Maryland Tests Digital License Plates

The Maryland Department of Transportation and Motor Vehicle Administration announced on Tuesday the beginning of a two-year pilot program that will test digital license plate technology.

The program, one of the first of the East Coast, is set to replace traditional metal license plates on vehicles with an electronic license plate. MDOT says the plates will be tested on 20 of it’s fleet MVA vehicles and two MDTA vehicles. One of the advantages of a digital license plate is the ability to update them electronically. Officials say “instead of placing a manual sticker on a tag when renewing vehicle registration, the digital license plate can be updated atomically to display the new registration information.” They also have the potential to display real-time information like an Amber Alert or other safety information, and can display an alert if a vehicle is reported stolen.

Reviver, a digital license plate manufacturer is partnering with MDOT to provide the plates at no cost during the pilot program. Reviver’s co-founder and chief executive officer said “We are very pleased to work with the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration to help make Maryland one of the first states in the northeast to pilot digital license plates, highlighting Maryland’s progressive approach to simplifying the registration process.” Officials say digital license plates are not currently legal in Maryland, but California, Michigan and Arizona do allow motorists to use them in place of traditional plates.