Change

Last week I called my mail forwarding service to find out if my new vehicle registration had arrived.

"Yes, your new plates are here. We'll send them to you."

Plates? Did they have me confused with someone else? Because the standard procedure is that the state sends out stickers. Or did she mean stickers when she said plates? I would find out once they arrived, which was today.

Sure enough, there were plates. And stickers and the card. And it had my name and vehicle on it. The design of the plates had been revised a bit. It's different, but I wouldn't say it's much better. Mount Rushmore is clearer, the numbers are bolder, and the other type is navy blue instead of red. (I never liked the combination of red and sky blue, so that's an improvement.)

Since I don't spend any time in South Dakota or follow South Dakota news, I hadn't expected this. But I found the following:

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - State officials in South Dakota have unveiled the design for 2016 license plates. 

It’s similar to the current Mount Rushmore plate design, with different coloring.

The current plate design has been in use since 2006, and the state Department of Revenue Motor Vehicle Division says many existing plates are succumbing to age, damage and loss of reflectivity. Those issues can make the plates hard to read. 

The new license plates will be issued beginning Jan. 1. Department of Revenue Secretary Andy Gerlach estimates about 1.5 million will be sent out. 

The license plates will continue to be made at Pheasantland Industries at the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls.

Okay. But would it have been too much trouble to give me the same number? Evidently, yes.