Under the Governor’s license plate replacement program announced yesterday, beginning on April 1st, 2020, if your plates are 10 years old, drivers will be charged an additional $25 for new plates, regardless of their condition, and an additional $20 to keep their current plate number. In response, Assemblyman Santabarbara introduced a new bill in the State Assembly essentially banning the state from forcing drivers to replace license plates if they are still in good condition, no matter the age.

“It seems like the state is finding new reasons to replace our license plates and it’s happening over and over again, costing us, the taxpayers, more money each time. Enough is enough,” said Assemblyman Santabarbara. “Most people are happy with the plates they have, trying to get to work in the morning and take their kids to school. Who wants to pay extra for the Governor’s new design project? If these new plates are so important he should pay for them, period.”

Under Santabarbara’s legislation, when registering a motor vehicle in New York State, drivers would have the option of keeping the license plates previously issued for their vehicle unless the plates are damaged or lost. The bill further clarifies that should the state decide to update or replace license plates that have previously been issued and are deemed to be in good condition, drivers will not be charged any additional fees for such replacements or to keep their current plate number.