When I was a kid, my family loved to play the license plate game. You know, the one where you try to spot as many license plates from different states as possible on road trips? “I see Florida! There’s Massachusetts! Oh wow, look at Alaska!”
If you’ve ever played this game, you know the fun it brings to otherwise long and boring drives. Sometimes, it can even feel like a glimpse into other states. In New Hampshire, it used to be the Old Man in the Mountain, a beloved rock formation. In Utah, it’s an arch. In Oregon, it’s a tree. These beautiful graphics inspire the audience and, at least in the license plate game, are the states you most want to visit.
For a long time, Colorado license plates featured a mountainscape, a scenic and logical choice given the beauty of the Rocky Mountains. But lately, that’s not always true. Now, some of our license plates are turning bland. What gives?
You probably know the license plates in question. They are unusually black and white with no design to speak of, except, perhaps, the lack of design. And I suppose that’s the point. Some people consider the lack of mountains or Colorado fanfare ultra-modern and sleek, considering the sheer number of brand-new Teslas and Rivians the plates seem to be on.
And there is at least a little history and good intent behind these eyesores. The new designs, or rather the lack thereof, were passed by state legislators in 2023, based on a vintage 1945 Colorado license plate.
Those plates were also solidly black and white, and the new bill provides strict guidelines for replication. There are a couple of other solid color options dating back to the early 1900s as well.
Additionally, a portion of the proceeds for the specialty license plate, which costs an extra $25 annually, go toward the Colorado Disability Funding Committee. This seems good, and I’m glad legislators thought of new avenues for additional, but optional, funding revenues.
But the kid in me is disappointed. What does this cold, blank, monochromatic license plate say about us as Coloradans? What does it say to the rest of the U.S.? Does it suggest that we’re boring? Uninspired? Lacking vision? Better yet, how can we claim to be “Colorful Colorado” while boasting grayscale?
Colorado currently has a lot of other colorful and mountain-themed license plates to choose from. One regular license plate option still features the green and white mountain scene. There are also dozens of other specialty license plates ranging from causes that support pets to bikes to epilepsy, and nearly every single one of these specialized logos are superimposed on a mountain theme.
The primary exceptions are license plates for state legislators, which feature a Capitol design, and one sorority group that features the group’s design and colors.
The historical plates, in contrast, offer little justification for removing the customary mountain background. Even a black-and-white mountain theme would be easier to swallow. Instead, we wind up staring into the void every time one of these cars passes by. For what? We have some of the most beautiful landscapes in the nation. Don’t we want to feature them even a little?
Clearly, not all Coloradans agree, as more and more residents appear to be paying the extra funds to get one of the most boring license plates ever. This means they probably aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, unfortunately.
So the next time you play the license plate game and you notice a beautifully designed license plate from another state, just remember that somewhere else there’s a kid in the backseat shouting, “Hey, Mom! Look, it’s Colorado!”
And all they’ll get to see is our super boring, 1945 black-and-white text.
Trish Zornio is a scientist, lecturer and writer who has worked at some of the nation’s top universities and hospitals. She’s an avid rock climber and was a 2020 candidate for the U.S. Senate in Colorado. Trish can be found on Twitter @trish_zornio
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