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Ohio drivers will soon only need one license plate

 

By William J. Price

Ohio drivers – prepare for good news:

For more than a century, the state issued you two plates for any newly purchased car – one for the front bumper and one for the rear. Next summer, this will be a thing of the past.

Gov. Mike DeWine recently signed the state’s two-year transportation budget, bringing changes to license plate laws and gas taxes. Starting July 1, 2020, you will no longer have to drill into your vehicle’s front bumper. Ohio will join all the region’s surrounding states in dropping the front license plate.

It has been estimated that the elimination of the front license plate will save Ohio $1.4 million, plus hundreds of thousands more in fees and lamination costs.

The change was frowned upon by the Fraternal Order of Police, Buckeye State Sheriffs’ Association, and the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police. According to these groups, law enforcement relies on front license plates and plate readers to catch suspects and solve crimes ranging from hit-and-runs to homicides. While the governor didn’t choose to use his veto power to keep the front plates, he says the state will study the issue and investigate new technology before the change goes into place next year.

About Elk & Elk Attorney William J. Price

William J. Price focuses his practice on personal injury litigation for people who have been seriously injured or killed as a result of medical malpractice, nursing home neglect, defective products, negligence in construction sites, and trucking and auto accidents. He has been recognized by Super Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell, AVVO, and is a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Million Dollar Advocates Forum.