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Question: Did you ever get an answer from the city about extending the rainbow plate?
Answer: Yes. It is possible to extend the life span of Hawaii’s distinctive rainbow license plate by modifying the letter-number sequence, an official confirmed Monday, in answer to questions Kokua Line had submitted on behalf of readers Dec. 29, after the city said it planned to retire this plate design once the current alpha-numeric sequence runs out. However, it’s also reasonable to replace the 32-year-old rainbow base plate with a new design, and that is still being considered, Kim Hashiro, director of the city’s Department of Customer Services, said Monday in a telephone interview, emphasizing that no change would occur this year.
The rainbow plate, which will continue to be issued at least through 2023, has already had a much longer run than its predecessors, the King Kamehameha design, which was issued from 1981 to 1990, and other standard-issue Hawaii license plates issued for three- to seven-year periods prior to that, she said.
Any new design would be worked out among the state and counties, with input from law enforcement agencies and eventually the general public, she said. The latter won’t happen right away. “Right now there isn’t an urgent need. We’re just starting the process,” she said. “We’re not in a rush.”
This topic, which has generated high reader interest, arose in December when a Kokua Line reader pointed out that the sequence of three letters followed by three numbers for passenger vehicles seemed to be nearing completion within a few years. A spokesman for Hashiro’s department confirmed that was true and said a “coordinated effort” was underway to select a new license plate design. Other readers asked why the city couldn’t extend use of the rainbow base plate by changing the letter and number configuration instead. Hashiro has now confirmed that is possible but says retiring the rainbow plate in favor of a fresh design remains an option.
Any new design should have a relatively simple design providing a stark contrast between the background and letters and numbers so that the plate is highly visible and easy to read, she said. A simple design is also cheaper to produce than one with a complex design and many colors, she said.
The rainbow plate features a colorful arc on a white background. The plate’s letters and numbers are embossed in black, appearing mainly against the white background. Police have praised the design for its high contrast and visibility.
Q: Will the tax credit for used EVs be good on sales among family and friends?
A: No, unless the family member or friend selling the electric vehicle is a licensed dealer. As of Jan. 1, “if you buy a qualified used electric vehicle (EV) or fuel cell vehicle (FCV) from a licensed dealer for $25,000 or less, you may be eligible for a used clean vehicle tax credit (also referred to as a previously owned clean vehicle credit). The credit equals 30% of the sale price up to a maximum credit of $4,000,” according to the Internal Revenue Service. The dealer is required to report relevant information to the buyer and the IRS at the time of sale. You can read more on the IRS website, irs.gov.
Mahalo
Mahalo to a special dog, Posy, and her senior couple for spreading smiles. Her “job,” according to her owner, is to make people smile. With her pink glasses, cute outfit and pink polka dot stroller, she made me smile and happy (and many others, too). The owner said they take her to different places to spread the aloha because with all of today’s problems, one little dog can make people happy. I would like to say thank you. — Kimi G.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
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