Vehicle owners in our state have a new option for having fun with their license plates and supporting worthwhile causes.
Starting this month, the Department of Licensing is allowing our state's recently expanded selection of specialty license plates to be personalized by vehicle owners with messages of up to seven characters.
Personalized license plates aren't new - there are currently more than 85,000 vehicles registered with personalized license plates. Until now, however, personalized plates have only been available on standard plate backgrounds. This change will make 31 specialty plates eligible for use as personalized license plates, also known as vanity plates.
Buying a set of personalized specialty plates for your car, truck, trailer or motorcycle will support both our state Department of Fish and Wildlife's Wildlife Conservation Program and the charitable sponsor of the chosen specialty plate.
This means, for example, that the owner of the message "UWDAWGS" on a University of Washington specialty plate background is supporting both a scholarship program at university and the Wildlife Conservation Program.
If an individual already has a personalized license plate, their message can be transferred to a special background design. The cost to transfer their message will be $47.75 or $52.75, depending on which specialty plate is chosen. Upgrading to a personalized special background plate from a standard license plate will cost between $85.75 and $92.75. Additional service fees may apply.
Renewal of a personalized special background plate is $60 annually in addition to other applicable taxes and fees.
Those considering the purchase of a personalized license plate can use the Department of Licenses Website to see if it's available before going through the trouble of completing and sending the application. A personalized plate lookup function can help identify messages that are already in use.
Even plate messages declared available by this lookup function still have to be reviewed by the department staff. Messages that are vulgar, racial slurs or otherwise violate state personalized license plate policies will not be issued.
The personalized plate application and much more information about this new program, including available specialty plates, is available at the department Website: www.dol.wa.gov
