[guinnessjim]

ok....anyone know what's up w/ this?

right in the middle of the plate, running vertically, is a double helix 'water mark'. it very much looks like DNA...even appears to be the B-form (only really noteworthy if you are a science geek ). i have seen it on the normal plates as well as some of the specialty plates. but not all plates have the mark...even plates obtained recently (so it doesn't seem to be a 'all new plates have it' type of thing...which just makes it more perplexing to me).

i tried to find nething about this online, and aside from this being found on plates in some other states (MI is the only one i remember offhand), there didn't seem to be an answer. there was lotsa rampant speculation (proof against counterfeiting, a shout-out to biotech, etc.) but nothing that was verifiable.

anybody know anything?

[MR77]

It is a security device. Runs down the center of the plate. Michigan also has it on their new plates. Its like a hologram and makes pirating plates very difficult.

[PinkString]

It's Big Brother's mini cam in there watching everyone, reporting back to headquarters.
I'm actually kidding, I think it's really what MR77 said it was.

[kwm03160]

Utah also has it on their plates.

[scirocco22]

I believe they started that when NV started to use the 3M digital flat-plate technology in 2006-07 ...I think, anyway, because I have the newer digital plates with the helix and I registered in 2006.

Most states are still using the old embossed style plate.

Remember, Nevada is a "plate to person" rather than a "plate to vehicle" state. Being such, you might see newer cars with older plates and older cars with newer plates. The last state in which I was a resident was a "plate goes with the car" state where when you sold your car, the plates went with that car. Anytime you bought a new car, you had to get new plates.

[guinnessjim]

yeah....but i saw the helix on plates before i moved here. after i moved here, i obtained my nevada plates (so the new plates were already in use). my plates do not have the helix.

will have to look later to see if maybe i just ended up w/ a set of the old, embossed plates, despite being a "new" NV plate owner....maybe i just got the last of a set or something.