If you visit during this time of the year, you might notice that there are different number plates on cars and motorbikes. Of course, there are the plates of the French side, which follow the standards of the European Union and stay with the vehicle for the time of registration.
More cars are registered on the Dutch side, and here the number plates follow North American design standards; same sizes and the mounting holes are also in the same spots.
Among the Dutch side plates, there are now two versions on the road. One displays a celebratory message about 50 Years of Carnival, and the other just praises the Friendly Island.
You see, here on this island, we have a unique system to pay our road tax and to prove that we did so: with the fee, we also buy new number plates each year. Yes, we keep the registration number itself, but the design and the colors of the plates are different. At the time of paying the road tax, all documents of the car must be in order: there must be proof of valid insurance and the road-safety inspection sticker must be within their two-year window. This purchasing of new license plates is the St. Maarten version of affixing an updated sticker or tag to the existing plate, showing proof of payment and registration.
The drivers who have the Carnival plates already mounted are the ones who avoided long lines at the administration office and paid for their car early. Typically, there is a grace period until the end of February. Road checks will start after Heineken Regatta.
With a different design scheme for each year's registration plates, it is straightforward for officers to filter out cars which are delinquent; more important than the road tax is the high probability that such vehicles are also uninsured.
Because there are 60,000 number plates are to be thrown out each year, they are a cheap and charming souvenir or gift item. At the market in central Philipsburg, they go for around $5 a piece. If you rent a car, ask your rental car provider to keep some plates for you; they will have hundreds lying around.
This year's number plate design, promoting the St. Maarten Carnival was not well received by some religious minorities. They seem to be unaware of the historic fact that carnival celebrations are part of the Christian religious tradition... just to point out this minor detail so that it enters the controversy.
