LANSING, MI (AP)-- The Michigan House has passed a bill that would require drivers to buy a new license plate every 10 years.
The bill approved Thursday and sponsored by Republican Rep. Wayne Schmidt of Traverse City would bar the Department of State from renewing any plate that was at least a decade old, beginning in 2015.
Schmidt chairs the House Transportation Committee. The Detroit Free Press reports that the goal is to ensure that all license plates on the road are readable. He says the law already requires legibility, but it's enforced only through police citations.
Schmidt says Michigan's weather, the use of road salt in winter and power washing are good reasons to update plates more frequently.
The bill passed 74-33 and now goes to the Senate for consideration.
