Personalized plates

Personalized license plates may be used on most vehicle types licensed in Washington State.

To see if the plate you want is available, look up personalized plates.

What you can put on a personalized plate

• Your personalized plate can have:
  • Standard plates: 1–7 characters (letters, numbers, hyphens, or spaces).
  • Motorcycle and small trailer plates: 1–6 characters (letters, numbers, hyphens, or spaces).
• Personalized license plates can’t have:
  • Unusual characters (#, %, &, @, +, !,etc.).
  • Invalid letter and number combinations.
  • Vulgar, racial, ethnic, or indecent messages.

Background designs

• Standard personalized plates use the mountain background shown above.
• You may request personalized plates with a special background design for an additional fee.

How to apply

Standard personalized plates

1. Check to make sure that the personalized plate you want is available and that your choice meets personalized plate requirements.
2. Complete a Personalized License Plate Application Form.
3. Submit your application and fees:
   • By mail to:
     
     Vehicle Licensing
     Department of Licensing
     PO Box 9909
     Olympia, WA 98507-8500
   • or
   • In person at:
     
     King County Licensing Section
     500 4th Ave. #401
     Seattle, WA 98104

Personalized plates with a special background design

See Personalized plates with a special background design to learn how to get personalized plates with a different background design.

Remember to update your Good To Go! account

If you have a Good To Go! electronic tolling pass, be sure to update the license plate number and contact information on your account when you get your new personalized plate. You can update your account with the Department of Transportation:

• Online: www.wsdot.wa.gov/goodtogo/
• By phone: 1-866-936-8246

Fees

The total cost of your personalized plates will depend on the type of vehicle you’re licensing and the background design you request. Please contact your local vehicle licensing office to determine the exact cost of your personalized plates.

How to renew

You can renew your standard personalized plates:

• Online.
• At a vehicle licensing office. (An additional service fee may apply.)
• By mail, following the instructions on your vehicle renewal notice.

You must renew your personalized plate every year, even if you’re not using the vehicle.

• If you don’t renew your plates within 45 days of the expiration date, you must reinstate them (WAC 308-96A-065 (5)). To reinstate your plates:
  • Reapply for the plates.
  • and
  • Pay the original personalized license plate fee.
• If your plates are canceled, they can be reissued to anyone who applies for them. If this happens, you must turn your plates in to us (RCW 46.18.275).