Ohio may require replacement of old license plates after 7 years

1/29/2013

COLUMBUS — Ohio may force motorists to replace their license plates after seven years.

Currently, drivers are required to replace plates only when the numbers and letters become unreadable. But a budget proposal from the Department of Public Safety would require replacement after seven years.

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reports that the same proposal would also retire all red, white and blue bicentennial plates, along with the older gold-tinted plates, in December.

In a letter to Gov. John Kasich Public Safety Director Thomas Charles said the seven-year limit on plates would address concerns by law enforcement agencies about the difficulty of reading rusted and faded letters and numbers.

The Department of Public Safety also is proposing a $10 fee to replace old plates.