Wrightsville Beach is over halfway towards the threshold of qualifying for a state license plate displaying the town’s emblem, but with only two weeks remaining before the deadline, town officials are urging those interested to purchase the tags soon.
The town has had about 160 plates sold of the 300 needed to get qualify for the specialty plate from the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. The town has until Thursday, Jan. 31 to sell the plates or lose the opportunity to have them issued this year.
During the annual retreat meeting this week, town staff told the board of aldermen that one option could be to fit all town vehicles with the speciality plates, which could boost the numbers by nearly one hundred.
Once 300 license plates are ordered, the NCDMV will submit the request to the general assembly. The NCDMV will issues license plates within 180 days of approval by the general assembly.
The town is charging $10 for the plate, while state law allows the town to charge anyway from nothing to $20.
Owens said the town took the midline approach and that funds raised from the license plates wouldn’t go towards capital projects, but could be used for other purposes, such as grant matching.
The town will have to get the specialty license plate approved by the North Carolina General Assembly, but must first get at least 300 applications first. Owens said that Wrightsville Beach state Rep. Ted Davis, R, would potentially sponsor the legislation.
Residents interested in the plates can go online for an application here: https://www.townofwrightsvillebeach.com/DocumentCenter/View/2674/Fillable-LOCKED-Application-for-a-TOWB-License-Plate
Applications can be mailed to the town’s park office at (PO Box 626, Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480 with a check or money order made payable to the Town of Wrightsville Beach or it may drop it off at the park office, where it can be paid through credit card. Â
The park office is located behind Town Hall in the side room of the Recreation Center (enter underneath the awning). Applications will be processed in the order in which they are received.
