Iowa DOT not considering new license plate design

Officials with the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) wish to clarify recent reports that the department is considering new license plates for the state.  The Iowa DOT is not considering a new license plate design.

The Iowa DOT recognizes that because Iowa has not reissued plates in more than 12 years, there are some in circulation that are reaching the end of their useful life and are faded, worn or damaged, making them difficult to read.

Rather than reissue all Iowa plates, as has been done in the past, the Iowa DOT is considering a "rolling" replacement cycle that will replace only those plates that have reached an age that is beyond their usual lifespan. This would allow replacement of older  plates without unnecessarily replacing newer ones.

The Iowa DOT is still considering a number of issues relevant to the “rolling” replacement concept, including the best and most cost-effective method for delivering new plates, the proper age a plate should be retired, and an appropriate date to begin implementing this process.

The only changes in appearance being considered are the sequence of the alpha-numeric characters, and color of the alpha-numeric characters and other text (state and county name) on the plate.

The current alpha-numeric sequence (three numbers followed by three letters) used on Iowa license plates will reach the maximum possible combinations near the beginning of 2012. At that time, newly issued plates will use a reverse alpha-numeric sequence (three letters followed by three numbers). This will not affect the design on the plates.

The Iowa DOT is also considering changing the color of the alpha-numeric characters and other text on newly issued license plates from dark blue to black. If implemented, this will affect only the standard plates and specialty plates that employ the blue and white background. This would not affect specialty plates that employ a special color for the alpha-numeric characters as part of their design, such as collegiate and firefighter plates.

Changing the characters to black will increase the contrast with the background making them easier to read, which is important to law enforcement. It will also make plate production more consistent and cost-effective.