Digital License Plates in California

Digital license plates, currently available in Arizona, California, Michigan, and Texas (for commercial use only), are produced primarily by Reviver, which makes the RPlate for individual use and the RFleet plate for commercial fleet use. Reviver has been developing digital plates since 2009. The current version is somewhat customizable and trackable, making renewing registrations a much easier process. Indeed, says Reviver, the digital plates are more easily controllable and far more convenient for individuals and the DMV.
Digital plates are only one technological advance for California drivers.. If another driver hits you and causes you injuries, technology can play an important role in your case Always seek help from an experienced car accident lawyer.
Digital Plate Basics
Digital plates can be battery-powered or wired into a car’s electrical system. The battery on the former lasts five years without replacement. They consist of four primary components:
- Central processing unit – to receive and send information to external recipients, including data for display on the digital plate.
- Storage and Identifying Key – an integrated circuit that stores information about your vehicle, including any restrictions and a key to preventing hacking. Information includes registration, identification numbers, state of issue, expiration date, etc.
- Disabling unit – sensor for tampering; if detected, it sends a signal to a central computer system and ignition disruptor to disable the vehicle’s electronics and prevent the vehicle’s operation.
- Display – backlit screen showing license plate number, state of issue, expiration date, etc.
In either case, the plates have a monochromatic high-definition display that can show your customized license if you are registered and up to date. It will also show “invalid” if you aren’t in good standing. They also emit a radio signal for tracking and monitoring purposes. The plate also communicates directly with your vehicle and other remote systems, such as the California DMV.
Digital Plate Costs
You don’t actually own a digital plate. You can rent either version starting at $19.95 per month for a 48-month subscription or $215.40 for a four-year plan. The latter is far less expensive than the monthly fee if you can afford it all at once.
But the subscription isn’t necessarily the whole out-of-pocket. You can install the battery-powered unit yourself, so there’s no cost. The one tied into your car’s electric system requires professional installation, which costs $99. Commercial fleets should reach out to various companies for customized quotes.
One final cost is, of course, the state’s fee. Michigan and Arizona charge $5, while California charges $23.
Using Your Digital Plate
After you purchase your plate and receive it, you must activate it, just like all digital things. First, you must download an app from the Apple or Google Play store. Then, you create an account on the app and register your license plate number. With your registration and your driver’s license, you can proceed to activate your digital plate. Reviver recommends that you wait for your DMV’s approval of your use of a digital plate before you install it. This approval could take up the three days.
Actual and Future Uses
The future of digital license plates is even more potentially exciting. As we mentioned before, technology can play an important role in these situations. Sources expect the future will find the plates performing more and more useful functions. Digital boards are not just for looks; they can be incredibly useful in providing a variety of functional benefits to the user.
For example, vehicle owners can instantly make the police aware of their stolen ride with just a few taps on a mobile app. All that’s needed is to provide Reviver an official theft report and they’ll be granted access to displaying “Stolen” in their digital plate – if spotted, vehicles flagged as such will be stopped by police.
RFleet, on the other hand, simplifies the job of managing a commercial fleet, with telematic tracking software that integrates GPS to monitor every vehicle in real time and keeps them on course.
Prepaid Services
Most of us who commute regularly are familiar with the easy pay pass electronic payment. A device is attached to your vehicle to which you add money automatically debited as you go through various toll gates during a commute. Efficient for both drivers and toll collectors, easy pass solutions have transformed how tolls are paid and collected. Adding this function to a digital license plate will make tolls even more efficient and save the cost of an additional device. Possible payments through the license plate include registration renewals, parking fees, and tolls.
Security & Safety
The license plate can emit signals providing the location of an accident or a crime. It can tell the police who was at the scene, perhaps even if the vehicle had already fled. It can also serve the on-board notice functions and let the police know when an accident has occurred and where. The technology can also pair up with nearby security cameras to provide more and better data and images from them.
Data and Privacy
There is concern that the more data and functions a digital license plate uses, the more risk it creates. Regulation is needed to protect and safeguard the information stored on the plates and the government’s use of that data. Law and regulation will need to determine the ongoing access by the government and the line at which access becomes an unlawful search. Simple information such as the vehicle’s identification number (VIN), registration, proof of insurance, and ownership records can all be stored on the plates. However, more complex information, such as speed and location, can create various self-incrimination and search-and-seizure issues.
Further, hacking is such a prevalent crime in today’s digital world that any new locus for personal information creates a new risk of disclosure of that information. Any digital plates, therefore, will need to be designed and protected in such a manner as to conform with relevant consumer privacy laws. The hardware and the software will need design features that prevent tampering and hacking. A further possibility is disabling the vehicle if an attempt at tampering or hacking into the plate gets detected. Any attempt to remove the plate can completely disable the vehicle, and the plate might report its own payment functions to authorities.
Criticism of the Plates
There are many concerns about the plate. Price is a primary concern, with the subscription and cost of the plate being prohibitive for many drivers. The privacy risks discussed above are also a serious problem for many, as is the potential for bugs and hacking. Moreover, the software has to be updated, and it can be problematic if a driver needs to use a car whose plate is undergoing an update, disabling the vehicle. Still, the many potential uses of the digital license plate make it a likely future adoption.
Speak with a San Francisco Car Accident Lawyer
With states like California and Michigan already adopting digital plates, their experience will inform future adoption across the country and the world. Our experienced team at The Cartwright Law Firm is keeping tabs on how digital plates might affect car accident cases. If you have concerns about your legal options following an injury, contact us today for advice and counsel. We have convenient offices in Santa Rosa, Vacaville, and Discovery Bay.