Washington personalized plates: fees, timing and the rules
Washington personalized plates cost $174 the first time for a car or truck and $52 a year after that, renewed with your tabs. On a special background it’s $214, then $82 a year. The detail that saves money: apply in the same transaction as your tab renewal and the fee is charged once. Apply on its own and you pay it twice. Plates come by mail in 8 to 10 weeks.
What your plate costs, and what bad timing adds
Pick the plate, how long you expect to keep it and when you’ll apply. The last choice is the one people get wrong.
Washington custom plate fees
These are DOL’s published fees. The plate fees go on top of your vehicle registration and tabs, which depend on the vehicle.
| First-time fee | Your characters | Special background only | Both |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car or truck | $174 | $162 | $214 |
| Motorcycle | $92 | $80 | $132 |
| Trailer | $122 | $110 | $162 |
| Every year after | $52 | $30 | $82 |
A Keep Kids Safe background costs $5 more than the special background figures above, with or without your own characters.
What you can put on the plate
- Length: 1 to 7 characters on a standard plate, 1 to 6 on a motorcycle or small trailer.
- Allowed: letters A to Z, numbers 0 to 9, dashes and spaces.
- Not allowed: any other symbol (no &, @, !, # or +), and inappropriate or offensive words.
- Off limits: letter and number patterns that clash with other special plates, such as one letter followed by four numbers.
Some special backgrounds come with set characters and an image that the organization chose. Personalize one of those and the set characters don’t appear at the start of your plate.
Special backgrounds you can choose
Part of each special background fee goes to the cause or program on the plate. The line-up includes the Throwback plate, Smokey Bear, Keep Washington Evergreen, LeMay America’s Car Museum, the Washington Wine Commission and the state sport, pickleball, plus team plates for the Seattle Seahawks, Mariners, Kraken, Sounders FC and Storm. Team plates use their own Sports License Plate Application. The full gallery is on DOL’s special design plates page.
How to apply
- Check availability with the DOL lookup.
- Make sure your registration is current, and time it with your tab renewal if you can.
- Fill in the personalized plate application, picking your background and characters.
- Mail it with payment to the Application and Issuance Unit, Department of Licensing, PO Box 9909, Olympia, WA 98507-8500. In King County you can hand it in at Records and Licensing Services, 201 S Jackson St, Seattle.
Don’t lose your plate once you have it
DOL can cancel a personalized plate and give the letters to someone else. That happens if you:
- don’t renew it within 45 days of your renewal date, or
- don’t transfer it within 30 days of selling, trading or gifting the vehicle.
Signing up for DOL’s email tab reminders covers the first. And if you have a Good To Go! toll pass, update the plate on your account so tolls are charged correctly.
Questions people ask
How can I check if a personalized license plate is available in Washington State?
Use the Department of Licensing’s personalized plate lookup. If you apply for something that is already taken, the application is simply denied, so it is worth checking a few versions first.
How much is a personalized license plate in Washington state?
For a car or truck, $174 the first time and $52 a year after that with your tabs, on the standard mountain background. Put the letters on a special background and it’s $214, then $82 a year. Your normal tabs and registration are extra.
How long do personalized plates take in Washington?
Eight to ten weeks. DOL makes the plates and mails them to the address on your application, so make sure it is one you’ll still be at in two months.
Can you apply at a vehicle licensing office?
No. Local licensing offices can’t process personalized plate applications. You mail them to DOL in Olympia. The one place that takes them in person is King County Records and Licensing Services, at 201 S Jackson St in Seattle.
What happens if your plate is denied?
Tick the refund box on the application and DOL refunds you as quickly as it can. Leave it blank and DOL holds your payment for 30 days while it contacts you about a different plate; if it can’t reach you in that time, it refunds you anyway.
Sources: Washington DOL, Personalized plates; Washington DOL, Special design plates.