DOL authorizes non-embossed standard license plates to address shortage

To address an ongoing shortage of standard Washington license plates, the Department of Licensing (DOL) is temporarily authorizing the printing and use of non-embossed plates.

More than half of counties are currently out of stock of one or more plate types due to production issues at Correctional Industries (CI), a program within the Department of Corrections (DOC). The program gives people who are incarcerated a chance to learn new skills and establish a good work ethic.

The process of creating an embossed license plate - which has raised letters and numbers - requires an extra step that involves manual labor. That means they take longer to produce than non-embossed plates, which can be printed using one machine.

By printing non-embossed plates, DOC believes it may be able to eliminate the shortage within six to eight weeks.

Under current processes, the shortage may not have been eliminated for several months. DOL is issuing temporary paper license plates that expire after 60 days, which means customers must renew them if they haven't received permanent plates by then. That's not an effective long-term solution.

For now, DOC is working with a vendor to print embossed plates at another facility. In addition, some counties have reserves of embossed plates.

As we transition to non-embossed plates, customers may receive either embossed or non-embossed plates at random. Both types are aluminum. There is no difference in quality or durability.

Active embossed plates will remain valid. Customers do not need to get new plates.

Once the shortage has been eliminated, DOL will examine whether non-embossed plates should be the new standard for the state. A total of 28 states issue non-embossed plates only.

The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) and the Washington State Patrol (WSP) support the move to non-embossed plates.

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