LANSING, MI -- Michigan motorists would be required to buy a new license plate every 10 years under a bill approved Thursday in the state House.
HB 4633, introduced by Republican Rep. Wayne Schdmidt of Traverse City, would prevent the Michigan Secretary of State from renewing any plate that was at least a decade old, beginning in 2015.
Schmidt, who chairs the House Transportation Committee, said the goal is to ensure that all license plates on the road are readable, which already is required by state law but enforced only through citations by law enforcement.
"The industry average warranty standard is approximately five years on reflectivity," he said during a floor speech. "That, coupled with our weather conditions, salt, power washing on other factors makes plates often unreadable after a short period of time."
Schmidt stressed that the bill does not represent a fee increase, which is true, but it will require motorists to pay the existing $5 fee for a standard plate if they have to replace an expiring version. Upon request, they could keep their existing number.
Democratic Reps. Doug Geiss of Taylor and Marilyn Lane of Fraser also offered support for the bill, which was approved in a 74-33 vote and is now heading to the Senate for consideration.
Geiss said it is important that both police and the general public are able to read license plates, using an Amber Alert as an example. He pointed out that some specialty plates -- such as the Auto Centennial version first offered in 1996 -- are now nearly 20 years old.
"The issue is that these plates are rusting," Geiss said. "They are far beyond their useful lifespan, and we've misled the public into thinking that these plates will last indefinitely."
The bill also directs the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Department of Corrections, to study the possibility of moving to a digital plate printing method. Michigan license plates are currently produced by inmates at the Gus Harrison Correctional Facility in Adrian.
Jonathan Oosting is a Capitol reporter for MLive Media Group. Email him, find him on Google+ or follow him on Twitter.