vehicle registration > vehicleregistration > plates

PERSONALIZED LICENSE PLATE - REGULAR COUNTY DESIGN

*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 registration fee at the time of renewal 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. Cannot be all numbers.
How to apply	Order online (You will need an Iowa Driver's license or ID and a credit card to complete the transaction.) -OR- Complete the Special Plate Application form, print and mail with the fees that are due. Completed paper applications may be returned to your county treasurer's office or the following address. Vehicle & Motor Carrier Services Iowa Department of Transportation P.O. Box 9278 Des Moines, Iowa 50306-9278 Telephone: 515-237-3110 E-mail: vscusto@iowadot.us 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.