Standard blue-and-yellow Pennsylvania license plates will start looking a lot different as the state begins to roll out new plates featuring the Liberty Bell and a red-white-and-blue palette.
These new Pennsylvania plates display the message “Let Freedom Ring” in red across the bottom and were unveiled nearly a year ago by Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro.
Shapiro followed up that announcement with a new one today on social media – with help from several mascots from the state’s professional sports teams. Appropriate, since Tuesday, June 17 is also National Mascot Day.
Gritty, Franklin, Lincoln, the Phanatic, Swoop, and even the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Steely McBeam all took part in the video, which was captioned, “No matter who you root for, we think you’ll like the news we’re dropping.”
As of June 17, over 12,000 new plates have been delivered to Pennsylvanians to make the switch.
Asked what they thought of the new license plates last summer, a wholly unscientific poll of 100 Philadelphians walking around the city found a mix of indifference, nostalgia for the old plate, and lukewarm acceptance of the new one. However, 62 out of the 100 people polled liked the new design.
If you are interested in switching to the new plate yourself, you can do so at pa.gov/licenseplate. The standard switch costs $13 and can vary based on fees and possible personalizations. There is no pre-requisite to switch to these new plates.
The design of these plates also matches the 37 highway welcome signs installed across the state since July 2024 as part of Shapiro’s Great American Getaway tourism initiative.
Shapiro’s initiative looks to highlight and boost Pennsylvania’s tourism industry, which generated $76.7 billion in 2024 and welcomed 192.4 million visitors in 2022. The industry will likely see another successful year in 2026 as the state is set to be a central point for the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary and site of the FIFA World Cup, MLB All-Star Game and 2026 NFL Draft, among other events.
Along with the awareness campaign from new plates and highway signs, Shapiro hopes to further support the industry with a newly proposed $64 million budget that includes $15 million for event security and $36.5 million for event planning and operations.
