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State 'evaluating' newly-approved Tennessee license plates

new license plate
Posted at 9:30 PM, Feb 14, 2022
and last updated 2022-02-15 07:16:29-05

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Long lines persisted at the Davidson County Clerk's office on Monday, where a backlog of people with expired tags are looking to renew their vehicle registration.

For many, that also means a brand new blue license plate, approved last year as Tennessee's license plate refresh.

Even as clerks offices across the state keep handing out the new blue plates, the state is investigating how well the plates can be read at night by license plate readers, which are being increasingly found across the mid-state.

The Department of Revenue said:

The Department of Revenue and TRICOR have not stopped producing new license plates and any media reports indicating otherwise are incorrect. Drivers should continue to renew their registration and receive their new plate in the month of renewal. Both the Department of Safety and Homeland Security and the Department of Revenue are evaluating claims regarding how new plates interact with license plate readers at night. Until this evaluation is complete, there will be no changes to the production or renewal process.

TN Department of Revenue

"I think it should have been figured out before they decided to do this," LaShunda Armstrong said.

There's still no word whether the state would have to replace the plates already handed out if there is a problem with LPRs reading them.