Special vanity plates in decline in Ohio

COLUMBUS (AP) — The downshifting in the economy has been accompanied by a decline in sales of Ohio vanity license plates.

Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles records show applications for new plates bearing a personal message or the logo of a sports team, college or charity dropped by 277 last year, to a total of about 42,500. It was the first time in three years that the number went down.

Vanity comes at a cost.

The individualized plates bring fees of up to $70 per year if a motorist combines a logo with a special message.

Lindsay Komlanc of the Ohio Department of Public Safety says Ohio doesn’t track the reasons for ups and downs in sales of vanity plates. They still brought in nearly $20 million for the state in 2008, even with the dip in demand.