New license plate choices released

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- With a few clicks of the computer, Missourians can help determine the look of the state's new license plate.

State law required Missouri officials to redesign the plate, and the Department of Revenue announced Friday that people could go online and vote for their favorite among three options. That online tally will run until March 5 and will determine which design is selected.

The agency also plans public meetings in Springfield, Lee's Summit and St. Louis on the plate designs starting late next week.

The new plate must be issued starting in 2009, but Revenue Department spokeswoman Maura Browning said Friday that it could begin sometime in 2008. Residents will be charged an additional fee, estimated at $2.50, to cover the cost of the new plates when their renewals come up.

Browning said the new designs defer to the Missouri State Highway Patrol's wishes that the plate be easier to read, and said color coding should make the tags less susceptible to theft.

Missouri's current plate was released in April 1996.

The three new options all include blue and white elements. One has a bluebird, the official state bird, at the bottom. Another has the word "Missouri" reflected across the top, and the third has a ribbon running through the state's name across the top.

To vote, visit dory.dor.mo.gov/dor/voteplate.