What a sick way to increase revenue!

"An additional plate fee of $25.00 will be added to your registration renewal fee"

"All current standard series blue and white Empire plates with the skyline banner at the top will be replaced by the new Empire Gold plates. Plates with the skyline banner issued to a special group or profession (e.g. NYP for New York Press, or MD for medical doctor) will be replaced by a different style of new plate to be announced at a later date"

"Periodic re-issuance of vehicle plates is important for overall highway safety, law enforcement and the general integrity of the vehicle registration system. The visibility of reflective vehicle plates decreases with time. The legibility and reflectivity of the current Empire plates, introduced in 2001, was only guaranteed for a maximum of five years. The current plates will have been in use for 10 or 11 years when they are replaced by the new Empire Gold plates. Vehicle plate re-issuance also helps to ensure compliance with motor vehicle registration and insurance requirements"

How pathetic!,another reason why people are leaving NYS in droves.The state needs money,lets use safety as the reason to replace all plates....AND make some money.

http://nysdmv.com/plate-reissue.htm#cost