Virginia's Special Plates

When I was a kid, all Virginia license plates were the same. Eventually, there were a few special plates--one with the state seal in the middle, one with a painting that looked like the Blue Ridge Mountains, and one featuring the state bird, tree, and flower. Life was simple then.

Now someone at the DMV has figured out how to make more tax revenue by catering to special groups. There are license plates for several schools (many of which I didn't know existed, and several of which are not even in Virginia), fraternities, military groups (including some I didn't know existed), and special interests.

Here are some interesting special interest plates that are available in Virginia:

• Robert E. Lee
• Sons of Confederate Veterans--That's right, folks. Virginia has a license plate with a confederate flag on it, and even has a version for those who ride a motorcycle.

Anyway, the options are interesting, but a bit disturbing. I decided to stick with my ten-year old free plates.