how to find out if a personalized license plate is available

personalized plate sample
Personalized automobile license plate example

Tin I apply online for a personalized or specialty license plate?

Yes, yous can just only if you practise not currently have a license plate on your vehicle, apply using AccessGov.

If you lot currently have license plates on your vehicle, you volition demand to send in the applicable license plate awarding and payment via mail for manual processing.

How do I reserve a personalized plate bulletin?

Consummate, print and ship thePersonalized License Plate Application MV2428 with $15.

You may reserve and guild your plates at the same time or reserve the personalized message only. If you just reserve the message, y'all will receive a confirmation notice explaining how to guild the plates. Personalized plate letters may be reserved for up to two years.

Personalized plates cannot be reserved by charge carte du jour or online, and must be special ordered. To both reserve and order the plates, impress the Personalized License Plate Application form MV2428. Complete the vehicle data section for the vehicle to which y'all want the personalized plates assigned and send the course with $fifteen. If your current license plates expire within the next iii months, send your annual registration fee as well.

How much do personalized plates cost?

Personalized plates cost $15 each year in addition to your regular registration fee (including wheel tax, if applicable). For biennial registration, the price is $xxx in even numbered years, $fifteen in odd numbered years.

Why do I have to pay the personalized plate fee every year?

When the personalized plate program legislation was enacted in the late 1970s, other states charged a one-time fee of $100 or more for personalized plates. To make the plates available to more people, the land Legislature decided to spread that higher fee over the expected life of a plate, 7 to ten years. At that fourth dimension, the personalized plate fee was $10 annually. A land police force change increased the fee to $fifteen in 1991.

The annual personalized plate fee may be considered a voluntary tax paid to the State Transportation Fund. Over $3.five million was generated in 2009 from the issuance and renewal of personalized plates. If this source of revenue were eliminated, other ways to replace the funds would have to exist found.

How many characters tin can I have on personalized plates?

You can accept from 1 to vii characters, numbers or majuscule letters but, on standard pattern plates (automobile, light truck, subcontract truck and motor home), In God We Trust or Wisconsin National Guard plates.

Yous can have one to half-dozen characters on most other special license plates (Gloat Children, Cull Life Wisconsin, Ceremonious Air Patrol, Disabled parking, Disabled Veteran, Donate Life Wisconsin, Ducks Unlimited, Emergency Medical Services, Endangered Resources, Fire Fighter, Gold Star, Golf Wisconsin, Green Bay Packer, Harley-Davidson/Share the route, Law Enforcement Memorial, Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks, Armed services, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Trout Unlimited, University, Whitetails Unlimited, Wisconsin Women's Health Foundation and Wisconsin Salutes Veterans).

You can have 1 to 5 characters on motorbike plates, and from i to 4 characters on US Veteran motorcycle license plates.

What personalized plate messages are not bachelor for issuance?

Personalized plate messages with special characters or punctuation are not available. Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) will non consequence a personalized plate message that has already been issued to another vehicle, regardless of the vehicle or registration type, unless the plates accept been expired two or more than years.

Members of the Special Plates Unit review all personalized plate messages. WisDOT may "refuse to issue whatsoever combination of letters or numbers, or both, which the department determines may acquit connotations offensive to good gustation and decency or which may be misleading." (Sec. 341.145 (7), Stats.).

Can I bank check online to notice what personalized plates are available?

Aye. Visit our Personalized Plate Search application to detect out if your choice for a personalized license plate is bachelor.

How long volition it have to receive my personalized or special plates?

Check processing time for DMV products.

What if I don't renew my personalized license plate?

Personalized plate letters that are not renewed for two or more years become available to others on a start come, first served basis.

What types of vehicles qualify for personalized or special license plates?

Automobiles, motor homes (registered annually), trucks registered at 4,500, 6,000 or 8,000 pounds gross weight (including dual purpose subcontract and dual purpose motor home) and farm truck plates registered at 12,000 pounds. Motorcycles authorize for personalized standard blueprint plates, U.Southward. Veteran motorbike plates and non-personalized Disabled parking plates only.

Tin I transfer my personalized or special plates from my choice-upwards truck to an automobile, or vice-versa?

Yes. Contact the Special Plates Unit for specific information.

How do I change from personalized to non-personalized plates?

If yous wish to re-register your vehicle with not-personalized plates at renewal time, or within three months of the renewal expiration date, transport the regular registration fee (include wheel revenue enhancement, if applicable), a copy of your Certificate of Registration or renewal notice, and a request for not-personalized plates to:

Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Special Plates Unit
P.O. Box 7911
Madison, WI 53707-7911

If you have a personalized special plate (Packers, Ducks Unlimited, etc.), include a new application, a copy of your Document of Registration or renewal notice, the regular registration fee (include wheel tax, if applicable), the $15 issuance fee and donation fee (this should be the aforementioned fee shown on your renewal observe) and send to the above address.

The adjacent fourth dimension yous renew your plates, the fee volition include the regular annual registration fee and donation fee (if y'all have a special plate), but non the $15 personalized plate fee. If you wish to re-register at any other fourth dimension, send the request and a copy of the Certificate of Registration with the $15 issuance fee.

Do I need to wait until my current license plates are due to expire to apply for personalized or special plates?

No. Y'all can apply for personalized or special plates at any time. Even so, information technology is more toll effective to employ iii months before your electric current plates are renewed. The $15 personalized plate fee, and any special plate that requires a donation, is charged at renewal time each year. If your current plates are due to expire within 3 months, send your regular registration renewal fee (including wheel tax, if applicable) with the personalized or special license plate application and fee.

What if I ordered personalized or special plates merely haven't received them and my current plates are about to expire?

Contact the Special Plates Unit and include a consummate vehicle clarification and current plate number.

What if I no longer want my personalized or special license plates and want regular plates?

Send a copy of the document of registration with a asking to receive regular license plates. If your current plates expire within three months, add together the regular registration renewal fee (including bike tax, if applicable).

What practice "CVG," "MLG," "HEG" or "WNG" mean on my document of registration?

WisDOT uses a three-letter designation for each special plate type. The designation does non appear on the plate:

BSA = Male child Scout Alumni
CLW = Choose Life Wisconsin
CVG = Emergency Medical Services (white background), Civil Air Patrol or Rescue squad member
CCC = Cure Babyhood Cancer
DUK = Ducks Unlimited
ELK = Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
EMT = Emergency Medical Services (red and white background)
Cease or ENN = Endangered Resources (wolf and annoy/eagle designs, respectively)
FFO or FRF = Fire-eater (cherry and white background or white groundwork, respectively)
GLF = Golf Wisconsin
GST = Gold Star Family unit
HAR = Harley-Davidson/Share the route
HEG or HEM = University (12 of the university campuses or Madison campus, respectively)
IGT = In God Nosotros Trust
KID = Celebrate Children
LCF = Lions Foundation
LEM = Constabulary Enforcement Memorial
LIF = Donate Life Wisconsin
MBK = Milwaukee Bucks
MBN or MBO = Milwaukee Brewers ('M' logo and 'ball and glove' logo, respectively)
MGP = Freemason or Lao Veteran
MLG = Military
MRQ = Marquette University
NUR = Nurses Change Lives
PAK = Green Bay Packers
SPT = Wisconsin Salutes Veterans
TRT = Trout Unlimited
WHF = Wisconsin Women'due south Health Foundation
WHT = Whitetails Unlimited
WNG = Wisconsin National Baby-sit

Can I have personalized Collector or Hobbyist license plates?

No. Past state law we must assign you a number, such as 123456, when you lot receive your offset Collector or Hobbyist plate. When you register subsequent Collector or Hobbyist vehicles, y'all receive plates with your Collector or Hobbyist number and an alphabetic suffix, such as 123456A for your second vehicle and 123456B for your third vehicle, etc. Also, the personalized plate fee is an annual fee, while Collector and Hobbyist plate fees are simply paid once.

Tin I transfer my Collector or Hobbyist plates to another vehicle?

Collector and Hobbyist registrations are valid for equally long as yous own the vehicle. If you sell your collector or hobbyist vehicle, y'all tin transfer the plates to another qualifying vehicle, but the cost is the same as if you applied for a subsequent Collector or Hobbyist license plates (double the regular registration fee for the vehicle blazon).

How much does it cost to receive duplicate personalized or replacement special license plates if my plates are lost, stolen or illegible?

Download, consummate and send theRepla cement License Plate Application form MV2118 with the following fee:

$2 for each plate; $4 for a ready of two: