Specialized License Plates

Using our Drop Box or Mail Service to apply for specialized license plates is the fastest way to get your transaction completed and is contact free! Appointments are also available and walk-ins may be accommodated depending on capacity and appointment cancellations.

You can obtain several different license plates in Minnesota, ranging from Veteran Plates to Personalized/Vanity Plates to Habitat Conservation Plates. Some plates come with additional yearly contributions while others have one time payments associated with them. Most plates can only be displayed on passenger class vehicles, but a number of plates are also available for display on one-ton trucks, recreational vehicles and motorcycles. Some plates are available at the License Center locations, while others need to be special ordered. See this Special License Plate Brochure for images and information on specific plates.

Plates at the License Center
Plates that Must be Ordered

What Do I Need to Apply for Special License Plates?

In most cases you must be the vehicle owner and complete and sign an Application for Special Plates. Most plates can be issued and applied for with only the application, however other plates require additional information. Please see below for specific information on Special Plate types.

Critical Habitat, Support Our Troops & Collegiate Plates

These plates only need the above application completed and signed by the vehicle owner, no additional information is needed. Note: You do not need to have attended one of the colleges or universities to get a Collegiate Plate.

What Will I Pay?

The fee for these plates is $23.50. In addition, all of these plates have an annual contribution ($30 for Critical Habitat and Support Our Troops and $25 for Collegiate) to their respective programs, due at the time of initial issuance and registration renewal.

Veteran/Military Plates

In addition to the above application, you will also need to bring an original or certified copy of your discharge papers commonly a DD-214. (If you are still in active duty, a letter from your commanding officer stating the following will suffice). The discharge papers must indicate that you served during the conflict or that you received the conflict service medal of the plate you are applying for and that you were honorably discharged. For Military Plates, you need to provide a copy of your organization membership card. Please visit DVS's Veteran Plate Information page or contact us for additional information.

What Will I Pay?

The fee for these plates is $23.50. Proud to be a Veteran plates require an additional $30 one time contribution to the WWII memorial fund.

Minnesota State Parks and Recreation

This plate needs that above application completed and signed by the vehicle owner, no additional information is needed. This plate allows unlimited visits to all 75 Minnesota State Parks and Recreation Areas.

What Will I Pay?

The fee for this plate is $23.50. In addition, this plate has an annual contribution of $60 used to support the operations and maintenance of Minnesota State Parks and Trails, due at the time of initial issuance and registration renewal.

Personalized Plates

Minnesota offers the option to personalize your license plate with custom letter and number combinations. When filling in the application, we request that you list more than one combination to ensure that your application is accepted. Unfortunately, there currently is not a way to check plate availability online or over the phone. We can check availability in our office, we recommend you bring several options for us to check.

What are Acceptable Letter/Number Combinations?

The State of Minnesota reserves the right to deny a Letter/Number combination for any reason. Plates deemed inappropriate or combinations that are too similar to license plates issued by the State of Minnesota will be denied. Please review the information below for a general outline of unacceptable letter/number combinations.

The following Characters/Sequences are Not Allowed:

Combinations of 2 or 3 letter characters with 2, 3, or 4 number characters (ABC123 or 123ABC; AA12 or 12AA; AA123 or 123AA; AA1234 or 1234AA)
Combinations with all number characters - there must be at least 1 alpha (letter) character
Combinations that duplicate any plate or plate series used by the department (Y or T class truck series, CT class trailer series, etc.
Combinations of the same or similar letter or number characters, even if separated by spaces or hyphens. The characters I & 1, naval zero and 0, or O are deemed to be same and may not be duplicated to create new combinations. For example, the following are considered the same choice and cannot be used: "AB", "A B", or "A-B" and "TIM" or T1M"