New Texas License Plate to Debut This Month
A new, digitally produced Texas license plate design will start popping up on cars and trucks all over Texas as early as June 12. The Texas Department of Transportation has already begun shipping the first batch of the now, 7-digit plates. TxDOT is calling it "The People's Plate" because half of the people who voted on designs in 2008 chose the new picture as the winner.
Production has also taken a greener turn as the plates will now be made digitally, saving 396 gallons of ink and 484 gallons of paint thinner a year, as well as large amounts of energy which would normally be used by giant ovens to dry the ink on the plates.
The new design is not far from the old one, but now features brushes of blue and red paint with a white Lone Star in the upper left-hand corner to represent the state flag. And the Texas Transportation Commission--which has the final say on the design--decided to add a seventh digit to the plates after realizing the state would most-likely run out of 6-digit combinations.
The license plates are being produced at a factory at the Huntsville state prison. Unfortunately though, if you want a new plate, you might have to wait. The supply of old ones must be used up before new ones are passed out to those with new vehicles or drivers with plates more than seven years old.
Information provided by Tarrant County car wreck Attorney Mark A. Anderson 817-294-1900.
