License Plates Support Wash. Lighthouses

The Washington State Department of Licensing is taking applications for a new series of specialized license plates celebrating the state's lighthouses. A portion of the proceeds for the plate, shown at left, supports lighthouses and lightships cared for by a not-for-profit organizations in Washington. According to Keepers of Admiralty Head Lighthouse, the structures and ships include Admiralty Head, Alki Point, Browns Point, Burrows Island, Columbia River Lightship, Destruction Island, Grays Harbor, Mukilteo, New Dungeness, Point Roberts, Point Robertson, Point Wilson, Swiftsure Lightship and West Point lighthouses. The price for the plate is $40, with a $30 annual renewal fee.

The license plates were created by the Washington State Legislature in 2005. Several volunteer organizations led the drive for the new plates, including Keepers of Admiralty Head Lighthouse and the Washington State University Extension in Island County. Friends of North Head, Mukilteo, Point No Point, Dungeness, Point Robinson and West Point (Grays Harbor) lighthouses also helped, according to the Admiralty Head lighthouse website. The lighthouse groups gathered more than 3,500 signatures from supporters.