Digital license plates in Michigan are no longer available. The state terminated its agreement with the only authorized vendor, Reviver, and sales ended on August 10, 2024. If you already have a digital plate on your vehicle, you must replace it with a standard metal plate from the Secretary of State by August 9, 2026.1Michigan Department of State. License Plates and Tabs
What To Do If You Still Have a Digital Plate
You have until August 9, 2026 to switch to a standard metal plate.1Michigan Department of State. License Plates and Tabs After that date, continuing to drive with a digital plate puts you out of compliance with Michigan registration law. Don’t wait until the deadline is close.
You can get a replacement plate at a Secretary of State branch office or through the state’s online services. Standard registration fees still apply, and they always did. The digital plate was an add-on to your registration, not a substitute for it, so your tab and plate renewal can be handled online, at a self-service station, or at a branch office in the usual way.2Michigan Department of State. Tab and Plate Renewal
During the transition period, a validly issued Michigan digital plate is still a valid Michigan registration. Reviver cannot sell new plates to Michigan customers or renew existing ones through its system, but the plate on your car remains legal until the 2026 cutoff.
Why Michigan Ended the Program
Michigan legalized digital plates in 2022 under Senate Bill 463, which amended MCL 257.224 to allow an electronic display mounted on the rear of a vehicle in place of a standard plate. The display has to be plainly readable from 100 feet during daylight, the same visibility standard that applies to metal plates.3Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.224 – Registration Plate; Digital Registration Plate; Issuance; Design; Display; Limitation on Renewal; Replacement
The Secretary of State signed its agreement with Reviver, the sole approved vendor, on June 6, 2022. The termination notice went out on July 11, 2024 and cited two failures.
Reviver developed and sold plate designs beyond the three standard-issue templates the state had approved. Michigan law required state approval of any new graphics before they went on the road, and that step was skipped. Reviver was also supposed to verify each buyer’s registration status through direct access to the state’s internal system before issuing a digital plate, and the state found this wasn’t happening consistently. Of 78 non-dealership sales reported between January and April 2024, only 56 could be confirmed as properly reviewed.
Sales officially ended on August 10, 2024.1Michigan Department of State. License Plates and Tabs
Could Digital Plates Come Back
The underlying statute, MCL 257.224, is still on the books. Michigan didn’t repeal the law; the Secretary of State ended a vendor contract. In principle, the state could sign a new agreement with Reviver or another provider at some point. There is no public indication that it is pursuing one, and the compliance problems that ended the Reviver partnership set a high bar for any future vendor. For the foreseeable future, every Michigan vehicle owner needs a standard metal plate.1Michigan Department of State. License Plates and Tabs
Plate Mounting Rules Still Apply
Whatever plate is on your vehicle, Michigan’s mounting and display statute, MCL 257.225, governs how it has to be fastened. The plate must be mounted horizontally, at least 12 inches off the ground, securely attached so it doesn’t swing, and kept clear of anything that obscures the registration information. Violating those requirements is a civil infraction regardless of whether the plate is metal or digital.4Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.225 – Registration Plate Attachment and Display Requirements
What a Digital Plate Was
A digital license plate replaces the stamped metal rectangle on the back of a vehicle with a battery- or wired-powered electronic screen. The display uses e-paper technology, similar to a Kindle, to show the registration number, state branding, and expiration information. Because the plate connects to cellular networks, it can receive over-the-air updates, so registration renewals and status changes appear on the screen without a new sticker or a trip to the Secretary of State. In Michigan, that convenience is no longer on offer, and metal is the only option.