they don't require it? That would open a can of worm when you go around other states and get into troubles.

 

[PandaBear]

The old does look more legible to the human eye but I wonder if the flat is easier for a police scan camera to pick up, should provide a more uniform area of reflection and shadow with the various possible positions that a license plate light could be in.

I'm not sure if I buy the labor savings argument when done at a prison, nor the cost of abandoning old equipment and buying or leasing new, but it wouldn't surprise me if this private contractor has greased the wheels in some way to make this happen.

I am not sure if they are easier to pick up by scanner or camera, but the flat plates are likely cheaper to make as they can be printed without human moving stamp molds around on every plate. If they want easier pickup they can add reflective elements to certain colors for printing, that will help better than stamp vs flat plates for sure.

 

[92saturnsl2]

Is it legal when you put a "fake" plate up front when they don't require it? That would open a can of worm when you go around other states and get into troubles.

My guess is that displaying a state’s plate without a valid registration would be technically illegal, though I’ve seen plenty of people do it. In most states you don’t own the plate and you’re required to turn them in (though I suspect most don’t) when you let your registration lapse. I have a good feeling having a legit looking plate on the front that’s not valid in a state that expects a valid plate to be there definitely is an open can of worms.

 

[mightymousetech]

NY tried the “printed plates” blue on white a few years ago. Did not work out. Went back to Stamped plates, both in blue on white and on blue on gold/yellow.

We did the same here in Ontario. They did not last even a year. Makes it 100x harder for the police to read them in various conditions.

 

[Gimpy1]

Texas uses the flat printed kind, in plain B&W its boring but I could care less, its a license plate. I did like the stamped ones with the space shuttle.

 

[Donald]

NY tried the “printed plates” blue on white a few years ago. Did not work out. Went back to Stamped plates, both in blue on white and on blue on gold/yellow.

NY had a problem in that many of the plates that were blue on white and the first letter was "E" has the paint peel. My NY plate is 95% bare metal.

 

[dnewton3]

My guess is that displaying a state’s plate without a valid registration would be technically illegal, though I’ve seen plenty of people do it. In most states you don’t own the plate and you’re required to turn them in (though I suspect most don’t) when you let your registration lapse. I have a good feeling having a legit looking plate on the front that’s not valid in a state that expects a valid plate to be there definitely is an open can of worms.

IC 9-18.1-4-5
(a) A vehicle required to be registered under this article may not be used or operated on a highway if the vehicle displays any of the following:
(1) A license plate belonging to any other vehicle.
(2) A fictitious registration number.
(3) A sign or placard bearing the words “license applied for” or “in transit” or other similar signs.
(b) A person that operates a vehicle in violation of subsection (a) commits a Class C infraction.

Pretty much any state has a similar statute. This is a great way to get pulled over; reasonable suspicion et al.

 

[dbias]

The new KY plate looks pretty good. At least is not as bland as their KY jelly.

 

[double vanos]

The flat plate / stamped plate debate matters not one whit to me. I hate states that require two. Texas wants front and rear license tags, Arizona does not, only one on the rear. Hey, there‘s a way to cut license costs ; one plate per car instead of two, 50% reduction without even trying.

 

[Dave9]

I am not sure if they are easier to pick up by scanner or camera, but the flat plates are likely cheaper to make as they can be printed without human moving stamp molds around on every plate. If they want easier pickup they can add reflective elements to certain colors for printing, that will help better than stamp vs flat plates for sure.

Not at all. It is far harder to pick up something reflective.

 

[opus1]

The flat plate / stamped plate debate matters not one whit to me. I hate states that require two. Texas wants front and rear license tags, Arizona does not, only one on the rear. Hey, there‘s a way to cut license costs ; one plate per car instead of two, 50% reduction without even trying.

Or you do like Illinois and issue new plates once a generation. The plates on my Sonata are approaching 20 years old and they look it. If I didn't renew the plates 2 months prior, when they were on my old Malibu, I'd have had new ones issued.

And I also hate the 'need' for front plates.

 

[bunnspecial]

I don't have a ton of stake in things now that I'm no longer a Kentucky resident(aside from the decent sized check I'm about to write to the Department of Revenue-at least it's something this year and not $5 like it's been some years). My last trip there, which was last week, I saw a fair few plates on the road and I still don't like them.

Argue with me if you will, but this is my favorite plate from anywhere of all time(random Google photo). My MGB is currently wearing a 1970 blue/white plate taking advantage of the "older than 25 year displayed plate" rule for HMV plates. That's going away once I get the registration transferred to Illinois, but at the same time I was really hoping I would eventually get the chance for one of these to be old enough to display on the car. There's still one or two of these in my parents' garage(plus one of the previous "Twin Spires" plates, which were the first sticker plates after the alternating blue/white and white/blue yearly plates). Since they'd be just as happy for them to be gone, I need to gather those up to hang in my garage.

Granted this new plate is much better than "Smiley". At the time, people hated this one so much that it only lasted a very short time before "Unbridled Spirit" . I should have one of these, as I definitely remember getting one when I bought my first Lincoln, but it may have been gladly pitched in the trash when I renewed and they handed me an Unbridled Spirit.

 

[IndyFan]

The article I read stated there were no up front costs to KY for the equipment. To be able to tell lawmakers / bean counters that you'll save money on each plate and not have to pay large up front equipment costs was probably an easy sell.

But you know the equipment costs are buried in the cost of each plate. They have it figured out how to maximize profit. I'm sure it doesn't cost almost $4 for a small piece of painted aluminum. When you start multiplying by millions, there's a ton of money to be made. I'm guessing there is a minimum term as part of the contract, so that the contractor ensures they are reimbursed for the equipment costs.

No doubt there were some greasing of wheels, that's pretty much par for the course in government contracts.

I wouldn't care how they did it. If it saves a quarter per plate, that's lots of $$ for the state. If the company can deliver that and make a nice profit, more power to them.

 

[IndyFan]

I've debated getting the specialty/charity plates that Illinois offers but a former governor (Blago) made a comment when he was in office that it was obvious that Illinois didn't charge enough for plates since so many people were willing to fork over extra money for vanity or specialty plates; I decided I didn't want to give him the wrong impression by buying them over the standard issue plates.

That's not the only thing he thought was priced too low.

 

[bunnspecial]

llinois didn't charge enough for plates since so many people were willing to fork over extra money for vanity or specialty plates

Since moving to Illinois(or really before moving but spending a lot of time here) that's really something I've noticed. Special issue/charity/whatever plates are common in Kentucky, but vanity plates are not.

Here, it's not that often that I see anything but one of two "standard" Illinois plates(either the plain white one or the newer style decorated a bit more) but vanity plate are everywhere. Half of my inlaws have them, and it wouldn't surprise me if I see them on one out of every 20 cars or so I see on the road.

Granted I don't know how much I'd even want one. As an example, my next door neighbor genuinely hates my wife and I(and I'm not exaggerating) but has resorted to the "ignore them" treatment and won't even look in our direction if she knows we're there. My car is parked on the street, and when I've been outside with the dog, I've watched her nearly nail my car more than once after pulling out of her driveway, and then practically floor it while wandering all over the road while starting at her phone held at eye level or her head staring out the side window to avoid looking at me. If she did hit me and drove off, I could recite her plate off the top of my head because it is a vanity plate.

Not that I ever plan on a hit and run, but I do think about it if someone took offense at the way I was driving. A string of letters and numbers is a lot harder to remember.