• The Missouri Department of Revenue manages the state's license plates.missouri outline image by Kim Jones from Fotolia.com
  
  The "Show Me State" offers choices to drivers about the design and numbers on their license plates. In accordance with the Missouri Revised Statutes, the Missouri Department of Revenue manages the state's license plates. Motorists must display license plates on the fronts and backs of cars. To combat license plate theft and fraud, the state developed security measures for renewal tabs. Motorists can renew Missouri license plates online, by mail or in person.
  
  

Standard Plates

• The standard Missouri license plate has a light blue gradient as its background. The plate features an outline of the state, an image of the state bird and the words "Show Me State." Customers can customize a standard license plate with up to six characters (plus a dash, space or apostrophe), subject to availability. Missouri charges a $15 annual fee for personalized standard plates. In most cases, motorists can renew license plates for multiple years for convenience and efficiency.
  
  

Specialty Plates

• Missouri has authorized about 200 varieties of specialty license plate designs. Some common specialty plates feature colleges, sports teams or charities. In many cases, specialty plate organizations charge a separate fee for the use of the organization's name or image. Before it approves a specialty plate design, the Department of Revenue requires an Emblem Use Authorization Statement as proof of payment to the organization featured on the plate. The Department of Revenue website allows citizens to preview custom license plate designs online.
  
  

Expiration Tabs

• Color-coded license plate tabs display the year and month that plates expire. Previously, motorists usually displayed these tabs in the lower right corner of plates. This made the tabs an easy target for thieves who hoped to avoid paying for license plate renewal. The state now recommends placing tab stickers in the center of standard plates to make them harder to steal. The state will issue up to two replacement sets of tabs per year. It charges a processing fee for replacement tabs.
  
  

Enhanced Security

• The state developed additional measures for the prevention of tab theft in a 2007 redesign. New tabs are unique to each license plate and display the plate number. This makes it easier for law enforcement to quickly determine whether a plate bears stolen tabs. Other security enhancements include perforations that make it difficult to remove a tab without destroying it and a watermark to combat counterfeiting.
  
  

Renewals

• The Department of Revenue sends notice by mail when license plates are about to expire. Motorists must renew Missouri license plates during or before the month they expire. The department offers renewals in person at a local office, by mail or through an online system. The online system charges an additional fee of about $1 to process a renewal. Motorists may renew Missouri license plates up to six months before they expire.