MARYLAND - In 2010, The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) unveiled a new patriotic license plate as its standard "off-the-shelf" issue.
The "War of 1812" license plate was designed by the War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission as part of celebrations commemorating the 200th anniversary of the war.
The license plate features Fort McHenry with the American flag flying high above as bombs burst in the air.
The Bicentennial Commission was disbanded in 2015, and the license plate discontinued the following year.
At the bottom of the plate is a web address.
The website went to Star-Spangled 200, Inc., a non-profit organization that raised money for events related to the bicentennial.
At some point since the end of the Bicentennial Commission, that web address began redirecting internet users to a website promoting online gambling in the Philippines.
Maryland parents were angry when they learned about this.
"I would be not pleased, I would be not pleased at all," said Debbie Linnell of Pasadena, Md. "That my child went to a website in the Philippines instead of something about the War of 1812, which is what it was intended to be."
Because Maryland does not do general reissues of its license plates when it changes the design of the standard issue, the MVA says there are almost 800,000 vehicles that still display the license plate.
A Pocomoke City neighbor worries about how the website issue represents Maryland's image.
"And they might go to something like that and say - what would they say? That represents the State of Maryland," said Jim Mason.
In a statement, the Maryland MVA said that they "do not endorse the views or content on the current website using that URL, and is working with the agency’s IT department to identify options to resolve the current issue."
The State of Maryland does not own the starspangled200.org url.
One Delmarva neighbor had another idea to fix the problem.
"Recalling would be a good thing," said Michael Sollberger of Marion Station, Md. "If not, maybe a label that could be pasted across the bottom on there with something else."
The MVA reminds Maryland motorists that they can apply for replacements of the "War of 1812" plates, or any other plates that have been damaged or deteriorated, for a fee.
