NC Requiring New License Plates

[Ejs4029]

I was in the process on renewing my truck registration here in NC and noticed the State is requiring vehicle license plate replacements starting January 1st 2021 for plates older than seven years old. Interesting the State says vehicle owners wouldn’t have to pay for the new tag where is the 11.6 million dollars coming from the first year to initiate the change ?
Mmmmmmmm Somehow I think us North Carolinians will be paying for it in some form.

The new replacement effort was tied to a requirement that North Carolina license plates use the latest in reflective technology to make them easier to see and read at night. The DMV has formed a team to come up with a reflectivity standard that also meets the needs of law enforcement agencies and machines that read plates to assess tolls or allow vehicles to enter or exit parking areas.

What I couldn’t find out is once you get the new plate is the State going to make you replace that one every seven years ? Oh well atleast it sounds like NC will be moving into the modern age with this change �� What are the poor inmates going to do now ?

Vehicle owners wouldn’t have to pay for the new tag, beyond the normal registration renewal fee and vehicle property tax payment. If they renew by mail, the new plate would come in the mail. If they renew at a license plate agency, they’d have to return to pick it up.

The old plate should be returned to the DMV, either by mail or to the license plate agency office, Abbott said, “so they can be properly removed from the system and destroyed.”

There are 9.2 million registered vehicles and trailers in North Carolina. The DMV has estimated the replacement effort would cost $11.6 million in the first year, including plates, registration cards and stickers, postage and IT costs, Abbott said
The agency also needs to update its registration computer system to flag when a plate needs replacing and order a new one.

“What this amendment does is actually it takes us into a modern age. It will inevitably remove the old metal stamp process that we currently do, as you know, by many of our North Carolina inmates and take them into the digital printing world,” Torbett told committee members. “It’s better for the license plate, to be able to read them for law enforcement. It’s better for the owner of the license plate to be more lucent. They’ll be brighter.”

[Igave]

We went thru that process a few years ago in Montana. They claimed it was to help law enforcement but really it was a cost decision wherein the state figures the printing vs stamping is cheaper in the long term. Maybe it’s equipment related, I don’t know. In our case, I believe it’s an extra $10 for that switch each time and we do not have to return the old plates.

[BehindBars]

The Illinois plates installed on my RV are 22 years old. They sent me some new ones once but they arrived in the mail damaged and I didn't like them. I don't think we have a requirement that plates can't be beyond a certain age.

[bzac1954]

By state law, Wyoming must change out its license plate design once every eight years. We get a new design and can either pick it up at the local DMV office or have it mailed (for a small fee).

We have a TT, a truck and 2 cars that we pay tags for every year. Our totals are in the neighborhood of $600.00 for all. Ours is based on value, not weight as in other states.

With states having had to shut down this year, those that don't pay a lot for their tags may be seeing their states raising their plate rates or maybe going over to the "value" system.....

[ronheater70]

Originally Posted by Ejs4029

I was in the process on renewing my truck registration here in NC and noticed the State is requiring vehicle license plate replacements starting January 1st 2021 for plates older than seven years old. Interesting the State says vehicle owners wouldn’t have to pay for the new tag where is the 11.6 million dollars coming from the first year to initiate the change ?
Mmmmmmmm Somehow I think us North Carolinians will be paying for it in some form.

The new replacement effort was tied to a requirement that North Carolina license plates use the latest in reflective technology to make them easier to see and read at night. The DMV has formed a team to come up with a reflectivity standard that also meets the needs of law enforcement agencies and machines that read plates to assess tolls or allow vehicles to enter or exit parking areas.

What I couldn’t find out is once you get the new plate is the State going to make you replace that one every seven years ? Oh well atleast it sounds like NC will be moving into the modern age with this change �� What are the poor inmates going to do now ?

Vehicle owners wouldn’t have to pay for the new tag, beyond the normal registration renewal fee and vehicle property tax payment. If they renew by mail, the new plate would come in the mail. If they renew at a license plate agency, they’d have to return to pick it up.

The old plate should be returned to the DMV, either by mail or to the license plate agency office, Abbott said, “so they can be properly removed from the system and destroyed.”

There are 9.2 million registered vehicles and trailers in North Carolina. The DMV has estimated the replacement effort would cost $11.6 million in the first year, including plates, registration cards and stickers, postage and IT costs, Abbott said
The agency also needs to update its registration computer system to flag when a plate needs replacing and order a new one.

“What this amendment does is actually it takes us into a modern age. It will inevitably remove the old metal stamp process that we currently do, as you know, by many of our North Carolina inmates and take them into the digital printing world,” Torbett told committee members. “It’s better for the license plate, to be able to read them for law enforcement. It’s better for the owner of the license plate to be more lucent. They’ll be brighter.”

I find it odd, that as a resident of guilford county and around greensboro being able to view the License plate more clearly is a priority, while road striping is not. Around here I swear they put the road markings on with chalk they bought at a toy store, so dim, barely visible and forget it if it starts to rain,and yes I have good eye sight. Everyone I know around here complains about the road markings, especially on the newer light gray highways.

[SetauketJeff]

Same nonsense in New York. They're telling us the change is for easier automated plate reading..... But that has never been a problem before. They're making us pay for the new plates, which are produced here by Prisoners for pennies, so it's a huge money grab!



Meanwhile, it's fine for me to use my vintage 1971 New York State plates on my 1971 Dodge Charger Super Bee.

[NXR]

Originally Posted by ronheater70

I find it odd, that as a resident of guilford county and around greensboro being able to view the License plate more clearly is a priority, while road striping is not. Around here I swear they put the road markings on with chalk they bought at a toy store, so dim, barely visible and forget it if it starts to rain,and yes I have good eye sight. Everyone I know around here complains about the road markings, especially on the newer light gray highways.

Both get the State and local governments revenue. Making plates more visible means less chance of missing an automated citation. Not marking lane lines clearly makes it easier to cite someone for crossing a line.

There is a method to what appears to be madness.

Ray

[PJSNorwood]

NC, get ready for toll roads.

[AlaskaErik]

Alaska used to purge plates every so often, but hasn't in several decades now. The plates that were put on my old truck in 2000 were still there when I sold the truck in 2015. We have a choice between the really aging gold/blue plate, the artistic plate (really ugly) or the grizzly bear plate. After that, there are lots of personalized plates available. Trailers can be titled and registered for life for a one-time $85 fee. The State of Alaska has also made some adjustments to our plates to enhance visibility and contrast for law enforcement.

My personal favorite of the three standard plates is the grizzly bear plate. It's what I have on two of my vehicles. My other vehicle has personalized Marine Corps plates. This what the bear plate looks like.

[IMG][/IMG]

[LannyCox]

In Texas, where I live, the state automatically sends you a replacement license plate every seven years which is identical to the existing license plate. If my plates are still in good condition, I put the new plates in a drawer until such time as I think it makes sense to put them on the car.

[AlaskaErik]

Originally Posted by PJSNorwood

NC, get ready for toll roads.

Our plates were recently enhanced for better visibility and contrast, but Alaska is not getting any toll roads, there is no photo radar or red cameras and LE does not have plate readers in their vehicles. Our plates were enhanced at the request of law enforcement because the original Alaska artistic plate was so dark that you could barely read the black letters/numbers, even up close. Now the plate is much lighter in color, making it much easier to read the plate.

[U.S.ArmyVeteran]

[Larry-NC]

What's the motivation? The argument is that greater reflectivity is needed--and yes, some of those old plates can be pretty faded or dull.

But the two key questions here in NC are:

• What revenue fraction is lost by the Toll Road Commission due to unreadable plates? (NC has unstaffed tollgates. The options are to use a transponder--NC Quick Pass EZPass--or to simply go through the gate and get a higher-fee bill based on the license plate photo)
• Who has gotten the contract to make the new plates or provide the materials? And what legislators or NC DMV officials does he know?

This stuff doesn't happen by chance, you know.

Here's a similar sort of activity that also happened in NC--and this one is of interest to travellers as well as NC residents.

Years ago (2-3 decades), the state tourism had contracted with an outside contractor to answer questions about tourist facilities and attractions. They were notoriously bad: assuming you could get through to them, you might get bad answers, wrong answers, no answers, no returned calls. When they promised in March to send maps and brochures for a June vacation, the maps and brochures arrived in September!

There was discussion in the Legislature about finding another contractor when someone from the Department of Corrections spoke out, saying "Let us handle it. We are looking for jobs for the female prisoners, to rehabilitate them to society. They will do an excellent job." And thus was born the 1-800-VISIT-NC service.

The prisoners looked forward to learning the new job--and being able to grow to the maximum pay rate, $1.00 per day. They rapidly became a model for other states. They learned the programs and studied brochures and became known for excellent answers given on the spot. I've referred folks to that number and no one has been displeased.

And here comes the good part:

2-3 years ago, some legislator popped up with the idea that we should have a professionally-run tourism response. He recommended an agency he had found in Atlanta (out of state). Usually the newspaper here (state capital) would run some kind of editorial about this idea, but in this case they simply put a non-opinion article on the front page. Naturally it was shouted down, and the DoC continues to run the operation.

Just one more thing about it. As you might guess, it takes some time for an operator to become really familiar with all the options and skilled at working with callers. So they don't offer the opportunity to short-timers. You have to have done something serious to get the job. So when you are on the phone to 1-800-VISIT-NC, don't ask the operator what she had to do to get her job.

[jd4010]

Originally Posted by PJSNorwood

NC, get ready for toll roads.

We already have them. US 74 Bypass. NC147/NC540.

[jd4010]

NC be a changing! I too live in NC (Guilford County) and find no value in new plates. And with all the northerners coming down here, I wouldn't be surprised if one day we'll see a requirement for front and rear plates as they have in NJ and other states. And....I bet the day will come when NC requires trailers (TT, 5th wheels, etc) to be inspected as they do in VA.

And as for those road lines.....with all the technology we have today one would think they would have better paint to reflect at night and during rain, etc. They probably do but NC is too cheap to buy it.

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by AlaskaErik

Alaska used to purge plates every so often, but hasn't in several decades now. The plates that were put on my old truck in 2000 were still there when I sold the truck in 2015. We have a choice between the really aging gold/blue plate, the artistic plate (really ugly) or the grizzly bear plate. After that, there are lots of personalized plates available. Trailers can be titled and registered for life for a one-time $85 fee. The State of Alaska has also made some adjustments to our plates to enhance visibility and contrast for law enforcement.

My personal favorite of the three standard plates is the grizzly bear plate. It's what I have on two of my vehicles. My other vehicle has personalized Marine Corps plates. This what the bear plate looks like.

[IMG][/IMG]

When I first moved to The Great Land in 1982 they only had one plate, a white plate with a Grizzly on it. I loved it, as very appropriate. Every plate in the entire state began with the letter "A".

When they changed to the ugly yellow plate with no style or class every plate then began with the letter "B".

I recently saw one of your new Grizzly plates and I LOVE it, once again, VERY appropriate.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by jd4010

NC be a changing! I too live in NC (Guilford County) and find no value in new plates. And with all the northerners coming down here, I wouldn't be surprised if one day we'll see a requirement for front and rear plates as they have in NJ and other states. And....I bet the day will come when NC requires trailers (TT, 5th wheels, etc) to be inspected as they do in VA.

And as for those road lines.....with all the technology we have today one would think they would have better paint to reflect at night and during rain, etc. They probably do but NC is too cheap to buy it.

Well, there was that stretch of I-40 going west out of Raleigh to RTP (Exit 289-Harrison Ave. to Exit 280, Davis Drive) where they put down what was like adhesive-backed Lego blocks. If you happened to drift, the noise and steering-wheel feel quickly got your attention. They put it down in August of around 2010. We had four inches of snow in December and the NC DOT plows just shaved that stuff clean off. There were little yellow-and-white plastic shards in the median, looking like Halloween candy corn, for years until they did the next widening and got rid of the median.

[Rolling Chaos]

Originally Posted by ronheater70

I find it odd, that as a resident of guilford county and around greensboro being able to view the License plate more clearly is a priority, while road striping is not. Around here I swear they put the road markings on with chalk they bought at a toy store, so dim, barely visible and forget it if it starts to rain,and yes I have good eye sight. Everyone I know around here complains about the road markings, especially on the newer light gray highways.

MAJIC WORDS. GILFORD COUNTY. I'll stick with poor old Rockingham.
Either that or when we go back out to Wyoming to work camp next season, just stay there. Just not around Jackson Whole.

[Rolling Chaos]

Originally Posted by PJSNorwood

NC, get ready for toll roads.

Yeah and I'm out of here when it happens. Old Roy and his friends will have deals to run them toll roads and make a ton of cash. LOL

[bzac1954]

Originally Posted by U.S.ArmyVeteran

Ain't THAT the truth!!