As drivers in the Magnolia State, we expect to receive a newly designed car tag every few years.

It’s a multi function effort by our state’s leaders, first to keep the design fresh, and most of all to keep people honest.

During a recent meeting of county leaders and tax office employees, it was discussed that a new tag will grace our vehicles starting this year. You may have already seen them; they have the phrase “In God we trust,” featured prominently.

It will replace the last design which recognized our state’s local Blues star, BB King.

You may be wondering why changing the tag can help law enforcement officers keep tabs on people who may be driving with an expired tag, especially when we’re given stickers with an expiration date each time we pay our taxes.

Well, it’s because people can find a way around anything. If we used the same tag indefinitely, which would honestly be a cost savings to the state and ultimately each and every driver, less than honest people would just scrape an up-to-date sticker off someone else’s tag to display on their own.

It may sound like something that doesn’t happen often, but according to local tax office employees, it does.

In response, the state had to add another safety feature to keep people honest. Next time you renew your tag, or if you just get curious and look at the sticker currently on your vehicle, you’ll notice that your tag number is printed on the bottom of the sticker.

It’s, at least to me, a smart way to keep people from stealing the up-to-date sticker off of your vehicle’s tag.