Cheyenne, Wyoming (AP) – The Wyoming Department of Transportation is looking into the idea of offering state license plates that celebrate Yellowstone National Park.
WYDOT Director Bill Panos told Transportation Commission members that a Yellowstone plate is in the early development stage and the agency is researching the idea.
“We’re very preliminary now,” he said. “We’re just looking at artwork and business models.”
The Wyoming Legislature would have to pass a law allowing the plate to be produced, the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reported.
The department is looking into what the plate would cost to produce and how to make sure those costs are covered, Panos said.
Besides being another plate option for drivers, Panos said the Yellowstone plate would help solidify the park’s association with the state of Wyoming.
That desire to better associate the two at the state level was what got the ball rolling on the Yellowstone plate.
“This was about connecting the word `Wyoming’ with `Yellowstone,'” Panos said.
The ultimate goal, he said, is to establish a business model that would work for other specialty plates.
He offered ideas for a Grand Teton National Park plate, a Devils Tower plate and an Equality State-themed plate as examples.
In addition to the standard license plate and University of Wyoming plate, the state offers several license plates to military members and first-responders and to owners of certain collector vehicles.
