Local motorists will be able to purchase a license plate emblazoned with “God Bless America” in a little more than a week, according to Limestone County License Commissioner Greg Tucker.

Gov. Bob Riley unveiled the new license plate Monday in Prattville on the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The license plate is red, white and blue. It shows a waving American flag stretching across and the phrase “God Bless America” in blue across the bottom. The license plate also includes on its upper right side the phrase “Heart of Dixie,” which is required by state law.

“My understanding after talking with the director today (Friday) was that they were starting to ship them out throughout the state, they were leaving Atmore,” said Tucker.

Holman Correctional Facility inmates near Atmore operate a metal-fabricating shop and produce all of the license plates for the state.

“I don’t know the pecking order, but I would think that by Friday they should be here and by October 1 everyone should have them,” said Tucker.

The new patriotic license plates will be priced the same as a conventional plate, Tucker said.

“When they approved the legislation it specified that they would be the same price as a standard tag,” he said.

The new design is the result of a bill passed by the Legislature and signed by Riley in April. The bill’s sponsor, Representative Steve Hurst, also took part in the unveiling ceremony. The bill made the Alabama Department of Revenue responsible for designing the license plate.

“When someone first came up with the idea about four or five years ago it was supposed to be a fund-raiser for a veterans group, but that didn’t go over,” said Tucker. “This time the legislation said that it would have the same fee as a regular tag.”

The “God Bless America” license plates are pre-numbered and cannot be personalized.

It is available to owners of private passenger vehicles, including pickup trucks of no more than 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight and motor homes regardless of weight. The license plate can also be used on buses owned by churches, private schools and hospitals.

It does not replace the state’s current license plate design, which features the phrase “Stars Fell on Alabama.” The “God Bless America” license plate is an option that can be chosen instead of the “Stars Fell on Alabama” design.