BIDDEFORD — The Maine Lighthouse Trust has received approval from the Maine Secretary of State to launch a campaign for Maine’s first lighthouse specialty license plate.

The Maine Lighthouse Trust is required to have 2,000 Maine residents with active vehicle registrations pre-order the new license plate prior to the Secretary of State drafting legislation and presenting it to the Legislature for final approval.

The cost of the lighthouse specialty license plate is $25 and the Maine Lighthouse Trust will receive $10 from the initial purchase and $10 per annual renewal.

The Maine Lighthouse Trust will distribute the accrued funds in the form of grants to statewide lighthouse organizations for the ongoing preservation, restoration and education/awareness of Maine’s historic sentinels. It is estimated the lighthouse plate will raise in excess of $200,000 per year for Maine’s lighthouse community.

The lighthouse specialty plates can be purchased online at www.MaineLighthouseTrust.org or thru various local lighthouse groups

Maine Lighthouse Trust founder Sean P. Murphy says he’s excited about this project.

“The time has come for Maine’s most iconic image to be represented on our resident’s license plates,” Murphy said.  “When people hear this idea they can’t believe we don’t already have a lighthouse plate.”

He said that residents will be proud to display the new plates knowing they will be championing the mission to save and preserve Maine’s rich nautical heritage.”