New license plates every year? (Auburn: sales, crime, how much)

[Lamar Bowman]

Originally Posted by bluebeard

Its still dumb. Why do they need to change every 5 years? And why dos EVERYONE have to switch them out as well. A waste of resources...

Not to mention, the new ones look terrible.

[Tourian]

Originally Posted by bluebeard

Its still dumb. Why do they need to change every 5 years?

I don't know. I've never "worn" out a plate, so I don't know why the OP's original state would bother doing it. Plus, it gives the prisoners something to do.

And why dos EVERYONE have to switch them out as well. A waste of resources...

People still riding old plates stick out like a sore thumb and give the cops a reason to zero in on them and take a closer look. Expired plates, stolen plates, etc... might lead to something else if not just a ticket.

[azgkrudi]

Originally Posted by Tourian

It was explained to you already. They change the design every five years or so. You just happened to show up during the last cycle of a design on its way out.

Then why are the new plates we received the exact same design as the others we had? We literally received an exact copy of each plate we received when we moved here in April. It just seems so.....stupid and wasteful, and odd. Oh well!

[Lamar Bowman]

Originally Posted by azgkrudi

Then why are the new plates we received the exact same design as the others we had?

They arent the exact same. Similar design with different color sets.

[Tourian]

Originally Posted by azgkrudi

Then why are the new plates we received the exact same design as the others we had? We literally received an exact copy of each plate we received when we moved here in April. It just seems so.....stupid and wasteful, and odd. Oh well!

I don't know. Maybe it was a mistake. It isn't the norm. The old standard plate is on top. The new standard plate is on bottom:



You can opt for the God Bless America plate or one of the roughly 5.2 Billion specialty or collegiate plates as well. But the God Bless America plate changed too:

Old:


New:

[azgkrudi]

Originally Posted by Lamar Bowman

They arent the exact same. Similar design with different color sets.

Trust me, they are IDENTICAL. I could take a picture of them side by side and show you but I don't want everyone knowing my plate number

[Lamar Bowman]

Originally Posted by azgkrudi

Trust me, they are IDENTICAL. I could take a picture of them side by side and show you but I don't want everyone knowing my plate number

Then I withdraw my statement. Apparently it was a mistake as mentioned earlier.

[White Wine]

Originally Posted by Tourian

It was explained to you already. They change the design every five years or so. You just happened to show up during the last cycle of a design on its way out.

Yeah but a lot of other states (maybe even most other states) let you keep your old plates on your car, as long as you keep your car (or in some cases, if you simply trade in a car instead of getting rid of it outright, you can simply transfer your old plates to your new car). So in a lot of other states, you'll see people riding around with 20 year old plates, simply because they've had the car for 20 years. Alabama is the only state I know of that requires EVERYBODY to switch out plates every x number of years.

I grew up in Alabama, so I know how weird it is about plates, but if you're coming from other states (especially if you've lived in quite a few other states as the OP has) then it won't make much sense to you. Actually I agree it doesn't make too much sense anyway, but whatever. Personally, if I still lived in AL, I would not want to have to visit the county courthouse any more often than I have to, but they make you do it with the whole "we're going to make you change plates every 5 years."

Every state does stupid things that don't make sense to outsiders, and this is just one of ours. Ultimately, not a big deal.

[Tourian]

Originally Posted by White Wine

Yeah but a lot of other states (maybe even most other states) let you keep your old plates on your car, as long as you keep your car (or in some cases, if you simply trade in a car instead of getting rid of it outright, you can simply transfer your old plates to your new car).

It is the same here. The tag follows the owner. You trade in a car on another, you transfer that plate to a new car.

So in a lot of other states, you'll see people riding around with 20 year old plates, simply because they've had the car for 20 years. Alabama is the only state I know of that requires EVERYBODY to switch out plates every x number of years.

Really. You are familiar with all 50 states practice on this to single out Alabama?

Every state does stupid things that don't make sense to outsiders, and this is just one of ours. Ultimately, not a big deal.

I agree, particularly with the bolded. If you are renewing you don't have to go down to the courthouse. They'll mail them to you.

Also, if you like a more static design - there's a veritable smorgasboard of speciality plates to choose from that I don't think necessarily change every five years. All the old cats that drive classic or antique cars look forward to getting their Vintage Auto plates that set them apart from all the noobs driving modern vehicles. Those stay with the car and the vehicle has to be at least 30 years old.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by White Wine

Alabama is the only state I know of that requires EVERYBODY to switch out plates every x number of years.

One of my old friends in Texas was just whining on Facebook about being sent new plates last year, with new numbers that he can't remember. Says they are now on a 7 year replacement cycle. State says it is because plates fade, get worn, new ones are more readable on toll-road scanners.