New Kansas license plate design to be reworked after widespread rejection

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – It’s back to the drawing board for the new Kansas license plate.
After widespread criticism of the new plate, Governor Laura Kelly is pausing production.

Kelly’s office says no money was lost on a rollout since production never started.

KSN asked the governor’s office how much money was spent on the initial design and how much more taxpayer money would be needed to create a new one, but they have not provided the numbers yet.

In with the old, out with the new was the consensus when Kansans caught a glance of the new license plate.

People say it looks like a New York plate, and its black and yellow color scheme resembles Mizzou colors.

The drastic change compared to previous years may have caused the widespread rejection of Kansas’s new license plate design, according to graphic designer Chad Gayer.

“I would probably substitute the dark bar at the top for like a sky blue, and then maybe screen in some wheat on the central yellow just to add some texture and some more Kansas personality,” Gayer said.

Revisions are underway.

“We need to go back to the drawing board and figure out something else that works,” said Kansas governor Laura Kelly.

“I think there’s bipartisan support that that proposed plate was not up to the standards of Kansans,” said Representative Nick Hoheisel of Wichita.

Edits have to fall within specific parameters.

“These have to be able to be read by those license plate readers, by law enforcement,” Kelly said. “So you know, it can’t just be whatever you think is really pretty.”

Specifications can be challenging for graphic designers.

“One thing for these big projects — there are often a lot of really strict parameters that go into place,” Gayer said.

The ultimate goal is to work within standard specifications to design a plate the general public can accept.

“We will never please everyone, but we want to at least give the public a chance for input,” Kelly said.

The redesign will delay the rollout of new license plates by about 6 months, according to Kelly.