THE NOTORIOUS LAND OF LINCOLN/LONE STAR STATE VEHICLE REGISTRATION TAG COLLABORATION

Unlike most states, Illinois does not use its prisoners to make license plates. It did so from 1933 to 1935, but it then decided that it was better to award the manufacturing of the plates through competitive bidding in order to insure higher quality plates and to avoid taking jobs away from private industry.

Ironically for those Illinois plates issued from 1979 through 2002, the producer turned out to be the Texas State Prison facility located in Huntsville. The Texas prison plates made for Illinois were of very high quality and were stronger, less flimsy, and more durable than those plates issued by Illinois previously (although, admittedly, the increase in quality was no doubt due, at least in part, to the fact that Illinois converted to multi-year plates in 1979).

Considering the current financial condition of the state, Illinois may wish to revisit the concept of making its own plates in prison rather than paying outsiders to do it. However, considering the number of totally incompetent Illinois politicians serving time within those facilities, maybe it would not be such a good idea after all.