State government

Texas offers custom license plates online

Texans searching for yet another way to express themselves can now choose from a smorgasbord of customized license plate options — including plates in "Lone Star Pink" and designs bearing footballs and soccer balls.

The plates, which come in 27 styles and cost $95 per year, started selling online Friday at myplates.com and are expected to bring at least $40 million to the state's general revenue fund under a partnership between Austin-based My Plates LLC and the Department of Transportation. The public-private partnership was formed with the support of legislators in search of new revenue sources for the state, My Plates spokeswoman Kim Drummond said.

The first partnership of its kind in the United States — New Zealand and Australia already have similar programs — My Plates will offer designs that draw their inspiration from Texans' pride in their state, Drummond said.

Designs include cowboy logos and slogans such as "Texas: Red White & True" and "Texas: Heaven on Earth."

Like all plates already manufactured by the state, the new plates will be produced by a prison in Huntsville and have been reviewed by the state to ensure that they meet safety guidelines, Drummond said.