New Drivers License design

[jn1780]

Hated the Twitter plates when they came out in 2017, but they eventually grew on me. I "imagine that" will also be the case with these as well, though the shade of red that they've chosen seems a bit loud at first glance.

I will say...I'm not sure why we need to be changing plate designs so often? And I certainly don't think this design will ever become iconic enough to last much longer than the current one. Maybe next time around, we can just let people submit their ideas and vote for the best one. Seems like that would probably be the best way to get something good enough that we could keep it for an extended period of time, like Colorado. Surely between our sunsets and diverse topography, someone could come up with a great design.

Its more functional than the current one which could lead to it staying around longer. The loudness of the red is so that the white characters stick out better and are easier to read.

[Anonymous.]

I think the red is just jarring. But that is also because most cars today are black, white, or gray/silver. I think I actually saw some recent stat that said more than 80% of cars on the road today are variations of these 3 colors.

[Dob Hooligan]

Don't like it. Looks too much like the LABOR VINCIT OMNIA tag to me. Which I have been led to believe has become a far-right message.

I also am just not a fan of a dark field with light print. I much prefer a light field with dark lettering.

[TheTravellers]

I think the red is just jarring. But that is also because most cars today are black, white, or gray/silver. I think I actually saw some recent stat that said more than 80% of cars on the road today are variations of these 3 colors.

Ha, we're definitely in the minority (and glad to be there) - 22 MINI in British Racing Green and 24 Civic in Aegean Blue Metallic, both with the psychedelic monarch tags (which go really well with those car colors).

[TheTravellers]

Don't like it. Looks too much like the LABOR VINCIT OMNIA tag to me. Which I have been led to believe has become a far-right message.
...

Pretty sure it hasn't become a right-wing slogan/message, it's just pro-union, pro-labor.

[Dob Hooligan]

Pretty sure it hasn't become a right-wing slogan/message, it's just pro-union, pro-labor.

"Labor conquers all" is, I think, the translation. I think it was the original, and might still be the current, Oklahoma state slogan.

[Bunty]

Maybe the red color is out of dedication to OU and in a few years, it will be OSU's turn with an orange tag with black lettering as has been the case in the past.

[BoulderSooner]

Don't like it. Looks too much like the LABOR VINCIT OMNIA tag to me. Which I have been led to believe has become a far-right message.

I also am just not a fan of a dark field with light print. I much prefer a light field with dark lettering.

pro work .. ... sounds very right wing to me ..

[Dob Hooligan]

pro work .. ... sounds very right wing to me ..

Agree

[Dob Hooligan]

Maybe the red color is out of dedication to OU and in a few years, it will be OSU's turn with an orange tag with black lettering as has been the case in the past.

I was telling a relatively recent Okie about how we used to alternate orange/black and red/white tags 50 year ago

[PhiAlpha]

I think the red is just jarring. But that is also because most cars today are black, white, or gray/silver. I think I actually saw some recent stat that said more than 80% of cars on the road today are variations of these 3 colors.

Have had the original state flag plate specialty plate that this is based off of on both my cars for 5 years. Always get compliments on it. Think it looks a ton better than the Twitter plates

[PhiAlpha]

Don't like it. Looks too much like the LABOR VINCIT OMNIA tag to me. Which I have been led to believe has become a far-right message.

I also am just not a fan of a dark field with light print. I much prefer a light field with dark lettering.

LOL what the heck are you talking about? It’s the original state flag and Labor Omnia Vincit has been the state motto since Oklahoma was a Territory. If anything I’ve probably seen more center to left leaning folks with that plate than anything but it certainly is not a political statement either way, nor is it meant to be seen as one.

[Bill Robertson]

While this has been more about tags lately I was just in the middle of a discussion about licenses. When I renewed mine last in 2021 it took weeks to get a license. Places were open for setting online appointments for a short time some day of the week and filled up faster than Taylor Swift sells out concerts. It took me 2 months to get in and then it was in El Reno.
Anyway, I'm hearing from the people that recently got renewed or are in the process that it's not as bad but you still have to get an appointment and it could be a couple weeks out. I thought the system would be caught up by now. Maybe the days of just walking in and getting a renewal are gone forever?

[TheTravellers]

While this has been more about tags lately I was just in the middle of a discussion about licenses. When I renewed mine last in 2021 it took weeks to get a license. Places were open for setting online appointments for a short time some day of the week and filled up faster than Taylor Swift sells out concerts. It took me 2 months to get in and then it was in El Reno.
Anyway, I'm hearing from the people that recently got renewed or are in the process that it's not as bad but you still have to get an appointment and it could be a couple weeks out. I thought the system would be caught up by now. Maybe the days of just walking in and getting a renewal are gone forever?

I think we did our renewal online in 2021, sent in a picture, etc. (but they used the old one anyway), guess that's not an option now?

[Dob Hooligan]

I did my last renewal in July 2022. It was a "Real ID" renewal IIRC, and I walked in at Red Cap over by Portland on NW 10th.

[Plutonic Panda]

If one were to write to give their opinion on the new design who would that go to? What agency? And is there any public input on these designs? It seems like we just get a new design out of the blue after being told for a couple years the state might redesign the license plates and then they reveal it and that’s it.

[scottk]

If one were to write to give their opinion on the new design who would that go to? What agency? And is there any public input on these designs? It seems like we just get a new design out of the blue after being told for a couple years the state might redesign the license plates and then they reveal it and that’s it.

I believe it's a partnership between the Department of Tourism and the Lt. Governor's Office.
The Tourism Department was also was in charge of the announcement in 2016 when Gov. Fallin announced the current Twitter Bird design. As for the actual design, the new design was done by local ad agency Freestyle Creative, and as others have pointed out it's very similar to the "46" speciality plate you can request right now through the Department of Transportation.

[Plutonic Panda]

I believe it's a partnership between the Department of Tourism and the Lt. Governor's Office.
The Tourism Department was also was in charge of the announcement in 2016 when Gov. Fallin announced the current Twitter Bird design. As for the actual design, the new design was done by local ad agency Freestyle Creative, and as others have pointed out it's very similar to the "46" speciality plate you can request right now through the Department of Transportation.

In California you can now get digital license plates which are bland with a gray background and dark black lettering. You don't have to add a new sticker anymore obviously because it is a screen that will update itself after you update your registration. But I do believe it is around $10-20 a month to have one.

I personally prefer simple plates like California's white with the Palm Trees or Texas' white plates with options to get vanity plates. As travelers mentioned the Monarch one is cool and wildlife fish and game plate looks nice on certain vehicles. I steer clear of anyone I see with a "don't tread on me" plate lol even though I have yet to even look up what that really means.

[The]

I wish they would go back to the native American license plate or just a simple white plate with the “Oklahoma is OK” Logo. This license plate isn’t half bad, but yeah, the imagine that logo is pretty cheesy. Still, it’s way better than the Twitter license plate.

That Native America tag with the statue was my favorite and it was a great tagline. So of course we moved away from that. Imagine that.

[baralheia]

Not a fan of the new design... which is funny because I actually really like the Original State Flag specialty plate design. The Original State Flag plate is clean and easily legible. The new plate is similarly legible... but I strongly dislike the addition of iconography/clutter at the bottom and I *HATE* the "Imagine That" tagline.

Don't like it. Looks too much like the LABOR VINCIT OMNIA tag to me. Which I have been led to believe has become a far-right message.

That's funny, because the state motto, Labor Omnia Vincit, has a long and storied history with both organized labor and socialist movements (both of which were significant political forces here around the time of statehood). I haven't found anything yet that suggests it has a connection to - or has been co-opted by - the far right.

[Dob Hooligan]

Not a fan of the new design... which is funny because I actually really like the Original State Flag specialty plate design. The Original State Flag plate is clean and easily legible. The new plate is similarly legible... but I strongly dislike the addition of iconography/clutter at the bottom and I *HATE* the "Imagine That" tagline.


That's funny, because the state motto, Labor Omnia Vincit, has a long and storied history with both organized labor and socialist movements (both of which were significant political forces here around the time of statehood). I haven't found anything yet that suggests it has a connection to - or has been co-opted by - the far right.

Dang...must of been one of the things my son heard at the convenience store he works at, or some twitter thing I saw. But, here is what I heard....

The deep red color and the Labor Vincit Omnia represent the deep commitment of the true patriots who are working to change Oklahoma government from the inside. The Star 46 represents the "stolen" second Trump term, which was co-opted by Joe Biden and the "woke mob".

I do not agree with anything I just typed.

[PhiAlpha]

Dang...must of been one of the things my son heard at the convenience store he works at, or some twitter thing I saw. But, here is what I heard....

The deep red color and the Labor Vincit Omnia represent the deep commitment of the true patriots who are working to change Oklahoma government from the inside. The Star 46 represents the "stolen" second Trump term, which was co-opted by Joe Biden and the "woke mob".

I do not agree with anything I just typed.

LOL. Glad you don’t believe it. That’s insanely stupid. Literally no sane Republican, Democrat, or independent that knows anything about Oklahoma thinks that.

[PhiAlpha]

Not a fan of the new design... which is funny because I actually really like the Original State Flag specialty plate design. The Original State Flag plate is clean and easily legible. The new plate is similarly legible... but I strongly dislike the addition of iconography/clutter at the bottom and I *HATE* the "Imagine That" tagline.


That's funny, because the state motto, Labor Omnia Vincit, has a long and storied history with both organized labor and socialist movements (both of which were significant political forces here around the time of statehood). I haven't found anything yet that suggests it has a connection to - or has been co-opted by - the far right.

Agree. I don’t dislike the new design as much as you do but Im keeping my specialty 46 plates for the reasons you mention.

And to add to your comments on the motto, part of the reason the state opted for a new flag was due to the association of red flags/things with communism during the red scare after the Russian revolution. So if anything, concerns about it being mistaken to represent very far left leaning ideology was what caused the flag to be replaced with the one we have now (though without Oklahoma spelled out until it was added during a state sponsored push to increase literacy).

[BoulderSooner]

I think we did our renewal online in 2021, sent in a picture, etc. (but they used the old one anyway), guess that's not an option now?

online is still an option we just did ours ..

[Bill Robertson]

online is still an option we just did ours ..

I missed TheTravellers post. My wife and I both have our licenses expire about the same time. We submitted renewals online about 4 months before ours expired in '21. Mine was "being processed" then disappeared from their system. They said my wife's was never submitted but I know it was. We ended up getting into an Edmond agency. And since we went in person we got Real IDs.