Ever discover how a lot is visually occurring in a license plate? The essential Hawaii plate has a rainbow glowing within the background, Alaska’s has a complete bear, Wyoming’s has (what else however) a cowboy at a rodeo, and several other states characteristic an area mountain or mountains. A few of them are actually fairly busy, regardless that, on the finish of the day, all they’re meant to be is a few figuring out letters and numbers.
Colorado’s primary plate, too, options a number of mountains towards a inexperienced background. However lately, a brand new plate has been blowing away expectations, turning into one thing of an automotive vogue assertion. A throwback to the state’s 1945 plate, a clear, crisp, white-text-on-black-background specialty plate went on sale in January of 2023. This wasn’t presupposed to be something particular: States launch specialty plates on a regular basis (some dumber than others, however some higher), and this explicit one debuted alongside in any other case an identical purple and blue choices, in addition to a inexperienced mountain vary on a white background.
But it is the black plate that has turn into a sensation. Perhaps it is that the 2D aesthetic has taken over from 3D in recent times, or perhaps it is that black is at all times cool, or perhaps folks just like the Zen simplicity of a plate that’s only a plate with none frills. Regardless of the cause, its surprising recognition comes with a unbelievable bonus that different states ought to pay attention to.
Colorado’s black license plate raises further income for the state
All 4 of Colorado’s retro plates, every referencing a selected period of the state’s historic plating, had been meant for a selected function: Elevating income for the Colorado Incapacity Funding Committee. Whereas the essential plate requires solely an upfront payment, these plates require $25 up entrance and a further $25 per 12 months; that annual payment goes to the committee, which affords grants for aiding folks with disabilites or supporting improvements to assist them.
The blue, purple, and inexperienced mountain vary plates did their jobs, promoting a number of thousand every, as anticipated. That is a pleasant quantity of additional money to help a great trigger. It is the black plate, although, that took off like a rocket: As of March 2025, it is estimated to have bought a really jaw-dropping 378,000 models. And whereas it might look cool on the street, it is actually nice {that a} neighborhood that wants the help can increase devoted funding that the state authorities cannot simply snatch away.
Besides, perhaps it might probably. The Colorado state legislature is presently taking a look at methods to redirect that income towards different wants, which is explicitly not the purpose of devoted fundraising like this. On the one hand, that is going again on their phrase; on the opposite, perhaps all that cash can assist the state in different methods. Have an opinion on that? Merely transfer to Colorado and vote in your native representatives. Perhaps choose up a cool license plate when you’re at it.
