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Michigan revives vintage license plate

The Michigan "Water-Winter Wonderland" license plate was first issued in 1965. It can be purchased for an additional $5 along with the usual registration fee.
Courtesy
/
Michigan Secretary of State
The Michigan "Water-Winter Wonderland" license plate was first issued in 1965. It can be purchased for an additional $5 along with the usual registration fee.

It’s back by popular demand, as the old saying goes.

The state of Michigan is reviving a vintage license plate first issued in 1965.

With yellow lettering set against a deep blue background, the plate features the phrase, “Water-Winter Wonderland.”

The plate is a collector’s item among car buffs who requested its return.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says for her, the 1965 plate is a reminder of the landmark Voting Rights Act that passed that year.

“Michigan is the state that put the world on wheels,” Benson said. “It’s a beautiful reminder if we see this plate on someone’s vehicle or have it on our own, of our identity as Michiganders…who we are, who we want to be and who we have been as a state.”

Benson says there’s a number of ways to obtain this vintage plate.

“You can walk up to a branch office, schedule your visit ahead of time or go online,” she said. “So, we hope people take advantage of those new opportunities to interact with our offices if they choose to adapt this old favorite of a plate to their vehicles today.”

The “Water-Winter Wonderland” license plate is also available as a disability plate. There’s an extra $5 fee in addition to normal registration.

Kevin Lavery served as a general assignment reporter and occasional local host for Morning Edition and All Things Considered before retiring in 2023.
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