Blue, Gold State License Plates at End of the Road

For the blue-and-gold license plates that have adorned California vehicles for 16 years, the end of the road is near.

Under a law that took effect last year, the red, white and blue light-reflecting plates that have been available for an extra fee since 1982 will become the Department of Motor Vehicles’ standard-issue plate as of Jan. 1.

Motorists will still be allowed to use their old plates, and anyone who wants to trade the old plates for the new ones will be able to do so for an $8 charge. Because of the added cost of making the plate, the $22 license plate fee that applies to most cars will rise to $23, and the $35 fee for personalized plates will rise to $36.

Bill Gengler, DMV spokesman, said Wednesday that the department hopes the new plates will result in greater traffic safety because they can be seen more easily in the dark.

There is no evidence that reflecting plates will reduce traffic accidents, however.

“There’s no objective evidence either way in determining whether there is better visibility of parked cars by having reflective license plates,” Highway Patrol spokesman Kent Milton said.

The reflecting plates have been available since 1979, when a law authorized the DMV to issue them on a limited basis. In 1982, another law gave the DMV the go-ahead to issue them on an optional basis to all Californians for an extra fee.

The basic colors have been changed only four times in the last 30 years.