‘In God We Trust’ plates now available
Anderson County Clerk Jeff Cole holds the county’s new license plates.
According to Anderson County Clerk Jeff Cole, his office ordered 2,500 of the ‘In God We Trust’ plates in July, and since then sales have been “above average.”
“I’m thinking it’s going to be a big seller. We started selling the new license plates three or four weeks ago and already we’ve had a lot of people purchase the new tags,” said Cole, during an interview last week. “It’s yet another option we can provide people in Anderson County. I’m thrilled with the new tags and the sales we’ve had so far.”
The new license plates are available because of a new Tennessee law that was enacted earlier this year authorizing the issuance of ‘In God We Trust’ on a standard vehicle registration plate as an optional choice for Tennessee motorists.
Unlike specialty tags, motorists will not have to pay the price of what it typically costs for specialty plates when opting for ‘In God We Trust.’
“If you want to swap your existing plate for the ‘In God We Trust’ plate, you pay an extra $2, a one-time fee for swapping, but when you renew the following year it’ll be the price of the standard fee: $29,” Cole explained.
Cole also stated that motorists wishing to purchase the new plate can purchase their plate ahead of time instead of waiting until their current license plate expires.
“Bring in your current plate and swap it for ‘In God We Trust’ and you’ll get credit for the time remaining on your current plate, if it is ahead of time to renew. That new plate is good for a year from the date of issue,” he said.
The tags are in stock in all three of the county offices, at the locations in Oak Ridge, Clinton, and North Anderson County.
Also new in stock are two specialty license plates available for purchase: a ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ license plate that can be purchased for $65 with a portion of the funds going to benefit the non-profit group Friends of Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park, and a Dolly Parton tag with proceeds going to benefit the Imagination Library (also $65), Parton’s gift booking organization aimed at boosting children’s literacy. “I think each of these new additions will end up being best sellers. We’ve already been promoting them word of mouth, and recently, at the Anderson County Fair, so I think more and more people will hear about them and want them.”