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Personalized license plate

Regular county design
SAMPLE

*Please note there are different requirements depending upon plate choice. Be sure to review the specific information for each plate (motorcycle or small plates cannot have more than six letters/characters).
Eligible vehicles Automobiles
Multipurpose vehicles
Sport utility vehicles
Vans		 Motorcycles
Trucks
Motor homes
Trailers and travel trailers
Personalized plates fees
  • $25 initial fee
  • $5 annual validation fee
  • Annual registration renewal fee

Personalized plates may be purchased as a gift. Gift certificates will be mailed to the purchaser
Restrictions Personalized license plates may consist of up to seven characters and numbers. All personalized plate choices must have at least two characters.
  • No punctuation marks are allowed.
  • No denoting a government agency (i.e., DOT).
  • No display of characters that are sexual in connotation.
  • No characters suggesting profane, obscene or inflammatory words or phrases, or those contrary to public policy.
  • No characters or words defined in dictionaries as a term of vulgarity, contempt, prejudice, hostility, insult, or racial or ethnic degradation.
  • No characters considered to be offensive.
  • No characters that conflict with the regular license numbering system.
  • Recognized as a swear word.
  • Reference to an illegal substance or criminal act.
  • Any foreign word falling in any of these categories.
  • No duplicate combination of characters.
  • No zeros.
How to apply

Application for Personalized Plates - Regular County Design
Online application - Complete application online, print and mail with fees due; or print application, complete manually and mail with the fees due.

Applications may also be obtained from your county treasurer's office or the following address.

Office of Vehicle Services
Iowa Department of Transportation
P.O. Box 9278
Des Moines, Iowa  50306-9278

Telephone: 515-237-3110
E-mail:  vehser@dot.iowa.gov

Your plates will be sent to your county treasurer's office and staff will notify you when your plates are available. Plates must be assigned to a vehicle within 90 days or the plates will be voided and no refund issued. Your current plates must be exchanged for your new plates.