- The red, white, and blue design revives Michigan’s 1976 bicentennial plate.
- A one-time $55 fee covers the commemorative plate for its first year.
- Michigan also launched five plates honoring Black sororities and fraternities.
Michigan residents have wasted no time snapping up commemorative license plates to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary. They’ve proven popular enough that you have to wonder why every state hasn’t done the same thing.
First unveiled last December and made available from January 2 this year, the red, white, and blue Semiquincentennial plates include four stars and two stripes and will only be available this year. In the first six months of being on sale, the Michigan Department of State has revealed that 34,160 had been sold.
Read: Utah’s Black Plates Are Doubling In Price, And Much Of It Doesn’t Even Go To Roads
The commemorative license plate takes inspiration from the bicentennial plate that Michigan launched in 1976, rocking an identical tri-color design. Those interested in buying the 250th anniversary plate are required to cough up a one-time $55 fee.
Of that, $5 covers a service charge for the plate, while the other $50 goes to the Michigan Transportation Fund for road construction and repairs across the state. A $10 renewal fee applies for every additional year a driver keeps it in service
“From backyard barbeques and fireworks displays to community parades, Independence Day brings Michiganders together to celebrate our nation’s values, history, and our shared future,” Michigan deputy secretary of state, Aghogho Edevbie said. “The iconic, limited-edition red, white, and blue license plate is one way Michiganders can showcase that pride and mark 250 years of freedom and independence. Drivers can order the legacy plate until the end of the year.”
This isn’t the only new license plate introduced in Michigan. Last month, five new plates were unveiled to honor five historically black Sororities and fraternities in the state. They are available exclusively for members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. Each of these plates costs $25.