Virginia currently mandates that all passenger vehicles display two plates, one on the front and the other on the rear. This policy, while seemingly insignificant, has significant financial, environmental and practical consequences. Virginia should join the growing number of other states that have abandoned this outdated requirement. The front plate requirement could be eliminated to save money, reduce environmental damage, and improve traffic enforcement.

The state will double its costs for manufacturing, distributing and managing license plate. Virginia has approximately 8.4 million vehicles registered. By removing the front license plate, taxpayers could save significant amounts of money. The money saved could be used to fund more important budget items or, better yet, reduce taxes.

21 states, including the neighboring North Carolina, and West Virginia only require one rear plate. Three states have recently eliminated their two-plate requirement: Ohio, Utah, and Alaska.

It is not a new idea to move to a single license plate in Virginia. The idea of a single license plate in Virginia is not new. In 2013, Senator Frank Wagner, R-Virginia Beach, introduced HTML1 The Fiscal Impact Statement estimated an annual saving of $1.8 Million. However, Sen. Wagner stricken it A revised fiscal impact statement today would probably show even more savings. In 2015, Del. Bill R. DeSteph, Jr., (R-Accomack), introduced , HB 1832 HTML0 The bill also died in Committee.

Just this year, the General Assembly debated Senate Bill 1458 introduced by Senator William Stanley, R-Mone The bill was defeated in Committee by a narrow partisan vote. Senator Stanley’s $100 was a recognition that many luxury vehicles, especially imported models, were not designed to fit a front license plate. To comply with the mandate, a hole must be drilled into the bumper of the vehicle. This damages the vehicle’s appearance and value. A $100 fee is reasonable to avoid the damage caused by front plates or possible tickets.

Another important factor to consider is the impact on both the environment and strategy of maintaining two plates. Aluminum is used to make license plates, which are energy-intensive materials whose production contributes significantly to global greenhouse gas emission. Aluminum is recyclable but the demand for primary aluminium remains high. The United States only produces less than 2 percent of the world’s supply, and imports are a major part of its demand. Last year, the US imported over 3.2 million tonnes of aluminum from Canada. The US is no longer able to produce enough aluminum for our needs. Virginia can reduce the demand for aluminum by reducing its use in duplicative plates production. This will allow it to conserve this material and save it for other important uses like

The new tariffs by President Trump on steel and aluminium are making aluminum significantly more expensive because we import the majority of our aluminum. In March, President Trump raised the aluminum tariffs on Canada from 25 to 50 percent. This month he doubled this rate. The tariffs were paused in place for 90 days. This pause will end on July 21, . The supply is already constrained and will become even more so when Canada responds by limiting aluminum sales outside Canada.

Aluminum is used in many other applications that are more valuable than making plates. These include advanced weapons, electrical infrastructure and construction materials. Each license plate puts a real strain on a valuable resource. Virginia could not only reduce the cost of producing license plates, but also provide additional aluminum to support important projects, help the national defence stockpile and inch us closer towards our environmental goals. This would hopefully also encourage other states to switch.

Main argument in favor of keeping the front plate: it’s necessary for toll collection and law enforcement. Front plates are said to help identify vehicles that have committed crimes, traffic infractions, or toll evasion. Modern technology has rendered these concerns obsolete.

The automated License Plate Reader technology (LPR), used by US Customs and Border Patrol and Department of Homeland Security, as well as local law enforcement agencies, is extremely effective in capturing images of rear license plates. The 21 states that have a single plate do not appear to be experiencing any decline in toll revenue or public safety due to the lack of front plates. If this was an issue, the two-plate state would have to address the thousands cars that are driving on their roads every day from single-plate countries. For example, the thousands cars from West Virginia or North Carolina which drive Virginia’s highways each day.

Tolling and safety is not a concern in states that use a single-plate system, such as Pennsylvania. It is not safe to manufacture twice as many plates when LPR systems can retrieve the same information from just one plate.

Virginia should join 21 other states that have adopted a single license plate requirement, and abandon the duplication of front and rear plates. This is wasteful and harmful to the environment.