The California Legislature is considering a bill that would allow the state to begin researching the use of electronic license plates for vehicles, reports  MercuryNews.com.

The move is intended as a money-maker for a state facing a $19 billion deficit, the paper says.

[…] The device would mimic a standard license plate when the vehicle is in motion but would switch to digital ads or other messages when it is stopped for more than four seconds, whether in traffic or at a red light. The license plate number would remain visible at all times in some section of the screen. In emergencies, the plates could be used to broadcast Amber Alerts or traffic information.

The bill’s author, Democratic Sen. Curren Price of Los Angeles, said California would be the first state to implement such technology if the state Department of Motor Vehicles ultimately recommends the widespread use of the plates. He said other states are exploring something similar.

Interested advertisers would contract directly with the DMV, thus opening a new revenue stream for the state, Price said.

"We’re just trying to find creative ways of generating additional revenues," he said. "It’s an exciting marriage of technology with need, and an opportunity to keep California in the forefront."

First California, then the world. Maybe not by 2015 but inevitably, imo.

Full story: In California, license plates might go electronic.