Drivers in the Show-Me State will soon get new license plates for their vehicles commemorating Missouri’s upcoming bicentennial celebration in 2021.
The new plate was decided on by a vote of the public that followed public hearings held by the Bicentennial License Plate Advisory Committee. The new design, which will be available Jan. 1, 2019, will replace the current Missouri bluebird license plate.
The new plate is the result of legislation sponsored by state Rep. Glen Kolkmeyer, and signed into law last year. An unveiling was planned Tuesday afternoon in the House Lounge of the state capitol building in Jefferson City.
“I want to thank the advisory committee for their work, and the public for helping to select the final design,” said Rep. Kolkmeyer, R-Odessa. “The new plates will allow us to show our appreciation for our state’s rich history, and an opportunity to play an important role in promoting our bicentennial celebration.”
The plate celebrates the bicentennial with red waves at the top of the plate and blue waves at the bottom of the plate to symbolize our Missouri flag and Missouri rivers. The plate also has a gray state seal centered on the plate and features the words, “Missouri Bicentennial 1821,” a star, and “2021.” All text is featured in navy blue, embossed and printed on a white plate.
Rep. Kolkmeyer noted the State Historical Society of Missouri and its Bicentennial Planning Committee played a vital role in developing the new license place.
According to Gary Kremer, the State Historical Society of Missouri’s executive director, the License Plate Advisory Committee worked to find a design that represented the entire state.
“The waves in the bands of color represent a river,” Kremer said. “Rivers are an important symbol for Missouri, as waterways figured prominently in the state’s historic role as a gateway for American exploration and transportation.”
The selected design also had the greatest readability when tested by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The bicentennial design will replace the current Missouri bluebird license plate. State law requires the Department of Revenue to begin a full reissuance of license plates with the new plate design in January 2019. Personalized license plates, however, will not be affected by the reissue.