Butterfly license plate now available in Illinois

The Monarch butterfly is Illinois’ state insect. Now, Illinois drivers will be able to have it on their license plate.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced the launch of the Monarch butterfly license plate recently at an event in Chicago.

He said the unveiling was years in the making after activists met the necessary requirements for the plate in 2018.

Proceeds from the plate will support the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Roadside Monarch Habitat Fund, which helps foster habitats to support the butterflies during their twice-yearly migratory journey from Mexico to Chicago. The program has a goal to add 150 million new milkweed stems and other nectar resources to the Illinois landscape in the next 15 years.

The new license plate costs $25 on top of registration fees. It’s $23 for people who put down the $10 deposit necessary to make the specialty plate possible. People can order a monarch butterfly plate on the Illinois Secretary of State’s website.