License to change: A sensible new law saves Pennsylvania millions
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In the category of little things that go a long way comes news that Pennsylvania no longer requires the replacement of vehicle license plates every 10 years.
More durable materials are being used in the manufacture of the plates these days and the tags can last a lot longer than a decade, which meant the state's mandatory replacement rules were outmoded. A law that took effect Monday recognized that improvement and changed the regulations, but it doesn't mean there won't come a time when some plates must be replaced.
The law says the plates must be changed, free of charge to the motorist, if they become illegible -- that means any time a letter or numeral is not recognizable from 50 feet away.
Who decides? A certified mechanic does, as part of a vehicle's annual state inspection, but a bad plate doesn't mean the car or truck fails. The mechanic fills out a postcard identifying the vehicle, the owner signs it and sends it to PennDOT to get a replacement. There's a charge for specialty plates, like those for a university or other organization. An owner who suspects the plate needs to be replaced can ask a mechanic to check it even if it's not inspection time.
This will save the state $59 million over the next three years -- and that's change we can be happy about.
First Published January 29, 2009 12:00 am
