SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's black and white license plates became the hottest item since Cabbage Patch Kids when they were made available to all Beehive State vehicle owners earlier this year.
WATCH: Utah inmates remove their tattoos despite risks of new enemies
With a beloved retro look, the pseudo-vintage plates have become so popular that a weeks-long waitlist has formed before drivers can ever affix one to their vehicles. In August alone, the DMV had 10,613 requests for the plates.
In a new video shared on social media, the "secret" to how the black and white license plates are created was revealed, and no, Santa's Workshop has nothing to do with the process.
The Utah Department of Corrections showed the plates being produced through its inmate work programs. In the video, inmates are seen handling the licenses before they're printed in the machinery and stacked.
Inmate work programs began in Utah prisons in the late 1800s and first consisted of chain gangs. While license plate and sign production is part of the modern versions of the programs, inmates also produce high-quality office furniture, textiles and embroidery.
Proceeds for the specialty plates benefit the Utah State Historical Society.
