Benton County drivers are going to have a wait for new license plates

Benton County drivers who need to license their cars will have a long wait to get their plates.

“We are hoping this shortage is short-lived and would like to thank our customers for their patience as we work to provide the best services to our community,” said Benton County Auditor Brenda Chilton in a news release.

During the COVID-19 pandemic the Washington State Department of Corrections that makes the plates slowed down production.

Even as some production was outsourced out of state and the DOC hired more staff, a worldwide aluminum shortage has caused further delays in plate delivery.

Customers at the Benton County licensing desk at the auditor’s office and Tri-Cities Licensing will receive a 60-day temporary paper registration for their vehicle windows.

Truck, trailer, and motorcycle transactions are not currently effected.

The state of Washington has requested that all local licensing agencies prioritize transactions from dealerships for any remaining permanent, aluminum plates.

A spokesperson for the Franklin County Auditor’s office said that there is a reserve inventory of metal plates and currently they are not widely impacted.

Metal plates still are being issued and Franklin County licensing officials expect they will not need to issue temporary paper licenses.

The aluminum shortage is one of many industries that has had a backlog in manufacturing.

The demand for aluminum has surged in the U.S. as an increase in building picked up, as well as a demand in China.

The increase in green technologies such as wind turbines and electric cars also have driven up demand because aluminum is a component in those products, according to Alumeco Group, a manufacturer of aluminum.