By Illinois Radio Network

SPRINGFIELD – Trucks in Illinois with older license plates will soon need new plates, Secretary of State Jesse White announced Friday that his office will begin phasing out the oldest B-Truck plates beginning this month.

It’s similar to the program White’s office started in 2017 with passenger vehicles. B-Truck plates that were made from 2002 through 2007 will be replaced this year. In 2021, B-Truck plates that were manufactured from 2008 through 2009 will be replaced and the process will operate continuously as such.

The older plates pose a challenge for law enforcement to read quickly, White said.

Vehicle owners will be notified by mail if they qualify for the new license plates, the release said, and will be provided with a sticker for the rear license plate. They’ll receive the new plates in the mail with a new registration sticker already affixed to the rear license plate.

“This is a forward-thinking, long-term solution that does not require a complete overhaul for passenger and B-Truck plates, which would cost around $60 million,” White said in a statement on Friday. “This plan removes older plates and replaces them with newly-designed plates within our current budget. This will ensure that no license plate on the road will be more than 10 years old.”

DMVs have tamper-proof bins to dispose of the old plates.

There are about 1.3 million B-Truck licensed vehicles in Illinois, White said.

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