An updated bay license plate is now available for Maryland drivers — and it’s expanded beyond the Chesapeake Bay.

The new plate bears the same design, featuring the Bay Bridge and a blue crab, as the design that was introduced in 2018. But now, in addition to imploring people to “Protect the Chesapeake,” it calls for the Chesapeake and Maryland’s coastal bays to be protected.

The updated plates come with a registration fee of $40 for two years, then $10 a year after, in addition to standard vehicle registration fees. Revenue from the licenses will go toward community-based, nonprofit grantees that will focus on wildlife habitat improvement and water quality restoration, according to a statement announcing the new design.

The refreshed “bays” plate design promotes conservation of the Chesapeake Bay and Maryland’s coastal bays. (Motor Vehicle Administration)

“With the new bay plates, I expect more Marylanders and beyond will support, explore, protect and enjoy our stunning coastal bays along with our beautiful Chesapeake Bay and multiple scenic waterways across the great State of Maryland,” state Sen. Mary Beth Carozza, who represents Maryland’s coastal shore, said in the statement.

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Bay-specific license plates have been around in Maryland as far back as 1990.

The updated license plates feature the Bay Bridge on the horizon, with blue skies and clear waters. A crab and some seaweed are on the sandy bottom. The blue heron has been missing from new bay plates since the 2018 redesign.

“The environmental role of the Coastal Bays is an important part of Maryland’s myriad natural resource landscape as is the significance of its overall economic contribution to Maryland,” Kevin Smith, executive director of the Maryland Coastal Bays Program, said in the statement.

The Bay Bridge is arguably the most famous bridge in Maryland, crossing the Chesapeake between Annapolis and Kent Island.
The Bay Bridge is arguably the most famous bridge in Maryland, crossing the Chesapeake between Annapolis and Kent Island. (Rick Hutzell)

On the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s annual report card, which was released earlier this month, the Chesapeake Bay received a C+ grade.

Though this is considered a “moderate” score, it is the bay’s highest since 2002. Still, officials say there is lots of work to do.

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“We need to pick up the pace of these efforts, particularly in light of climate change, which will make meeting the targets more difficult,” Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm, president of the Center for Environmental Science, said in a previous statement.

The “Protect the Chesapeake & Coastal Bays” license plate can be purchased at MDOT MVA branches, car dealerships, tag and title agencies and online.