The new standard Rhode Island license plates to be phased in starting next year. *Note: the space will not exist for low-figure plates.

By Kim Kalunian, WPRO News 

The Rhode Island Department of Motor Vehicles unveiled a new license plate to be phased in next year.

The design was crafted by a committee of artists, local leaders and cabinet members in conjunction with the Governor’s Office, and features a “Newport blue” background with white lettering. In the upper left corner, the plate features a small silhouette of the Reliance, the winner of the 1903 America’s Cup.

“When General Washington made his secret visit to Rhode Island during the Revolutionary War, he saw the historic colonial blue color that every Rhode Islander will be posting on their motor vehicles,” said RIDMV Administrator Anthony Silva during Friday’s unveiling.

Silva said the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) recommends re-issuing license plates every 10 years due to the lifespan of the reflective coating. Rhode Island hasn’t reissued plates since 1997, when the “wave” plates were unveiled.

In 2013, the General Assembly passed a law that mandated the state re-issue plates starting in 2015. The RIDMV says the new design will help them verify that people have made the switch.

The reissuance will take place over 24 months, and by 2017, no more “wave” plates will be on the roads.

Silva said the added bonus of reissuing plates is cracking down on the number of unregistered and uninsured vehicles.

In November, the RIDMV will submit a Request For Proposal (RFP) next month for a company to produce and mail the plates. Silva says they will likely know the cost of the project early next year. The Department of Corrections will still produce license plates, but Silva says the process will be “bifurcated” to ensure the plates are made efficiently.

The new plates will be done digitally, and will no longer feature embossed letters. Instead, they will be flat.

“Rhode Island will join 30 other states in country with a flat plate technology,” said Silva.

The new plates will be mailed to drivers, and Silva says it’s important that Rhode Islanders proactively provide the RIDMV with any address changes, something that can be done online or at the registry.

The new plates will cost $6 plus the cost of registration.