Unveiling its 28th general interest specialty license plate, the state Division of Motor Vehicles announced the release Tuesday of an "In God We Trust" plate.
For Mike Snyder, of Harman in Randolph County, the plate is the culmination of a decade-long effort, as Delegate Denise Campbell, D-Randolph, explained. She said Snyder, a retired Marine and former Charleston Gazette reporter, sought her help two years ago to make his idea a reality.
"It's just a wonderful feeling," Snyder said of Tuesday's release of the specialty plate.
Campbell said a sticking point had been finding a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization to sponsor the plate and process the pre-registration applications for the minimum 250 orders required for the DMV to design and issue new specialty plates.
Campbell said they were ultimately able to work with the Dry Fork Recreation Center in Randolph County, and in March, surpassed the 250-plate requirement.
"We're very excited," Campbell said. "This has been a two-year-long process."
DMV Commissioner Pat Reed said Tuesday that total orders for the plate currently are nearly double the 250-plate requirement.
"We congratulate the members of the Dry Fork Recreation Center, the sponsors of the 'In God We Trust' plate," Reed said, noting that the DMV approved the plate based on its historic significance, since the phase was adopted as a national motto in 1956.
Snyder said the more than 450 people who pre-ordered the plate also deserve credit.
"They ordered this plate because of what it stands for and what it means, sight unseen," he said.
Campbell said it took a lot of time working with the governor's office and the DMV to develop a plate design distinctive from similar plates, including the Sept. 11 commemorative and the "United We Stand" plates.
The design features an outline of the state in blue lined in gold, with crossed American and state flags and a gold star, representing West Virginia as the 35th state, in the foreground.
It was unveiled during a ceremony at the Randolph County Courthouse Tuesday.
"We made history today:" Snyder said. "We've become the 21st state to offer this plate."
Campbell added, "It took a lot of people to make this happen, but we all worked together."
Reach Phil Kabler at philk@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1220, or follow @PhilKabler on Twitter.