MADISON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
Last month, the state of Mississippi put it's new license plate design into circulation. One local woman says she's now concerned her tag number could also be in use by someone else with an older tag, after being stopped by police.
Numbers on the old lighthouse design plates were in alpha numeric order. State officials say law enforcement agencies requested that stay the same on the new guitar plates, which has now put duplicate tags into circulation.
Carol Clemens who just bought new car tags learned someone had the same numbers on a lighthouse version this week when she was stopped by Madison police.
Clemans says, "They told me my vehicle did not match my tags did not match the description of the vehicle, and that they pulled it up as they were following me and it said it looked like you switched plates with somebody."
The State Department of Revenue says it's true there are duplicate tags with just a light house or guitar separating them. A letter was also sent to law enforcement from around the country instructing them how to run the tags to distinguish between them.
Kathy Waterbury, a Department of Revenue Spokesperson says, "What they (law enforcement) see is two lines with the same number but with a different year, that being a 2008 for lighthouse plates or 2013 for the guitar plate. The would also see a description of the vehicle."
Madison police tell Mississippi News Now, they're only seeing the old tag when they run them through their computers, which is why carol had a problem in the first place.
Clemans says, "With the modern ability of computers cant we scramble numbers and letters and let people have their own original numbers? That's my whole point."
The Department of Revenue contacted several law agencies who say they're able to see the old and new duplicated tags. Carol Clemans say's she just wants tag numbers unique to her vehicle.
Clemans says, "I want two new tags for my cars that are not assigned to anybody else."
The duplicated tags should be flushed out of the system within a year.
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