'Puffin plates' from Oregon Coast Aquarium now in production

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — By the end of next year, Oregon drivers could be riding around with a new critter on their license plates.

The Oregon Coast Aquarium has announced that its puffin plates are now in production, more than a year after the rollout began. The organization needed to sell 3000 vouchers in order to reach this phase, per the Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services division’s rules for special registration plates.

OCAq’s Graphic Design and Marketing Coordinator Cam Mullins developed the design last year. It showcases a tufted puffin floating in the sea, glancing down as fish swim by. According to the organization, the creatures are native to Oregon — and a flock of them can be found in the aquarium’s Seabird Aviary.

The aquarium also reported that proceeds from the license plate vouchers will benefit the wildlife it cares for, as the state’s sole facility “authorized to provide critical care to endangered marine animals.”

The plates are expected to be in production for six to seven months. Drivers who preordered them will receive them about a month ahead of schedule, while others can purchase them once they become available at DMV offices.

“The puffin plate project has been a labor of love, made possible by everyone who pledged their support by preordering vouchers. We are grateful to have a community so dedicated to both our animals and Oregon’s wildlife,” OCAq President/CEO Carrie Lewis said in the announcement.