Digital license plates will be available in Colorado next month after House Bill 1162 was signed by Gov. Jared Polis in April, according to Colorado Politics.
Driving the news: Colorado drivers will be authorized to buy digital license plates for their vehicles starting next month.
- Colorado will join four other states that already allow this type of plate: Michigan, Arizona, California and Texas, according to Reviver, a digital license plate company.
Why digital plates? These tech-savvy plates can be used for several reasons, including as a public safety tool, according to Colorado Politics.
- If a vehicle is stolen, the plate can be programmed to say so. Or if an Amber Alert is issued, the plate could display text to alert other drivers.
- With a digital plate, car owners won’t manually have to buy new registration stickers every year. Instead, they can just use the Reviver app to renew their registration and update the plates.
- Digital license plates can be tracked and managed through a computer or smartphone, according to Reviver. This could be used for families, businesses or anyone who would like to keep track of their vehicles.
Worth noting: Digital plates are more expensive than metal plates, running at about $19.95-$24.95 monthly, according to Colorado Politics.
- Some say these new plates raise concerns about privacy and hacking. Regulations for the plates and their data are being developed by the Department of Revenue and Colorado State Patrol, Colorado Politics reported.
- Those who choose to use a digital plate are still required to have a metal front plate, according to the bill.