New S.C. license plates less colorful, but will use familiar indigo-and-white scheme

South Carolina's next license plates won't be as colorful as their current counterparts, but they'll at least retain their familiar shade of indigo.

The state will move away from the "sunrise" license plate currently used to a simplified indigo and white plate based on the state flag that will be put into circulation early next year, according to a news release from the S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles.

The new license plate design was created based on state laws for periodic plate re-issue cycles and manufacturer's recommendations, the release said. This week's release came several months after the DMV announced it was changing specialty plates to conform to a basic white design.

The new license plate will keep the palmetto tree and crescent at its center, a feature of the "sunrise" plates currently in use. The new tags will also have the state motto, "While I Breathe, I Hope," printed across its top. The release called the new tags "a classic design" with a "strong South Carolina theme."

The new plate's plain design will make it easier for law enforcement to read. In April, when the upcoming changes to the license plates were first announced, S.C. DMV executive director Kevin Shwedo said the dark colors of the current plate made it too hard to read, especially at night.

Choosing the motto for the new plate was "significant," the release said, after statewide turmoil from the Emanuel AME Church shooting in June and widespread flooding around the state in October.

"The motto is significant for South Carolina," S.C. DMV acting executive director John Laganelli said in the release. "The state has proven its resilience this year and become the example for other states."

The S.C. DMV originally introduced the "sunrise" plate, which is currently in use by 2.9 million registered vehicles, in 2008, spokeswoman Beth Parks said.

The DMV will start issuing new license plates in early 2016, but an exact date has not been announced. Drivers with the "sunrise" plate may not receive a new license tag for several years, depending on when it was issued and when the vehicle registration needs to be renewed.

Coming with the new license plates is a new vehicle registration sticker that will save the agency about $800,000 over the re-issue cycle. The new license plates will use a single sticker for the month and year, instead of separate stickers as the state's older license plates do, the release said.

Drivers with older plates will soon receive those single stickers and should put them on the right side of their license plate. The stickers will alternate colors each calendar year, helping law enforcement to easier identify valid plates.

The release said South Carolina is not the only state to change to a single sticker. Florida, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, North Dakota and North Carolina have already switched to single sticker vehicle registration.

Follow reporter Matt McNab at twitter.com/IPBG_Matt.

This story was originally published December 17, 2015 at 3:58 PM with the headline "New S.C. license plates less colorful, but will use familiar indigo-and-white scheme."