CRANSTON – A new wave is set to roll across Rhode Island roads in 2023.
The R.I. Division of Motor Vehicles announced Friday that its Plate Reissuance Initiative will begin on Jan. 1. That’s when the DMV will begin issuing new digitally printed ocean license plates, while phasing out the blue wave plates that have tagged most Rhode Island vehicles the last 25 years.
A modernized health plan: Supporting cost management and the employee experience.
The Surest health plan came from a group of innovators wondering: What if health care…
Learn More
Starting with the January 2023 renewal cycle, customers with the old wave design renewing their registration online or through the mail will be sent new ocean plates and corresponding stickers. Customers who renew their registration in person will keep their wave plates until the new ocean plates arrive in the mail, according to the release.
The initiative includes all passenger, commercial, combination, suburban, trailer, motorcycle, camper, public service, jitney, farm, racer tow and radio operator plates.
The DMV will not accept the old plates and asks customers to fold and recycle them.
On April 6, The Division of Motor Vehicles said the long-running blue wave Rhode Island state license plate design will be replaced by a new ocean design created by South Kingstown resident Willem Van Lancker. Lancker’s updated design was selected among 940 designs to replace the state’s current license plate.
The new ocean plates are flat, digitally printed, reflective, and visible in low-light conditions, allowing first responders to identify license plates more easily and aids motorists in seeing when a vehicle is stalled roadside during low-light times. The new plates will also help law enforcement identify vehicles with expired registrations and improve the accuracy of license plate readers.
