Legislation sponsored by New Jersey State Senator Kip Bateman to create special license plates expressing support for the state’s native pollinators was signed into law on October 27, 2021 .

“New Jersey would not be the Garden State without the contribution of nature’s pollinators,” said Bateman (R-16). “From the gardens we grow to the produce we purchase at a local farmer’s market, many of our fruits, vegetables, and flowers depend on pollinators like bees and butterflies. The ‘Protect Pollinator’ license plates will ensure Jersey Fresh plants and crops grow strong for generations.”

Under the new law, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission is required to create “Protect Pollinator” license plates, featuring a design and slogan that expresses support for New Jersey’s native pollinators.

“With a third of crops grown in New Jersey dependent on pollinators for reproduction, the creation of these plates will help the Garden State flourish,” said Bateman, who credited an avid gardener who lives in his district with bringing the idea to his attention.

Pollinators, including bees, bats, butterflies, moths, beetles, and others, are responsible for reproduction in 90 percent of the world’s flowering plants, including food crops, by spreading pollen from flower to flower.

Applicants for the license plate will be required to pay an initial fee of $50 and a subsequent $10 fee to renew the license plates.

Any monies from application fees that are not used to administer the license plate program would be deposited in this fund and annually appropriated to the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey and to the Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management Program.

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