These counties will be the first to receive Iowa's new license plates

The new license plate design Iowans voted on last August will be in county treasurers' offices in the coming weeks, the Iowa Department of Transportation announced Tuesday.

Andrea Henry, director of strategic communications for Iowa DOT, told the Des Moines Register on Tuesday that the new "City and Country Reboot" license plates started rolling off the production line Monday. She noted that Iowa DOT uses an automated system that tracks plate inventory at each county treasurer's office.

Henry told the Register the eight counties first in line to receive the new plates due to low inventory levels are Carroll, Clinton, Crawford, Emmet, Fayette, Hancock, Muscatine and Palo Alto. Those counties' treasurers' offices should have the new plates within one to two weeks, Henry said.

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The "City and Country Reboot" design — which received the most votes among three finalists in an online competition — provides an updated representation of the urban and rural theme now used on Iowa's license plates.

The top blue border profiles city and country images and the bottom green border is intended to evoke growth, nature and wellness, Iowa DOT has previously said.

The new plates replace the state's current white, blue and gray plates, which have been issued by Iowa's county treasurers since January 1997. They feature a town and country theme with a farmstead and two silos silhouetted in white by a city skyline.

Materials for Iowa's license plates are supplied by Minnesota-based 3M Co., and they are manufactured by inmates at the Anamosa State Penitentiary.

The new license plates should be in all Iowa counties by this summer, Iowa DOT says.

PREVIOUSLY:

Designer of Iowa's proposed new license plates speaks out

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After 20 years, Iowa DOT plans to roll out new license plate designs

The designs drew criticism from many Iowans, prompting the graphic designer to speak out. Even other artists submitted ideas to the DOT for consideration, but they were rejected due to not meeting required guidelines.

You can visit iowadot.gov/mvd for more information about the new plates.

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