Clinton, Muscatine counties among first to receive new state license plates

Photo courtesy Iowa Department of Transportation

The Iowa Department of Transportation has begun production of the new state license plates that could be on the road by mid-April.

Clinton and Muscatine counties are some of the first among Iowa counties to receive the plates.

Iowans voted on the design of thenew plates online and at the state fair last August. The new plates are a reboot of the "city/country" plates, those that are currently on the road.

"As with our prior plates, the graphics for the new plates will be on reflective sheeting that’s manufactured by 3M Company," the DOT wrote on their website.

The rest of the counties in Iowa will have to wait until the summer months to receive the new plates.

Here is some additional information about Iowa’s new plates according to the DOT:

• "There was no cost for the new design. All design work was done in-house.

• You can still get personalized plates, this change doesn’t affect the availability of personalized plates on county standard plates, collegiate plates, or specialty plates.

• Plates will still have the county name on them. Iowa law requires that we include the county name at the bottom of license plates (other than collegiate plates).

• Special processed emblem plates – plates that have an emblem on the left side of the plate that promotes a specific organization or cause – that are produced on the county standard background will be transitioned to the new design and issued as existing inventory is depleted."