New Jersey License Plates

New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission provides New Jersey motorists with many choices of license plates. When you title and register a vehicle in New Jersey, the Motor Vehicle Commission will issue you two New Jersey license plates for the front and back bumper of your car. Trailers, motorcycles, and mopeds are only issued one license plate. Standard-issue New Jersey license plates are yellow with black letters with the state's motto, "Garden State," on the bottom of the plate.

Personalized New Jersey License Plates

By New Jersey law, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission allows drivers to get personalized New Jersey license plates, or vanity plates. A personalized license plate must have at least 3 letters and a maximum of 7 characters (numbers and letters). You can put a message on your New Jersey license plate for a one-time fee of just $50, along with the regular registration fee. In order to get an application for your personalized license plate, you can go to your nearest Motor Vehicle Commission Agency or call (888) 486-3339 to have a copy of the application form sent to you. Additionally, you can apply for personalized plates online through the Motor Vehicle Commission. However, if you are leasing your vehicle, you will not be able to use this method.

Dedicated and Specialty New Jersey License Plates

New Jersey also offers special interest, or dedicated, plates and specialty organization plates. Special interest plates promote different causes. These plates include Animal Friendly, Olympic Spirit, Shore to Please, USS New Jersey Battleship, Organ Donor, United We Stand, and more. Most of these require an initial $50 fee along with a $10 fee to renew it annually. If you want to personalize a special interest plate with up to five characters, it will cost $100 initially with the same renewal fee.

Some nonprofit organizations offer specialty plates for a small fee in addition to the normal registration fees. You can contact the coordinator of that license plate and get their approval. Depending on the organization, these specialty New Jersey license plates can cost from $15 to $50.

New Mexico License Plates

The state of New Mexico provides many different license plate styles to the drivers of New Mexico. In order to get them, drivers must register their vehicles with the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division. After registering your vehicle, you can receive standard New Mexico license plates for your vehicle. You can also get personalized New Mexico license plates that have a customized designs or numbers.

Personalized New Mexico License Plates

You can get personalized New Mexico license plates, which are also called vanity or prestige license plates. For personalized New Mexico license plates, you can choose the phase or word you want on your New Mexico license plate. Typically, the fees for these plates are $17 each year for a one-year registration or $32 each year for a two-year registration. The New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division will allow you to put whatever you want on your New Mexico license plate as long as it is not obscene or vulgar. You can use whatever numbers and letters, as well as different punctuation such as a plug sign, apostrophe, or even a blank space. You can have up to seven characters on a personalized New Mexico license plate (six for personalized motorcycle plates).

Specialty New Mexico license Plates

There are many different specialty plates you can get in New Mexico. Here are some specialty plates available:

Santa Fe 400th Anniversary Plate: Open to all state residents. Requires a completed Form MVD 10098 (Application for Santa Fe 400th Plate) and a $37 fee.

Horseless Carriage: Plates for cars, trucks, or motorcycles that are at least 35 years old. There is a $10 initial fee and a renewal fee of $5 every five years.

Collegiate License plates: Plates for alumni of the University of New Mexico or New Mexico State. There is a $37 annual fee.

Military License plates: Recognizes veterans, Purple Heart or Bronze star recipients, and Pearl Harbor. Fees vary depending on the plate. If you need legal advice and assistance, contact New Mexico lawyers.

New York License Plates

New York’s classic Empire Gold Plate license plates are the standard New York license plates. They cost $15 when you register your vehicle. The New York Department of Motor Vehicles issues two plates for cars and trucks to be placed on the front and back bumper or one license plate for motorcycles or trailers.

Personalized New York License Plates

For the initial fee of $60 and a fee of $31.25 each year after, you can order personalized New York license plates with up to 8 characters for standard Empire Gold plates or 6 characters for picture plates. Motorcycle New York license plates cost $35 initially and $18.75 each year after. The Department of Motor Vehicles has specific guidelines you must follow when picking your desired combination of numbers and letters, and the department does not have an obligation to grant every request. For example, they can deny obscene or offensive combinations.

If you want to order personalized New York License plates, you can first find out whether your preferred combination is available by searching online or calling (518) 402-4838. If the plate you want is available, you can order it right away.

Personalized plates can be transferred to another vehicle that is registered in your name, and you can get them replaced if they damaged, or stored with the Department of Motor Vehicles if you remove your motor vehicle from the road.

Picture New York License Plates

The New York Department of Motor Vehicles also makes many different New York license plates with logos or pictures related to different groups or organizations. The prices for these plates vary, but most sets cost $60 initially and then $31.25 each year after. You can personalize nearly all picture plates with up to 6 characters for higher fees (typically $91.25 for the initial fee and $62.50 annually). Some picture New York license plates include:

• Organizations and causes

• Professions

• Emergency services

• New York counties and regions

• Military and veterans

• Colleges, sororities, and fraternities

• Sports teams and NASCAR

Washington License Plates

The Washington State Department of Licensing provides many different Washington license plates for registered vehicles within in the state. In addition to personalized Washington license plates, you can also pick different special plates that promote different interests such as state’s universities, military branches, wildlife, landmarks and more. Since 1997, Washington State has required registered vehicle owners to get new Washington license plates every 7 years. For $20, Washington allows you to keep your same license plate number. You can also transfer the Washington license plates to a different, as long as the old and new vehicles are the same type.

Special Washington License Plates

Standard Washington license plates are currently white with a light blue mountain in the background, which is called the White Mountain design. This license plate costs $30 for initial licensing each renewal. Washington also offers many special Washington license plates, including:

• U.S. military

• Washington colleges and universities

• Sports and hobbies

• Service organizations and associations

• Parks and environment

Most of Washington’s special license plates come with a $40 initial fee and $30 for every annual renewal. A portion of these fees goes to the organization featured on the license plate.

Personalized Washington License Plates

Personalized Washington license plates, or vanity plates, can be issued for nearly all vehicles. These plats must have from one to seven characters, including numbers, letters, spaces, and hyphens. Personalized motorcycle or trailer plates can have a maximum of six characters. The Department of Licensing provides a personalized plate search tool service online so you can check if your desired plate configuration is available. Personalized Washington license plates support the Wildlife Diversity Program. These plates have an initial fee of $47.75 and $30 for each renewal.

North Carolina License Plates

When you register your motor vehicle with the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles, you will receive a license plate for the back of the vehicle. You will be charged fees for registration and then you will receive validation stickers for your plate, which show the month and year that the registration expires.

Personalized North Carolina License Plates

In North Carolina, you can get purchase personalized license plates for an additional $30 on top of the standard registration fees. Personalized plates are typically the standard North Carolina license plates with a customized license plate number. The Division of Motor Vehicles is responsible for making sure your personalization is not offensive or already used by someone else. Personalized North Carolina license plates can have up to 8 numbers letters, and special characters. You can check with the Division of Motor Vehicles to see if your preferred personalization is available online.

Specialized North Carolina License Plates

There are around 100 different special-interest North Carolina license plates available. Most of them can also be personalized like the standard plates. Some examples include kids’ advocacy, handicap, litter prevention, and military veterans. Each license plate has its own specific requirements and fees.

You can order your specialized and personalized North Carolina plate online if your motor vehicle is already registered. You can also order these North Carolina by mail by filling out the form Application for Personalized License Plates with a $30 check to the Special License Unit of the Division of Motor Services.

West Virginia License Plates

The West Virginia Department of Transportation offers many different styles of personalized and specialized West Virginia license plates. Some of these West Virginia license plates include:

• Regular personalized

• Scenic personalized

• Government officials (House of Delegates legislative, Senate legislative, Silver Haired Legislature, Governor’s numbers)

• Military and veteran (Prisoner of war, Disabled Veterans, Purple Heart, Pearl Harbor Survivor, Combat veteran, National Guard, Army National Guard, Marine Corps League)

• Organizations (such as American Legion, Elks, and Rotary)

• Occupations (Firefighters, Police Offer, Emergency medical services, School bus drivers, Postmasters)

• College and university alumni (WVU, Marshall)

• Recreation

• Handicapped/disabled

• Motorcycle

Ordering West Virginia License Plates

To order personalized West Virginia license plates, you will need to follow specific ordering instructions depending on the license plate you choose. For general applications, you must fill out and submit the Application for Personalized License Plates. The Department of Transportation provides the correct forms for specific plates on the website. You can then send the form with applicable fees to the Department of Transportation at:

Division of Motor Vehicles

Building 3, Capitol Complex

Charleston, WV 25317

Personalized West Virginia License Plates

To order a personalized West Virginia license plate, you must satisfy certain requirements.

• Only Class A vehicles, which include automobiles and pickup trucks weighing less than 8,000 pounds, and motorcycles can be issued personalized plates.

• Personalized license plate cannot be not obscene or offensive and cannot be already in use.

You can reserve a personalized license plate each year as long as you pay the necessary fees. The renewal fee usually includes the $15 fee for the scenic or standard graphic as well as the $15 reservation fee.

North Dakota License Plates

The state of North Dakota requires drivers to register their vehicles with the North Dakota Department of Transportation. Before you can choose a North Dakota license plate available, you must first properly register and title your vehicle and pay all the necessary fees.

Standard North Dakota License Plates

If you decide against getting anything special for your license plate, the state of North Dakota will issue you two standardized North Dakota license plates after registering (motorcycles only receive one license plate). Typically these plates consist of a combination of five to seven letters and numbers on a standard state license background featuring blue and gold colors.

Personalized North Dakota License Plates

Personalized North Dakota licenses plates are made up of up to seven characters including letters, numbers, and ampersands. You choose any combination of these symbols as long as it is reasonable. The North Dakota Department of Transportation reserves the right to reject requests that it feels are offensive. In order to order personalized North Dakota license plates, you must complete Form SFN 53612, which is Personalized Plate Request form, along with a money or check for $25.

There are many other North Dakota license plates available. Some of them include the following:

• Antique motorcycle plate: Maximum 6 characters, a $100 one-time fee

• Firefighter plate: Maximum 5 characters, $15 Firefighter fee, $25 personalized plate fee

• Gold Star Plate: Maximum 5 characters, $40 yearly fee

• Organization Plate: Maximum 5 characters, $50 yearly fee

• Veteran Plate: Maximum 5 characters, $40 yearly fee

Wisconsin License Plates

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation Division of Motor Vehicles requires drivers to register and title their vehicles. Afterwards, Wisconsin drivers are given the option to personalize their vehicle through special license plates. Wisconsin offers personalized, specialty, tribal, and disabled license plates.

Specialized Wisconsin License Plates

Wisconsin provides many different specialized plates that allow you to show your support, whether it’s for an occupation or a sports team. Some specialized Wisconsin license plates include:

• Ducks Unlimited

• Green Bay Packers

• University of Wisconsin

• Automobile Hobbyist

• Freemason

• Lao Veteran

• Ex-POW

• U.S. Veteran

• Wisconsin National Guard

• Various Military Groups

• Endangered Resources Support

• Celebrating Children

• Police Officer

• Rescue and EMT

• Specially designed Vehicle

• Firefighter

Depending on the plate you choose, there will be different fees and documents associated to the application. Certain special plates can be processed at any Department of Motor Vehicle customer service center.

Personalized Wisconsin License Plates

You can order personalized Wisconsin license plates, or vanity plates for automobiles, motorcycles, certain trucks, and motor homes. Doing so requires a $15 annual fee in addition to the normal registration fees. Motorcycles and farm trucks also require the additional $15. A personalized Wisconsin license plate can have up to seven characters (or five for motorcycles), that can include letters and numbers. You must also explain what your license plate means, since profane, obscene, or offensive messages are not allowed. You can send Form MV2428, the Personalized License Plates Application with an additional $15 fee to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Ohio License Plates

When you first register and title your vehicle in Ohio, you will be issued Ohio license plates by the Department of Public Safety Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

Specialty Ohio License Plates

Ohio has many specialty plates that are available for Ohio drivers. Most specialty Ohio license plates include a fee that will directly go to the organization you are supporting. All specialty license plates include an annual fee that must be paid every year that can be up to $50, depending on the style of license plate ordered. However, this does not apply to military, combat, and disability license plates, which come with certain eligibility requirements.

Personalized Ohio License Plates

Many specialty license plates can be personalized, meaning you can request the license plate message. Personalized Ohio license plates must have a minimum of 4 characters and a maximum of 7. Ohio also provides drivers with the option of personalized logo plates, where a logo takes up one space on the plate.

Ordering Special Ohio License Plates

Drivers can order special Ohio license plates through a Deputy Registrar’s office, online, by mail, or by telephone.

• Deputy Registrar: Requests for special Ohio license plates can be made at Deputy Registrar’s office. You can request Disability Special Interest, Amateur Radio, Collegiate and military Plates here as well. All other special

plates can be paid for at a Deputy Registrar’s office and then will then be mailed.

• Online: Ohio drivers can order their special plates through OPlates.com, which allows you to renew vehicles registrations or choose and buy specialty plates offered through the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

• Mail: You can mail request forms that are available at a Deputy Registrar’s office. The customer must also include necessary fees and required document(s) to the address found on the application.

• Telephone: Requests for special plates can be made through Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles at 1-800-589-8247.

Wyoming License Plates

The Wyoming Department of Transportation requires all drivers to register and title their motor vehicles. Wyoming drivers are also given the chance to personalize their license plates. Wyoming is rather famous for its “bucking bronco” emblem, which it has been using since 1936.

Personalized Wyoming License Plates

In Wyoming, personalized Wyoming license plates are called prestige plates. You can get prestige plates from the Wyoming Motor Vehicle Services. However, the physical license plate is still issued by the local county treasurer’s office. You can get personalized Wyoming license plates on nearly every type of registered motor vehicle including motor homes, motorcycles, SUVs, and some ATVs. There are some guidelines set by Wyoming regarding prestige plates:

• Plates can contain a maximum of four characters

• Only capital letters and numbers are allowed.

• Applicants may not use symbols or punctuation marks.

• The message cannot be obscene or vulgar.

When applying for personalized Wyoming license plates, you can either apply online or fill out an Application for Personalized Prestige License Plates (Form MV-416). The fee for the prestige Wyoming license plates is $30

Specialty Wyoming License Plates

Wyoming also offers many specialty plates. Most of these license plates promote some type of individual service, such as military or an emergency squadron. Usually, you need to apply for these Wyoming license plates through your local county treasurer’s office directly. But in certain cases, you must go through the Department of Transportation first. It is a good decision to look through the applications carefully to ensure you are sending the forms and fees to the correct department.