National Press Release

AUSTIN, Texas, June 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Texans could soon be sporting a new look when the state begins issuing a colorful license plate that was clearly a citizen favorite in an online e-Vote early last year.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) made the announcement today at a news conference that the state's new general-issue license plate would be available for purchase in two weeks at county tax offices and designated locations handling titles, registration, and renewal.

Lone Star Texas, which features the big Texas sky with wide brushes of blue and red, the familiar Lone Star, and the mountains of West Texas, took the top spot among five design selections in an online vote last February, receiving 455,878 of the 1.1 million votes cast. The Texas Transportation Commission approved the new look just a few weeks later in their regular monthly meeting.

The opportunity for a new general-issue license presented itself when the agency realized it was going to run out of the six-character plate patterns. The new general-issue plate features seven-character license plate numbers.

It also is the state's first digitally-produced and full color general-issue license plate. The Lone Star Texas design features clouds in a blue Texas sky and brushes of red and blue with the familiar Lone Star in white. The plate also features the Davis mountain range.

The digital process creates a more environmentally-friendly plate, eliminating the need for 484 gallons of paint thinners and 396 gallons of ink annually, and the energy needed to power huge ovens that dried the plate ink. The factory at the state prison in Huntsville, where the license plates are manufactured, was retooled and outfitted with new equipment for digital production.

Though the new look will be available soon, TxDOT is asking that citizens be good environmental stewards and not purchase the new plates unless the old plates have expired.

And, if you wait, you get the new plates at no additional charge, said Rebecca Davio, director of TxDOT's Vehicle Titles and Registration Division which oversees the manufacturing of the state's plates.

"We are asking Texans to join us in our concern for the environment by not rushing down to their local county tax office to purchase this plate," said Ms. Davio. "Our plates are made of recyclable aluminum, but if everyone decides to run out for the new plate then good plates will be wasted."

Texans eligible for the new license plate will be those that purchase a new vehicle, and those whose license plates are seven years old, the mandatory time when plates are replaced because they begin to lose their safety reflectivity.

The reflective sheeting on license plates helps rescuers and citizens spot vehicles at night that have run off the road or are pulled off on the shoulder. License plates also help to save lives and catch criminals.

There are more than 21 million registered vehicles in Texas and the majority of them have general-issue license plates. License plates are a part of "Put Texas in your corner," the vehicle registration process that includes annual renewal of the registration sticker.

Since 1917, the Texas Department of Transportation has been responsible for the state's license plates. This new general-issue license plate may be the agency's last. In the Texas legislative session that ended on Monday, June 1, lawmakers passed a bill to create the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, which would take over responsibility for the state's license plates. The bill is awaiting Gov. Rick Perry's signature.

The Texas Department of Transportation

The Texas Department of Transportation is responsible for maintaining nearly 80,000 miles of road and for supporting aviation, rail and public transportation across the state. TxDOT and its 15,000 employees strive to empower local leaders to solve local transportation problems, and to use new financial tools, including tolling and public-private partnerships, to reduce congestion and pave the way for future economic growth while enhancing safety, improving air quality and preserving the value of the state's transportation assets. Find out more at www.txdot.gov.

SOURCE Texas Department of Transportation