The state will replace 7,200 newly issued pine tree license plates after printing errors were discovered, which could potentially impact E-Z Pass readings.
The misprinted tags are being replaced at no expense to the state by the Canadian firm that printed them, Waldale Manufacturing, which is based in Amherst, Nova Scotia.
Jana Spaulding, deputy secretary of state for communications, told Mainebiz that the misprints caused the plates to be inexact matches to vehicles’ registration.
She said a registration might be recorded as AA 123 while the plate printed without the space as AA123, which could cause an issue with readings, such as from E-Z Pass.
“The error was caused by a short-term system error that was quickly corrected. The misprinted plates represent approximately 0.25% of the new standard license plates being printed this year,” said Spaulding.
The new pine tree plates will replace the chickadee design over the course of a year as customers re-register their vehicles.
The 3,600 drivers who received the faulty sets of plates were sent a letter from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles apologizing for the error and telling them to use the plates until their corrected sets arrive in August.
Spaulding said drivers can either keep the faulty plates “as decoration” or drop them off at their town clerk’s office or local BMV to be recycled. They will not be valid for continued use on a vehicle.