Alabama's new tag design features a beach scene and the popular phrase, 'Sweet Home Alabama'. The tags will go into circulation in January 2009.

The new design carries the Alabama tourism department’s “Sweet Home Alabama” theme that was unveiled a year ago, and appears in print ads and television commercials promoting the state as a vacation destination.

The beach scene is meant to reflect the Gulf Coast’s importance to Alabama’s tourism industry. The state says together, Baldwin and Mobile counties generate more than 30 percent of the state’s $9.8 billion tourism revenue.

“A lot of people outside of Alabama don’t even know that we have beaches. When we put more than three million tags showing sea oats and a beautiful sunset over water into circulation, that will change,” said Gov. Bob Riley.

“Having the ‘sweet home’ phrase included is a real plus,” said tourism director Lee Sentell. “'Sweet Home Alabama' is the third most played song identifying a destination, behind ‘New York, New York’ and ‘I Left My Heart in San Francisco'."

Vehicle owners may still choose the “God Bless America” license plate with the patriotic flag design that does not identify the county where the plate was purchased.