Digital license plates are now legal in California

New expertise is hitting the streets in California that lets motorists use high-tech digital license plates on their autos as an alternative of the old school steel selection. 

The Motor Car Digital Quantity Plates Invoice (AB 984), handed earlier this month, permits California car homeowners to make use of the digital plates, made solely by California firm Reviver.

The plates, which resemble tablets. hook up with an app that provides registration renewal, car location companies and safety features — comparable to reporting a car stolen. They’re the identical form and measurement as conventional license plates, and provides customers the choice to alter the plate’s background shade by toggling between a lightweight or darkish mode. Motorists can even personalize a banner message on the plate. 

The invoice’s passage follows a profitable pilot program through which roughly 10,000 California drivers demoed the brand new expertise. 

“Californians are identified to be early adopters of rising revolutionary applied sciences. We welcome new alternatives to automate and combine as many elements of our lives as doable, enabling us to streamline mundane duties and keep related. Our automobiles are not any exception,” Reviver co-founder Neville Boston mentioned in an announcement. 

The digital, tablet-like license plates elevate privateness and security fears — issues the invoice addresses by banning them from utilizing GPS besides in sure instances, like on fleet and business autos.

“AB 984 strikes a essential stability between innovation and privateness whereas digitizing the one factor on our automobiles in the present day that stay antiquated, license plates,” mentioned Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun Metropolis).

Reviver’s digital license plates price as little as $19.95 monthly, or about $960 for 4 years, in response to the corporate. Set up charges are $99.

Digital plates are additionally authorized in Michigan and Arizona, whereas a handful of different states are in varied phases of approving the units.