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The chickadee plate is Maine's general issue plate.
February 15, 2023
Bye bye birdie? Maine considers retiring chickadee plates
Department of the Secretary of State
The Secretary of State is proposing new standard-issue license plates that feature the 1901 state flag, a symbol that's become a popular cultural icon in the Pine Tree State.
“License plates serve not only to identify vehicles, but are a way of expressing our love for our state,” said Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. “We’re excited to present this new design proposal for the coming license plate reissuance.” - Secretary of State Shenna Bellows
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A new standard-issue plate being proposed by the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles would replace the chickadee and pine bough with the historic 1901 Maine flag.
A proposal by the Department of the Secretary of State recommends that BMV replace all chickadee plates within a one-year period, beginning March 1, 2025, through Feb. 28, 2026.
This would give the bureau and municipal offices almost two years to prepare for the switchover. During the one-year timeframe, clerk's offices and BMV branches would issue new plates to replace the chickadee plates when registrations are renewed. A new set of plates also would be issued when registering a new vehicle during that time.
The proposed design has the 1901 flag with a navy blue star and a dark green pine tree on the left side. Also in navy is the word "Maine" at the top, "Vacationland" at the bottom, along with the spaces indicating where the registration stickers for the year and month would be affixed. The characters on the plate would be in black.
“The BMV developed this plan with input from municipal officials, who do much of the license plate issuance in Maine ... ” said Deputy Secretary Cathie Curtis. “Mainers across the state have embraced the 1901 flag and we think they’ll love the new plate design as much as we do.”
The chickadee design was first issued in 1999, and the BMV said many plates have deteriorated beyond identification, and due to this issue, safety and compliance concerns exist.
Law enforcement may not be as effective, as many crimes are prevented or solved through the identification of license plates, according to a Tuesday release. Automated toll collection may also be reduced when plates cannot be read. Additionally, visibility at night and in severe weather conditions can be reduced when license plates lose their reflectivity.
The transportation committee will consider the proposal over the next several weeks, after which it will go to the full Legislature for consideration.
“License plates serve not only to identify vehicles, but are a way of expressing our love for our state,” said Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. “We’re excited to present this new design proposal for the coming license plate reissuance.”
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Anonymous
February 17, 2023
To me, the chickadee always looked like crappy clip-art. This is much more respectable from a design perspective!
Bradford Hunter
February 15, 2023
Great idea to update the base plate and I love the proposed design of the new one. Two thumbs up!
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