Another Voice: How the adoption of digital license plates shows California's advantage for innovation

Six years ago, the company I founded began as a pilot program with the California DMV. The goal was to test the viability of digital license plates for consumer vehicles, and I’m pleased to say that Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed into law a bill that will make digital license plates permanently available to all 27 million drivers in California.

It’s been a long journey to reach this point. We entered a deeply entrenched, heavily regulated industry with a goal to reimagine it, so it’s only natural to face challenges. But we also learned lessons. It was clear early on that California is the only place where starting ⏤ and successfully finishing ⏤ this type of transformation was possible. I believe that by sharing our story, others might be inspired to bring about their own kind of change.

Our original mission in 2008 was to help modernize and digitize the vehicle registration process. Nobody was excited to wait in line at their DMV and every industry was moving toward digital transformation, so it seemed like a very natural and appropriate evolution at the time. The benefits of augmenting the DMV’s analog system with a digital platform would benefit everyone ⏤ from consumers to law enforcement, and the DMV itself.

This idea eventually led us to develop a concept for a digital display license plate that could receive over-the-air remote updates and be managed via the vehicle owner’s mobile app. Once we understood the effort it would take to amend state law and integrate with multiple state authorities to bring this concept to life, we quickly realized that our progress would be measured in years, not months. But what it required in patience, paid off in rich dividends of wisdom and appreciation for being a startup founded in California.

First, we learned about the power and necessity of building strong coalitions in order to bring about change. The California Department of Motor Vehicles was an eager partner from the beginning and we couldn’t have accomplished this without their support of modernizing the DMV experience. So many other coalition partners helped us get to this point, reminding me of the old proverb: If you want to go far, go together.

We discovered that bold new ideas require vision. Californians are known to be early adopters of emerging innovative technologies. We welcome new opportunities to streamline mundane tasks, express ourselves, and stay connected. Our cars are no exception, and our many partners and early customers helped us to champion this vision from the very beginning.

Throughout our journey, it also became increasingly clear that having high standards can be a benefit rather than a barrier to entry. Californians are strong advocates for consumer choice ⏤ but also strong consumer protections. As we worked to meet California’s rigorous standards for consumer product quality, data security and user privacy, we realized it was the process that was driving us to develop a product that would meet (or exceed) standards anywhere in the world.

Lastly, throughout our journey, it became increasingly clear that there is nowhere more dynamic as an innovation hub than in California. One-fifth of the patents come from California and we are of course home to Silicon Valley, the birthplace of many fundamental technologies that define our modern world today. The best and brightest come here for our universities and the ability to create world-class companies. This is the state where entrepreneurs come to explore, develop and thrive. I, for one, am proud to be a California Dreamer. The support I’ve received as a minority entrepreneur has been truly humbling.

Some may dismiss my words ⏤ and digital license plates in general ⏤ as trivial given the many pressing issues we’re facing as a state. But I think of this story as embodying many of California’s core values which make it a truly singular place to pursue innovative ideas: bold leadership, consumer protection, pragmatic collaboration, entrepreneurial spirit, and forever embracing the future.

Owning a vehicle just got a little more exciting for some. But the thing to be truly excited about is just how bright our future is here in the Golden State.

Neville Boston is the co-founder and chief strategy officer of Granite Bay-based Reviver, creator of the world’s first digital license plate.