SPECIAL EVENT LICENSE PLATES
By SECRETARY OF STATE GEORGE H. RYAN
SPRINGFIELD — Robert Hermsmeyer (left) presents Secretary of State George Ryan with Litchfield's Desert Storm special event license plate #1. The plates are helping to welcome home local Desert Storm veterans at a special Fourth of July celebration.
I want to thank the Illinois Municipal League for
giving me the opportunity to keep city officials informed of Secretary of State services and programs
through the "Illinois Municipal Review."
Your organization and leaders like Tom Fitzsimmons have a reputation for being civic-minded, professional and committed to improving government service. I look forward to working with you.
In the Secretary of State's office, one of the more
popular programs in recent years has been special event
license plates, which are available to civic groups and
others to promote special events. With the approval of
the office, organizations may design and have manufactured up to 200 pairs of license plates, valid for 60
days and expiring on the last day of the event. The
Illinois Municipal League had special plates commemorating its 75th anniversary in 1988.
This year, many Illinois citizens are welcoming
home their Desert Storm veterans with plates commemorating Fourth of July celebrations in their communities. A Welcome Home Committee in Galena and
a Celebration Committee in Litchfield are using special
event plates to raise money to help support the families
and fund the celebrations. At press time, Galena had
sold all 200 pairs of its plates and Litchfield had about
50 pairs available.
Although the word "Illinois," the year, and the
"Land of Lincoln" slogan must be on all special event
plates, remaining colors and designs are determined by
event organizers. Many special event plates have elaborate artwork and more than one color that distinguish
them from standard plates.
Special event plates are unique in that no two organizations have plates exactly alike. While the Galena and
Litchfield plates have U.S. flags and say "Welcome
Home, Desert Storm Vets, July 4," the Litchfield plates
have a smaller flag and include an airplane, a ship and a
tank.
Plates for 80 special events have been approved for
1991, including events sponsored by 16 Chambers of
Commerce and six other city organizations. The Paris
Chamber of Commerce, for example, will have special
event plates honoring its Honey Bee Festival Sept. 20-
21.
The Paris chamber has used special event plates for
three years to help construct a new Chamber of Commerce building. Toward that goal, the chamber sells
packages for $100, which include the special plates,
T-shirts, tickets to the festival, tickets for drawings for
give-away trips, and coupons from participating merchants.
Organizations applying for special event plates
more than one year must change the design or colors
each year. In 1991, the Paris Honey Bee Festival plates
will be orange, with a yellow bee and hive, and black
embossing.
Manufacturing costs for special event plates are determined by Macon Resources, Inc., in Decatur, which
produces all Illinois license plates. If the maximum 200
pairs of plates are ordered and the design contains two
June 1991 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 7
colors, the average price for each pair is $10.
Organizations are billed by the manufacturer when
the plates are delivered. Organizers then sell the plates,
which can be displayed on passenger cars, pickup
trucks and recreational vehicles that weigh 8, 000
pounds or less.
Special event plates are bona fide Illinois license
plates and must be registered with the Vehicle Services
Department before being displayed on a vehicle. To
ensure proper registration, the sponsoring organization
must receive a legible copy of the vehicle identification
card before issuing the special event plates to the motorist.
Registration information is submitted to the Plate
Control Division in Springfield on Special Event Plate
Assignment Sheet forms, which become official registration records. Illinois law enforcement agencies depend on the assignment listings as official records,
matching vehicles displaying special event plates to the
legal owners. Any vehicle displaying special event
plates also must carry the regular license plates in the
vehicle.
The first special event plates were issued for one
event in 1976, and the current ongoing program was
established in 1980. There has been a steady increase in
participants each year.
When organizing a special event, keep in mind that
written requests for special event plates must be received in this office at least six months before the event
begins. Sufficient lead time is needed to plan, manufacture and deliver the plates.
Collectible license plates also are available for special events, but cannot be displayed on vehicles. These
plates are available in unlimited quantities and can be
sold for any amount. The plates have "COLLECTIBLE" printed in large letters and do not include the
"Land of Lincoln" slogan or any numbers.
Special event and collectible license plates are colorful and distinctive, and are growing in popularity.
Any organization interested in applying for plates to
promote a future event should write to the Secretary of
State's office. Vehicle Services Department, Plate Control Division, Room 057, Centennial Building, Springfield, Illinois 62756, or call 217/524-1345. •
Page 8 / Illinois Municipal Review / June 1991