The purpose of this study was to gather information related to the current North Carolina license plate production process. North Carolina employs the emboss-and-paint method, with the use of labor from the NC Correctional Institution for Women (NCCIW), which is owned and operated by Correction Enterprises. To compare associated costs and other criteria between North Carolina and states using an alternative process, digital printing for the production of all license plates (rather than using digital printing for only specialty and sometimes personalized license plates, like in North Carolina). To gather information related to the current NC license plate process, several tours, meetings and interviews between the research team and the DMV/DOT officials took place. To gather information about the digital printing process, three peer states were selected for their transition to a digital printing system for the production of all license plates – Indiana, Georgia, and South Carolina. In-person and/or telephone interviews took place with representatives of all three peer states, and tours of the license plate facilities were arranged, except in the case of Indiana, which was the furthest from us geographically. Additionally, a survey was disseminated through AAMVA (American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators) to state DMV representatives; out of 50 states that were solicited, 28 responded to the survey, the results of which are included in the report. Although digital printing can produce high quality graphics, the current North Carolina license plate production process is cost-effective.
