Statewide Iowa — There’s a new option for license plates in Iowa. While there are several options, including plates supporting colleges, the DNR, Iowa Cattlemen, and several others, the new plate is almost the opposite of that trend.
The latest addition to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s options is the “blackout” plate — an all-black plate with white lettering authorized last legislative session. Some people had been buying the Dordt College license plate — since it’s white writing on a black background — and were then covering the parts of the plate talking about “Dordt” and “Defenders” with a custom license plate frame. That’s a no-no, so that’s what started the discussion about the blackout plates. The minimalist design appeals to people looking for a sleek look for their vehicle.
The Iowa Department of Transportation says this Monday was the first date that you could order the new plate. It’s offered as both a standard alpha-numeric plate and a personalized plate, and you can order both online or in-person. Iowa Prison Industries will make the plates and ship them to your county treasurer’s office, who will let you know when they are ready to pick up. The DOT says you should bring the plates you are replacing into your county treasurer’s office to turn them in when you pick up your new plates.
When compared to the cost of standard-issue sequential plates, the new plates will cost an additional $35 for a standard alpha-numeric set of plates and an additional $25 (for a total of $60) for personalized plates. You’ll also pay more to renew the plates. It’s $10 extra for standard sequential plates and $15 extra for personalized plates. These extra funds collected for special plates normally go to the organization sponsoring the plates, like a college or organization. But for the blackout plate, the extra fees will go to the Road Use Tax Fund, which funds state, county, and city road and bridge projects throughout Iowa.
The DOT says that license plates are an important tool used by law enforcement and others to help identify a vehicle. This identification has many practical purposes and can be life-saving in the case of criminal activity or a situation like an Amber Alert. They are reminding people that they should never use a license plate frame that obscures or blocks the numbers and letters on the plate. They say it can hinder this identification and violates state law.
