TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly on Tuesday announced that the Kansas Department of Revenue will pause production on the license plate design revealed last week and create a process to receive public input before selecting a final design, according to a media release from her office.
After the announcement last week, Kansas State Representative Nick Hoheisel of Wichita heard from many of his constituents who wanted a different design.
"I promised to be a bipartisan governor, and I think we can all admit – I succeeded at bringing Kansans across the political aisle together in disliking this new license plate,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “I’ve heard you loud and clear. Elected officials should be responsive to their constituents, which is why we are adjusting the process so Kansans can provide direct input on our state’s next license plate.”
One of the challenges of designing a license plate is meeting the primary reason license plates exist: to be clear and easy to read. Kansans will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite design among several that follow guidelines that comply with the needs of law enforcement entities and best practices established by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, including:
- License plate numbers will be seven (7) digits.
- Any phrase, motto, or slogan must be placed at the bottom of the license plate.
- Any graphic must be placed on the right or left side of the license plate number.
- Graphics must not resemble letters, numbers, or special characters in a way that would interfere with the ability to read the license plate number.
- Background design must not interfere with the ability to read the license plate number.
- The license plate must have a light background behind the license plate number, and the license plate number must be black.
The Governor’s Office will share more details on license plate options, the voting process, and how this announcement impacts the transition from embossed to print-on-demand plates soon.