New Mexico’s “Chile Capital of the World” license plate has been recognized as America’s Best License Plate. But I’m not a fan. Here’s why the chile pepper New Mexico license plate makes me spicy.
To learn that New Mexico has won the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association (ALPCA)’s Best License Plate Award doesn’t surprise me. From incorporating the beautiful Zia sun symbol to using bright colors like turquoise and gold, I think New Mexico has had some of the most beautiful license plates in America for decades.
But the winning chile pepper license plate design is far from what I’ve come to expect from the Land of Enchantment.
What Do You Think of NM's Chile Pepper Plate?
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New Mexico’s License Plate Looks Like Christmas Served on a Bumblebee
Instead of a bright turquoise or gold background, the new license plate is a somber black. Instead of a soaring hot air balloon or a symbolic sun sign, the new license plate features a pair of chiles.
With one green and one red chile floating on the left side of the black license plate with gold letters, it looks like Christmas and a bumblebee got together and crafted the winning license plate design.
As the Chile Capital of the World, New Mexicans have adopted an official state question, “Red or green?” asked by servers to understand which type of chile you’d like added to your dish. Visitors to the 47th state can find green chiles on everything including popcorn, pistachios, and cheeseburgers. So incorporating the flavorful peppers into the license plate design makes all the sense in the world.
But in a state full of talented artists — from silversmiths to sculptors and painters to potters — the design is underwhelming. Beyond the disappointing color palette, the two chile peppers appear to be clip art copies of each other without any variance in size or shape, one slightly overlapping the other. It’s as if the design was created by a middle school student completing a Microsoft Publisher lesson!
An Alternative to the Zia Sun Symbol
Because the sun symbol prominently featured on the New Mexico state flag is sacred to the Native American Zia people, I can appreciate that the State of New Mexico may be seeking a different symbol. Although it’s been featured on New Mexico license plates since the 1920s, today there is a heightened sense of sensitivity to native cultures and symbols.
Chile peppers are certainly a wonderful symbol of the Land of Enchantment. It’s just that any artist above the age of three could have designed a better license plate to spotlight them.
But Who Cares What I Think?
Despite what I think, the members of the ALPCA who voted in the contest absolutely love the chile pepper license plate. It won by a huge margin, appearing in the top three list for about half the ALPCA members who voted.
Now New Mexicans have a choice of three standard plates — including the chile plate — when they register or renew their vehicles. And while the chile pepper plate is the newest design, it’s bee very popular. Many New Mexicans must be fans!
The Rest of the Story Behind the Chile Pepper New Mexico License Plate
The chile pepper license plate was originally designed as a fundraiser for the Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces. And the New Mexico state legislature originally passed the bill to issue the plate. But New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez vetoed the bill so the chile pepper plate could become the next general issue license plate.
A new plate was designed to honor the state’s agricultural heritage and rural residents, and now the specialty plate for the Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum features a windmill set against a brilliant sunset. While it still features many of the same red and yellow colors as the standard Zia plate, it’s much more beautiful than the chile pepper plate, if you ask me!
New Mexico residents can select this license plate design for an additional $37 special plate fee. After covering the cost to print the plate and administer the program, the majority of this extra cost (currently $25) funds educational programs at the amazing New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces.
Frequently Asked Questions About New Mexico License Plates
What does a New Mexico license plate look like?
When New Mexicans register their cars, they can select one of three standard plates:
- Standard red and yellow New Mexico license plate with a small Zia symbol in the center
- Standard centennial license plate with a turquoise background and yellow lettering with a large Zia symbol in the center
- Chile plate with a black background and yellow letters celebrating New Mexico as the Chile Capital of the World
What is the symbol on the New Mexico license plate?
On both the New Mexico state flag and several New Mexico license plate designs, you’ll see the Zia symbol. With four sets of four lines radiating from a circle, the sign is a sacred symbol of the Zia, an indigenous tribe from what is now the Four Corners region of the United States.
Related Article: The Fascinating Story Behind the Zia Symbol on the New Mexico Flag
Does New Mexico require a front license plate?
No. New Mexico is one of approximately 20 states that does not currently require the motor vehicle owner to affix a front license plate.
Why does New Mexico have a teal license plate?
I’d describe the beautiful blue background of New Mexico’s standard plate as turquoise, not teal. That said, the blue plates with yellow letters and a large Zia symbol in the center were designed to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of New Mexico license plates.
Fun Fact: The 1937 New Mexico license plate was also blue, although it was considered to be robin’s egg blue.
Why do New Mexico license plates say USA?
The country abbreviation “USA” was added to New Mexico license plates in 1969 to help remind ignorant Americans that the 47th state has been a part of the United States since 1912. Seriously. I can’t make this up!
What Do You Think About the New Mexico Chile Pepper License Plates?
Do you love or hate the chile pepper plate? As a general rule, do you think New Mexico has the prettiest plates? What other state license plates do you like? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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I’m a New Yorker who was driving on I-10 in AZ this AM and passed a car with the NM chile pepper plates….despite passing it several times I was completely unable to read the red text on black and had to look it up later to find out what state the plate was from…which led me to your blog and offers you another reason to dislike these plates! 🙂
And there we have it! Sooooooo needs a redesign, right?!?
The same thing happened to me today, and that’s how I wound up here. I liked he chiles part, but I couldn’t read the text.
My bf is from New Mexico by way of Colorado. He is the one that introduced me to all things New Mexican and I have to say I dig it. Everything I’ve seen and ate and explored was just fantastic.
We have a license plate collection as well
That’s awesome! What’s your favorite design?
There’s nothing like green chiles from New Mexico, if you ask me! 🙂
The new chile licence plate is fun, but I like the one with the Zia sun on it. Ontario also only has one licence plate, although we can change the numbers if we want the plate to say something on it. I love seeing how many different plates I come across when I’m on a road trip.
I do think our license plate designs are pretty cool here in the US! 🙂
This is such an interesting read. I love how the state question is “red or green”. LOL! I feel like license plates say so much about the regions they come from.
And now I’m craving a plate of enchiladas with green chiles! 🙂
I do like that they incorporated something that was unique to the state – the peppers. I agree that it looks like clipart since there was no creative placement or use of the peppers. The black background does make it stand out from other states though.
I LOVE New Mexico’s chile peppers. That’s why I wish this license plate design did them justices. 🙂
I always learn something new every time I come on your site!
Your comment made my day! 🙂
Personally, I’m a fan of the older plate’s design, but I do applaud the state for no longer using a native symbol. As a foodie, I love that the state is celebrating a food for which its known, but yeah, I agree with you on the underwhelming design from a state known for its Southwestern art.
Spot on. I *love* New Mexico’s green and red chiles, but not how they were designed into this license plate. 🙂
I loved my turquoise and gold Zia symbol plate…until I saw this one! This one really pops and I love the slogan. We also won best state flag a few years back – but I forgot who judged 😉
I *LOVE* the NM state flag! <3
Eh… I’m a traditionalist. I prefer the older plates.
You and I seem to be the exceptions, preferring the older plates!
I think it stands out, so I like it. Many license plates are boring. Something different is good!
I would like someone to plop me down in the middle of a field of chile peppers. Red or green, I don’t care, I’ll happily eat my way back out in due time.
This is such a fun post, I love how quirky it is and makes me want to travel to New Mexico just to see cars pass around with these number plates! I don’t think I would be able to survive here full time here as really spicy chile and me are not friends hehe!
This is interesting… not that common … Just the way we have road signs in Ladakh… very different and interesting post
Well I absolutely love Spicy Food and Mexican Food so this is a win win for me! Haha what an exciting and awesome plate. I wish we were more creative here in California.
Definitely never seen a post like this before! I don’t have a car, so perhaps I just don’t pay enough attention to license plates! lol These are pretty cool though. Not sure which one I would have picked as I need more to compare it to!
You can see all of the submissions for the year here: https://www.alpca.org/bestplate/2017/
Coming from a country where we have plain Jane back and white number plates for private vehicles and yellow and black for taxis, all of these sound very interesting. But having to pay for one means it is a state business.
I’ve been to 46 states and NM is one I haven’t been to yet…but I do love these plates! I love so many of the designs on a lot of the state plates but these are so cute and creative. The ones we have in Oz are so boring – it literally says ‘Victoria the Education state’ haha. Fun!
Ahah, green and red chiles on a license plate – can’t get more New Mexican than that! Love it!
This is interesting. Here in India, the concept of decorative license plates does not exist. It would be quite fun to have a colorful/ decorative license plate, for a change.
I really like that idea. Most of the number plates I have come across are quite plain, so it’s fun to see something different!
Wow, I didn’t know there is a licence plate design competition in the US. And even though I’m not a big chile fan, I do like the black license plate with the red and green chile on it.
What a fun post! I really love the picture of the wall with the history of the license plates. Although I often pay a lot of attention to the license plates on the cars around me, I have never really considered it as a way of marketing a state. Very interesting. Thank you!
Well, I enjoy reading your opinions – keep at it! 🙂
<3
I understand what you are saying but I think the new plate is striking when driving around town. You really notice it. I think they probably could have made the peppers different sizes to be more realistic. Still, when it comes to license plates, I think simplicity is better. Having said that, I still think the hot air balloon plate is better.
You definitely notice it! And who cares what I think…as a New Mexico resident, what matters most is what YOU think! 🙂 P.S. I like the hot air balloon plate a lot, too.