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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, July 2, 2007                                           

 

For more information:      Debra Hillmer, Director, Division of Motor Vehicles, 605.773.3541

 

 

 

State License Plate Wins National Award

 

 

(PIERRE, SD) – South Dakota’s famous faces have earned the state recognition from a national collectors’ group.

 

Representatives from the South Dakota Department of Revenue and Regulation, Division of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Tourism and State Development today accepted the 2006 Best License Plate Award from the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association (ALPCA) during a special ceremony at the State Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre.

 

The association’s more than 3,000 members vote for the winner each year from a pool of 9 to 12 finalists. Finalists are selected based on several key criteria including attractiveness, legibility, and how effectively the plate promotes its home state or province. This year, members chose South Dakota’s base plate featuring Mount Rushmore for the honor. ALPCA has recognized excellence in license plate design every year since 1970. This is the third time South Dakota has received the Best Plate Award, having earned the distinction previously in 1974 and 1981. South Dakota joins Kansas and Wyoming as the only states or provinces to be three-time recipients of the award.

 

Presenting the award today was ALPCA President Jeff Francis. The recognition ceremony was held near a display at the museum showcasing replicas of South Dakota’s early license plates, including the state’s original 1909 model which featured a leather background with aluminum numbers. The state’s current license plate design was a joint effort by the Division of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Tourism and State Development.

 

For more information on the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association (ALPCA), visit their website at www.alpca.org. Questions regarding South Dakota’s license plates can be directed to the Department of Revenue and Regulation, Division of Motor Vehicles at 605.773.3541.

 

 

 

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(Shown in the photo are ALPCA President Jeff Francis and Debra Hillmer, Director, Division of Motor Vehicles)