This is the new license plate?
Starting next year.
The state DMV unveiled the design for the new license plates we'll be forced to get next year. And they're... yellow. And kind of, uh... not attractive.
Well, "gold" is actually what the DMV is calling them. In fact, it's referring to them as the "Empire Gold" license plates. Said the DMV commissioner in a press release: "The bold colors of the new license plate reflect New York's force and its resilience." (No, really... that's what it actually says.)
We could just be too accustomed to the soon-to-be-old plates, but these new tags don't say "New York" to us -- maybe "a state that couldn't afford better design." (The reaction from @tehsuck was a bit stronger.) As it happens, the colors are a bit of throwback.
The DMV will start issuing the new plates next spring. They'll cost $25 -- plus $20 if you want to keep your current plate number.
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Comments
I think I still have a set of these from my first car hanging in the garage someplace.
... said komradebob on Nov 10, 2009 at 3:40 PM | link
looks like a crayola box
... said n on Nov 10, 2009 at 3:47 PM | link
If I wanted to tack some yellow garbage to my bumper I'd move to New Jersey.
... said Ellsass on Nov 10, 2009 at 3:48 PM | link
Eww, no thanks.
... said DH on Nov 10, 2009 at 4:10 PM | link
They're forcing us to pay for THIS? Do they just want to rub salt in our wounds or something?
... said Go Phish on Nov 10, 2009 at 4:12 PM | link
Wow... yuck. I can't help but think that they're doing this change solely to help with visibility. Because why else would you make it look like total crap when other states have some REALLY nice plates?
... said curtis klope on Nov 10, 2009 at 4:16 PM | link
If we're gonna go back in time, bring back the Liberty plates. I still get nostalgic when I see them in old episodes of Lawn Order.
... said AJ on Nov 10, 2009 at 4:17 PM | link
Heck, go all the way back to the beginning of plates in NY and go for the gold on black.
... said komradebob on Nov 10, 2009 at 4:44 PM | link
WHAT?! This is the best they could do??
... said Summer on Nov 10, 2009 at 4:45 PM | link
you whippersnappers must be too young to remember the plates we had in the early 80s...they mirrored these to some extent.
I like the return to the state colors better than the lame lady liberty ones we had.
HINT: The Statute of Libery is in NEW JERSEY
... said Endless Ike on Nov 10, 2009 at 5:10 PM | link
This is awful! We HAVE to get these? What a waste of time and money! We already pay the most taxes in the country that barely benefit Albany. All the funds go down to the city!
... said p. diddy on Nov 10, 2009 at 5:29 PM | link
i really like the way they look!
... said renée on Nov 10, 2009 at 6:05 PM | link
Local auto community is outraged!
http://shift518.gom-host.com/showthread.php?t=13846
... said Shift518 on Nov 10, 2009 at 6:49 PM | link
Wow! Does DMV have a team of awesome creative designers or what?
... said Barold on Nov 10, 2009 at 7:07 PM | link
Umm, how is blue-on-gold more legible than blue-on-white?
... said Fred on Nov 10, 2009 at 7:08 PM | link
Now THAT is more like it! I grew up with variations of the blue and gold plates, I thought the Statue of Liberty design looked like crap and I haven't been crazy about the blue and white designs that followed.
... said Eric on Nov 10, 2009 at 7:54 PM | link
What is with all the throwbacks? If the NFL has taught us anything, throwbacks = fail.
... said Rochelle on Nov 10, 2009 at 8:31 PM | link
This design reminds me of the plates of 1985, when I was in kindergarten. The world was simpler then, and life was magical. Pardon me while I get lost in a moment here.
... said Mrs. M on Nov 10, 2009 at 8:35 PM | link
Egads. The whole point is to make the entire process so unappealing, that we will be thankful when they finally say we are only going to get charged the extra fee, but don't have to have new plates.
Seriously, did you really think the state wants anything more than just the money?
... said Jon (was) in Michigan on Nov 10, 2009 at 8:57 PM | link
that'll look dope on a taxi!
... said milkdud on Nov 10, 2009 at 9:29 PM | link
Just a warning, those at work should probably avoid Shift518's link, quite a few NSFW signatures in there, heh.
... said Go Phish on Nov 10, 2009 at 10:53 PM | link
The Empire [State] is crumbling...
... said DLant on Nov 11, 2009 at 12:30 AM | link
I'm with Renee here. I kinda like them.
Also, I don't care much about what my license plate looks like -- I just don't want to have to pay a fee.
... said jess on Nov 11, 2009 at 6:34 AM | link
Endless Ike- no it's not.
I think once these plates are on all the cars they'll become more popular.
... said Geepers on Nov 11, 2009 at 7:32 AM | link
I could care less what my plates look like---in fact, these plates will provide some delicious contrast with the duct-tape and chewing gum that hold the thing together. Why should we have to pay for them though? I think this is one of Patterson's cockamamie money-raising schemes. Force the prisoners to make them for free, then squeeze the public to the tune of $25 per. Picket the capitol!!
... said Lucy on Nov 11, 2009 at 8:32 AM | link
I work peripherally with License Plate Reader technology. One of the most persistent problems with it is an inability to read the state name. (Current field systems are only about 40% accurate) This is usually due to some oddity in use of fonts. And here we see a perfect example of that problem. Rather than using a consistent, easily recognized font, they have altered the size of the letters making character regognition all the more difficult.
Sheesh, don't the designers at DMV talk to the Police or DOT, the only ones who ever REALLY need to read a plate.
... said BobF on Nov 11, 2009 at 9:46 AM | link
I love them! Retro works for me.
... said kerosena on Nov 11, 2009 at 10:02 AM | link
Ick! Yuck! Blech! Do not like.
... said Meagan on Nov 11, 2009 at 10:34 AM | link
The DMV commish is correct- that plate does reflect New York's force in requiring us all to shell out for something we neither need nor want, and its resilience in knowing it will get away with it. Every time we look at them we can think of the various hosings we've received at the hands of our state government, and look forward to the many that await us in the future. What a proud moment that will be.
For the record I don't hate the colors, which remind me of the plates we had when I was a kid. In those days cars had fun things like the backwards-facing "way back" and bench seats, and being ripped off meant there was no comic in my Bazooka gum.
... said Elizabeth on Nov 11, 2009 at 11:21 AM | link
Did David Paterson design the new license plates?
... said ponce on Nov 11, 2009 at 1:19 PM | link
If the DMV thinks the plates should reflect NY -- how about red, black and blue? Red to reflect our financial state, and black and blue to reflect the beaten taxpayers.
... said upstater on Nov 11, 2009 at 1:52 PM | link
"The bold colors of the new license plate reflect New York's force and its resilience."
Resilience? The whole reason to reissue plates is due to not being able to spend less than a budget the size most major first world nations would drool over!
Look charge every car on the road in New York a one time $25 "road fee" and let everybody keep their plates. That will make money. Does anybody seriously believe the NYS DMV can send you new plates, collect your old ones, and update their registration database for less than $25 per car? This the state government were talking about here. How much cash went to a graphic design firm to come up with this awful design to begin with. We are already in the hole on this project. New York will lose even more money swapping out plates.
@Ellsass comment brought to you by SNL's David Patterson
... said Mr. Fancy Pants on Nov 11, 2009 at 2:10 PM | link
I like the "new" old colors. I thought our plates started to look like everyone elses. We already made an "oops" adding the statue of liberty to the previous round. Yep, it stinks that we have to shell out $25 bucks for 'em, but really? A picket over $25? Transportation Reauthorization is in limbo in Congress, our state bridge and highway fund is broke, and we drive too much as it is. People are taking their eyes off the ball and arguing about the uniforms. Hello! Our transportation system is in shambles!!!
People want protest $25 for a liscense plate, but swallow a dysfuctional transportation system by which BILLIONS OF DOLLARS are wasted. I guess I'll never unsetand.
... said daleyplanit on Nov 11, 2009 at 4:16 PM | link
Aww man :( It's kind of ugly, I think. Like everyone else though, I'm most irritated about having to pay for it--and curious about what will happen for SUNY student parking: will I have to pay for a new parking sticker (especially if I don't keep my plate number)? Hmm. Because that would be another 20$ on top of the almost 50$.
... said Kater on Nov 11, 2009 at 5:14 PM | link
I like it! Keeps me from having to search for vintage plates for my '76 pickup.
... said Elle on Nov 12, 2009 at 10:18 AM | link
They should make the outgoing (Manhattan Skyline/Niagara Falls - embossed) plates optional, except that they might indicate the county somewhere, either by a number, an abbreviation, or better yet, a front plate. That was the best plate New York has ever issued.
... said Geoffrey on Jan 24, 2010 at 8:50 PM | link
These are the ugliest license plates in the country. just another way for the NY government to extract more money from us.
... said Jim on Sep 2, 2010 at 1:36 PM | link