Las Vegas centennial plates are hot seller

Tuesday, July 8, 2003 | 11:21 a.m.

License plates sporting the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign have been so popular that state officials say they could run out of the tags commemorating Las Vegas' 100th anniversary later this month.

"They have been a hot seller," Department of Motor Vehicle spokesman Kevin Malone said. "There is a possibility we might run out of them."

The plate, featuring the neon sign that has long greeted visitors on the south end of the Strip, went on sale in October and already is the second most popular specialty plate in Nevada history, Malone said. Fees on the plate are helping raise money for the city's 100th anniversary celebration in two years.

There were 8,401 registered centennial plates on cars as of Monday. Only the Lake Tahoe preservation plate, which has raised more than $1 million, has sold more, with more than 18,500 active plates on the road, Malone said.

The four-color city centennial plates are available through Dec. 31, 2005. They cost $61, which covers $36 for the state licensing fee and $25 for the city of Las Vegas.

Stacy Allsbrook, project manager for the city's centennial celebration, which will be observed on May 15, 2005, says the city is concerned about a plate shortage because so far it is the event's only ongoing fund-raiser.

"If we have more plates to sell, we could raise more money," said Allsbrook, noting that the first 100 issues of the plate have been put aside to be auctioned at a premium price.

"We will have other fund-raising efforts, but right now, this is the only source we have for banking money for the centennial celebration," she said.

To date the city has received $125,000 from the sale of the plates, Allsbrook said, and will use it as seed money to fund a number of events that will take place throughout the centennial year.

Malone said the city's share of proceeds from sales of the centennial plates to date total more than $210,000, but the city has not yet been given its full disbursement of funds.

Malone said that as of Monday, there were 450 city centennial plates in the local DMV warehouse and smaller quantities available at each of the agency's registration satellite offices around the Las Vegas Valley.

The potential shortage, he said, stems from the state running out of "sheeting," the silk-screen sheets that are used to produce each of the colors on the plates.

The DMV has no shortage of sheeting for the other plates it offers, Malone said, noting that the sheeting is specific to each type of plate that is produced.

"We are expecting the shipment to arrive on July 17, but it will take another week before new plates can be made," Malone said.

Malone said the DMV has two backup options in case there is a shortage:

-- Centennial plates that already have been shipped to other DMV offices statewide would be rerouted to Las Vegas from sites where sales have not been as strong.

-- Motorists would be issued regular sunset plates, then notified by post card when their city centennial plates arrive so they can exchange them.

Malone said that while motorists also will be told about other available specialty plates, "we will not try to talk people into choosing something else."

Personalized centennial plates carry an additional $35 fee and renewals of all centennial plates are $30, with $20 going to the city.

After Dec. 31, 2005, the renewal fees for centennial plates will be reduced to $10 because the city no longer will be raising money for the centennial, Malone said.