Public invited to vote on New York license plate design
ALBANY (WABC) -- New York officials are asking the public to help choose a new license plate design.
Voting takes place on the governor's website for one of five plate designs. Four of the designs include the Statue of Liberty, while one features the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge over the Hudson River.
Governor Andrew Cuomo said the state's license plate design is being updated to make the plates more readable at the rapidly increasing cashless tolling plazas across the state.
"License plates are a symbol of who we are as a state, and New Yorkers should have a voice and a vote in its final design," he said. "As the life span of the old plates comes to an end and we develop new ones that are as easy to read as possible, I encourage all residents to take part in choosing this piece of our state's history and the State Fair is a perfect place to do that."
The current yellow and blue plates -- known as the Empire Gold -- have been issued to every vehicle since 2010, but officials have determined that a white background with darker lettering is most compatible for the readers.
More than three millions vehicles have plates that are more than 10 years old, and officials believe the older the plate, the more deterioration can cause legibility issues that hinder the license plate readers.
A new license plate has a standard $25 replacement, added to the cost of the registration renewal. Customers may keep their current license plate number for an additional $20 fee.
Voting runs through Sept. 2. The design with the most votes will become available in April.
Once the new plates become available, the Department of Motor Vehicles also will stop issuing the newer blue-and-gold plates.
CLICK HERE to cast your vote!
(The Associated Press contributed to this report)
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