So, the plastic license will, for the foreseeable future, be optional and the paper version is not going away?
Not quite. Starting with the applications filed online Oct 1 on the new system, ALL those applicants will get plastic cards from this point forward. Those with paper permission slips may continue to carry them as they will not go away just because the plastics ones were released. And if you want a replacement plastic card you can request one for $20.