Your new Washington State license plate could look a lot like California’s. The color scheme and Mount Rainier background aren’t changing. But, the new plates have seven characters. The additional-digit plates are now beginning to be seen more frequently here in Lewis County. The State Department of Licensing says they needed to do something after running out of numbers. The new plates are for passenger cars and SUV’s. Trucks and commercial vehicles have had the seven-digit format for sometime now. The change means there are now 138 million different license plate configurations. If you want to keep your old number, it will cost you an additional $20.

Jon Cherry is a Director of leading personalised number plate dealer Regplates.com. Jon has over 25 years industry experience handling some of the most expensive plates ever sold with many high profile and celebrity clients. Active since 1991 in the number plate industry, Jon is currently Chairman of the Cherished Numbers Guild, a trade body representing number plate dealers in the UK. Jon has written many articles on the industry and insight into the future of numberplates and the market as a whole.