Pennsylvania To Eliminate Registration Stickers In 2017
HARRISBURG, Pa. (KDKA/AP) - Pennsylvania is eliminating registration stickers that motorists affix to their license plates starting in 2017.
The state Transportation Department anticipates the change will save more than $3 million in production and mailing costs. The savings will be used to purchase automated license plate readers which permit police to scan license plates to see if the vehicle is registered and has insurance.
"Electric license plate readers will allow law enforcement officers to read thousands of license plates in the amount of time when manually they would only be able to read a hundred," said Leslie Richards of PennDOT.
Some have raised concerns about the plan. Last year, state representative Dom Costa said that not having the stickers worried him and law enforcement across the state.
"Without the presence of the sticker tells the law enforcement officer a number of things. Number one, they possibly didn't pay the registration fee to allow the vehicle on the road. Number two, there's a possibility that the vehicle is not properly inspected because without that sticker you cannot get the vehicle inspected. And number three, but probably most importantly, without the sticker there may not be insurance on the vehicle," Costa said.
PennDOT took note of those issues and has unveiled a new license plate reader that officers will have installed in their cruisers.
"Electric license plate readers will allow law enforecement officers to read thousands of license plates, in the amount of time when manually they would only be able to read a hundred," said Leslie Richards with PennDOT. "The license plate readers also allow them to read in bad weather, in dark. It allows them to read in all different directions, 360 degrees all the time, it's continually inputting data."
Motorists will still need to renew their registrations and have their vehicles inspected.
Beginning Jan. 1, motorists who renew online will be permitted to print out a registration card.
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