License Plates

Ordering your specialty/personalized plates

Personalize your license plate, check availability, and reserve it. If it is available and approved, your plates will be manufactured and delivered to the county treasurer's office in the county where you live. You will be notified when the plates are ready to be picked up.

Order Online

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Interested in seeing all plates that are available? View all plates

Decal license plates

With the passage of HF617, non-profit organizations may apply to the Office of Vehicle & Motor Carrier Services (OVMCS) for approval of a decal recognizing their organization or cause.

Find out more about decal plates and the application process.

Order a decal plate.

License plate holders or frames

Iowa Code Section 321.37(3) states that "It is unlawful for the owner of a vehicle to place any frame around or over the registration plate which does not permit full view of all numerals and letters printed on the registration plate."

The Iowa Supreme Court has held this to mean all the letters and numbers on a plate, and not just the plate number. To avoid a stop or citation by law enforcement, you should not use a plate frame that covers any letters or numbers printed on the plate, including but not limited to the state, county, or collegiate name, and should also not cover or obscure the registration sticker.

Plates pending start-up fees

A law was passed providing for the following new plates.

Civil War Sesquicentennial
Combat Infantryman Badge
Combat Action Badge
Combat Action Ribbon U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Marine Corps/U.S. Navy
Air Force Combat Action Medal
Combat Medical Badge

Before any of the new six plates can be applied for or manufactured, the following requirements must be met.

Each plate must have 250 start-up orders requesting a plate type accompanied by a $20 processing fee. (The $20 processing fee is separate from the plate fee and therefore cannot be credited to any of the special license plates once they are available.)
The plates will not be available and cannot be applied for until the required 250 start-up orders have been received.
Applications for the start-up orders can be obtained online at Application for the 2011 Legislative License Plate Start-up Fee Orders, by calling the Office of Vehicle & Motor Carrier Services at 515-237-3110, faxing a request to 515-237-3056 or by e-mailing at dot.plates@iowadot.us.

Note: As required by legislation authorizing production of these plates, plates listed above may only be manufactured or issued after the department receives 250 start-up orders for the specific plate.

Once 250 start-up orders have been received and processed for a plate type, the application to order the actual plates will be available online, by calling the Iowa DOT's Office of Vehicle & Motor Carrier Services at 515-237-3110 or by e-mail at dot.plates@iowadot.us.

The cost and restrictions for each plate type are as follows:

Civil War Sesquicentennial plate 250 paid $20 start-up orders requesting the Civil War Sesquicentennial plates must be received. Application for actual the Civil War Sesquicentennial plate completed once 250 start-up orders have been received. Fee for a numbered regular plate with the emblem is $25 with a $5 renewal fee that is in addition to the regular annual registration fee. Fee for a personalized plate with the emblem is $50 with a $5 renewal fee that is in addition to the regular annual registration fee. Anyone who is the owner of a vehicle may apply. The fees collected for these plates will be appropriated to the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs to be used for the Iowa Battle Flag project. Application for the 2011 Legislative License Plate Start-up Fee Orders		24 start-up orders received
Combat Infantryman Badge plate 250 paid $20 start-up orders requesting Combat Infantryman Badge plates must be received. Application for actual Combat Infantryman Badge plate completed once 250 start-up orders have been received. Fee for a numbered regular plate with the emblem is $25 with a $5 renewal fee that is in addition to the regular annual registration fee. Fee for a personalized plate with the emblem is $50 with a $5 renewal fee that is in addition to the regular annual registration fee. The owner of a vehicle who was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge may apply. Must present satisfactory proof of the award when applying for the plate. The fees collected for these plates will be appropriated to the Veterans License Fee Fund. Application for the 2011 Legislative License Plate Start-up Fee Orders		33 start-up orders received
Combat Action Badge plate 250 paid $20 start-up orders requesting Combat Action Badge plates must be received. Application for actual Combat Action Badge plate completed once 250 start-up orders have been received. Fee for a numbered regular plate with the emblem is $25 with a $5 renewal fee that is in addition to the regular annual registration fee. Fee for a personalized plate with the emblem is $50 with a $5 renewal fee that is in addition to the regular annual registration fee. The owner of a vehicle who was awarded the Combat Action Badge may apply. Must present satisfactory proof of the award when applying for the plate. The fees collected for these plates will be appropriated to the Veterans License Fee Fund. Application for the 2011 Legislative License Plate Start-up Fee Orders		13 start-up orders received
Combat Action Ribbon U.S. Marine Corps U.S. Coast Guard 250 paid $20 start-up orders requesting Combat Action Ribbon U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Marine Corps/U.S. Navy plates must be received. Application for actual Combat Action Ribbon U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Marine Corps/U.S. Navy plate completed once 250 start-up orders have been received. Fee for a numbered regular plate with the emblem is $25 with a $5 renewal fee that is in addition to the regular annual registration fee. Fee for a personalized plate with the emblem is $50 with a $5 renewal fee that is in addition to the regular annual registration fee. The owner of a vehicle who was awarded the Combat Action Ribbon may apply. Must present satisfactory proof of the award when applying for the plate. The fees collected for these plates will be appropriated to the Veterans License Fee Fund. Application for the 2011 Legislative License Plate Start-up Fee Orders		9 start-up orders received
Airforce Combat Action Medal plate 250 paid $20 start-up orders requesting Airforce Combat Action Medal plates must be received. Application for actual Airforce Combat Action Medal plate completed once 250 start-up orders have been received. Fee for a numbered regular plate with the emblem is $25 with a $5 renewal fee that is in addition to the regular annual registration fee. Fee for a personalized plate with the emblem is $50 with a $5 renewal fee that is in addition to the regular annual registration fee. The owner of a vehicle who was awarded the Airforce Combat Action Medal may apply. Must present satisfactory proof of the award when applying for the plate. The fees collected for these plates will be appropriated to the Veterans License Fee Fund. Application for the 2011 Legislative License Plate Start-up Fee Orders		0 start-up orders received
Combat Medical Badge plate 250 paid $20 start-up orders requesting Combat Medical Badge plates must be received. Application for actual Combat Medical Badge plate completed once 250 start-up orders have been received. Fee for a numbered regular plate with the emblem is $25 with a $5 renewal fee that is in addition to the regular annual registration fee. Fee for a personalized plate with the emblem is $50 with a $5 renewal fee that is in addition to the regular annual registration fee. The owner of a vehicle who was awarded the Combat Medical Badge may apply. Must present satisfactory proof of the award when applying for the plate. The fees collected for these plates will be appropriated to the Veterans License Fee Fund. Application for the 2011 Legislative License Plate Start-up Fee Orders		3 start-up orders received