Michigan could receive a $4 million boost as motorists replace their old license plates and say goodbye to "old blue."
Although the plate changeover comes with an $11 million price tag - taken from the Michigan Transportation Fund, which, among other things, funds road and bridge projects - the new plate changeover is expected to cover its costs and turn a profit, said Kelly Chesney, spokeswoman for Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land.
The new plates will come at no extra cost to motorists, Chesney said.
The money generated by forcing people to register their cars will net an estimated $15 million.
The extra revenue will then be placed back into the Michigan Transportation Fund.
Although the old, blue plate has been a familiar sight on the roads since its inception in 1982, an act passed last year required the state to begin phasing out the old, blue background plates this year and replace them to newer, white background plates when drivers reregister their cars.
In addition to being a bright white, the new plates are reflectorized, which will make the plates easier to read, particularly at night, Chesney said. They also are more rust resistant and made through a more environmentally friendly process than their predecessors.
There are 5.6 million vehicles with the blue plates on Michigan roadways, Chesney said.
The plan will be helped by the fact that those individuals who don't re-register their cars by the end of the year will stand out with bright blue plates in a sea of white ones.
"Individuals that are currently moving around with invalid plates on our roadways would become immediately apparent to law enforcement," Chesney said. "Those individuals who do not have valid plates will be forced to register their cars."
In addition to helping police identify those with invalid plates, the changeover also will make identifying license plates easier in general, East Lansing Police Capt. Thomas Johnstone said.
"Michigan had gotten several different styles of license plates," Johnstone said. "Now it's more uniform."
By offering one consistent look, officers will be able to quickly identify the new plates, rather than having to deal with the confusing pastiche of plates currently on the road, he said.
This is important in areas like East Lansing and MSU, where out of state plates are common, Johnstone said.
The plate changeover also could mean an increase in citations said East Lansing police Capt. Kim P. Johnson.
"(Motorists) are going to have to buy new tags, and the old, blue plate is obsolete," Johnson said. "It could get us to write more tickets."
Chesney said both specialty college plates and "Great Lakes Splendor" plates, featuring the sun setting behind the Mackinac Bridge, would not be affected by the changeover, although motorists still need to register.
