You May Be Waiting A While To Get A License Plate In Washington

The United States has been plagued with all kinds of shortages thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. You can now add license plates to the list.

Some drivers in Washington state may have to stick with paper tags for a while, which is only valid for 60 days,The Seattle Times reports. There's been a drop in license plate production by the Department of Corrections, which has incarcerated individuals working in factories.

Like most warehouses and factories in America, the workforce was cut to comply with social distancing guidelines last year, says DOC spokesperson Rachel Ericson. In response, the agency reportedly increased staffing and started outsourcing some production at the end of July.

“These measures are expected to improve plate-shortage issues sometime this fall,” Ericson told reporters.

The license plate supply chain is expected to be fixed by late September, according to Washington State Department of Licensing spokesperson Rob Wieman. He added that only Thurston and Clallam counties have reported short inventories.

The issue also comes at a time where more people are buying cars, especially used vehicles.

The Times said trucks, trailers, and motorcycles have not been affected by the license shortage.