New license plates have simpler design

? Gone are the Statehouse, golden colors and the wheat. Soon vehicles across Kansas will display a much simpler license plate that should save Kansas taxpayers some money.

The new “Ad Astra Per Aspera” plate is being issued first in Ellis County but soon will be available statewide as the stockpile of existing plates is eliminated.

Unlike the current design with a likeness of the Statehouse that debuted in 2001, the new version uses just one color – blue – and features the Great Seal of the State of Kansas, similar to official state letterhead used by agencies. The design was approved by the governor’s office.

And the format has been reversed, with three numbers followed by three letters.

“We’re really excited about this plate,” said Carmen Alldritt, state director of motor vehicles. “It’s kind of plain compared to what we’ve had before. People like that.”

Kansas law requires makeover of the basic license plate every five years. The last revision was in 2001, but the Kansas Department of Revenue obtained a one-year reprieve to finish planning the new plate. The extension also included authorization to phase in the new plates over three years to exhaust existing supplies.

Another change is that the state will only issue new versions of the plates to people who buy a vehicle and have no plate to transfer to the newly acquired vehicle. Alldritt said the approach is expected to save the state $4.2 million of the $6 million cost traditionally incurred in adopting a new plate.

“That’s the incredible part,” Alldritt said.

Kansas Highway Patrol spokesman Lt. John Eichkorn said the state’s plate design was regularly altered for benefit of law enforcement officers. Changes make it easier for officers to pinpoint out-of-date plates, he said.