California cars can now drive into a new era technology.
The state approved new legislation, AB 984, that requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to create a program authorizing the alternatives to license plates, stickers, tabs and registration cards.
The bill, authored by Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson and Sen. Ben Hueso, also pieced out guidelines for digital plates. This includes requiring plate providers to build a notification system for when the plate is defective and making alterations and counterfeit devices a felony.
Digital license plates initially debuted in 2018 in California, making it the first state to roll out this program. The DMV conducted the pilot project with Reviver Auto, a company based in Granite Bay that makes digital plates, according to a 2018 Bee report. Sacramento was the first city to test the plates.
In a 2018 Bee interview, the plates were tested for with the deployment of autonomous cars in mind — to see where and how the cars are operating and assess reports on mileage.
How do the plates work?
You can monitor your digital license plate and customize it using the Reviver app.
The plates are connected with the national 5G network, according to Reviver’s website, and can be connected to bluetooth for user control.
To get your own plate, you’ll need to download the app and follow activation steps, which include getting DMV approval. The plates can be installed yourself or by a professional at Reviver.
Perks of the plate
Reviver digital plates are weather-resistent, the company states, and can withstand high impact collisions and temperatures from negative 40 to 175 degrees.
You can also get alerts for when your car moves and report it stolen via the app.
Costs
The plates are offered on a subscription basis.
For a battery-powered plate, payments start at $19.95 a month for 48 months with professional installations at $99.
Its wired plates start at $24.95 a month for 48 months. Professional installation is $150.
