Ohio allows the Superman “S” insignia and university names to adorn license plates, so why not company logos?
Beginning this week, the state is offering company logo plates for customers who have at least 50 “apportioned” vehicles — those used in interstate trucking — in a fleet.
The special plates — available as of Jan. 1 — are part of the state transportation bill that the legislature approved last spring.
The special plates cost an extra $6 a set.
Lindsey Bohrer, spokeswoman for the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, said the state isn’t making a profit on the sale of the plates. She said the initial fee of $6 a plate, with a minimum of 50 per order (meaning orders must be at least $300), will cover “setup costs,” including verifying applications for the plates and artwork.
She said in an email that other states “charge thousands of dollars for the initial setup.”
Indeed, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles charges $4,000 to $4,500, depending on the size of a fleet. The fee, according to the Virginia department’s website, is a “one-time administrative fee to sign up and create your new business logo special plate design.”
Bohrer said Thursday afternoon that the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles had yet to receive an order for the new plates.
The Superman plates — honoring the comic book character created in Cleveland — were introduced last year. Ohio offers about 60 different plate logos for colleges and universities. Other speciality plates allow drivers to show support for police officers, firefighters, scenic rivers and other groups and causes.
Currently, only fleets that are part of the International Registration Plan (a program that allows for sharing of commercial trucking fees among U.S. states and Canadian provinces) are eligible for the new plates. Bohrer said the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles is planning to make other commercial vehicles eligible later this year.
Applications are available at the state’s Commercial Online Registration System online at www.ohcors.com or www.ohiobmv.gov or by calling 614-752-2055.
For more information, visit the International Registration Plan’s frequently asked questions page online at https://www.ohcors.com/irpfaq.aspx and www.ohiobmv.gov.
Katie Byard can be reached at 330-996-3781 or kbyard@thebeaconjournal.com.