1. Am I able to request a personalized license plate for a car that I haven’t bought yet?
No, you need to have a valid registration to request personalized license plates.
2. Is it possible for me to purchase a personalized license plate as a present for another person?
Due to the Federal Driver Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), you cannot change the registration plate on your own.
3. Am I able to request a personalized license plate for my commercial truck-tractor?
No; commercial personalized license plates cannot be issued if the vehicle is being used in a truck-tractor configuration.
4. Is it possible for my vanity plate sequence to begin with a number?
Vanity plates can contain a combination of numbers and letters, but they cannot start with the letter “O” followed by numbers or zero. For example, the vanity plate “H4G3F2” or “D4U4D4A” is allowed because it starts with a letter and includes a mix of numbers and letters. However, plates like “5C3A” or “2BA” are not allowed because they start with a number. Similarly, plates like “A8LP8RGA” or “B654321” are allowed because they include at least one letter in the sequence. Vanity plates cannot have more than seven characters.
5. Can I purchase a handicap plate online?
Because disability certification must be confirmed or submitted, you can only order a disability plate if your registration is current with one of the following class codes: CD, DX, MX, or WX.
6. How can I determine if my plate has been approved/ordered?
If a complaint is received by the State Secretary about a vanity plate that falsely suggests an association with public institutions or uses language that encourages unlawful activity or violence, the Secretary may recall the vanity plate or refuse to issue it at their discretion. According to Title 29-A, paragraph 453, subsection 3-A of the Maine State law, citizens who are offended or do not understand the intended meaning of an abbreviation or acronym phrase used on a Maine registration plate may complain to the Office of the Secretary of State. Vanity plates are a great way to personalize your motor vehicle, but please keep in mind that your plate registration must be approved by the Motor Vehicles Bureau. You will receive an email from GOV@MAINE.PLATE.VANITY@once your plate registration is approved.
7. How will I get my license plates, decals, and registration?
Your fresh metal plates will be sent by mail along with a registration and decals (month and year) approximately 4-6 weeks after your request is authorized.
8. Can I have my dishes sent to a different mailing address?
Yes, there is a chance to choose a different mailing address when using the online Vanity Plate Order application.
Can I request an online personalized license plate for my trailer while it is registered for a two-year period?
Yes. You will be billed the $25.00 yearly charge for both enrollment periods ($50.00).
10. What unique symbols other than letters and numbers can I include on my personalized license plate?
In addition to a blank space between characters, you can get a dash (-) and ampersand (&).
11. Can I have an “&” symbol in my seven character personalized plate sequence?
No, the size of the character on the plate is only allowed to contain sequences from character 2 to 6, excluding the ampersand.
12. Will a seven-character personalized license plate conceal the design on my chickadee plate?
Plates featuring seven characters will showcase the chickadee pattern, particularly if the sequence includes a space or hyphen.
13. What plates are considered specialty plates and incur an extra fee annually?
The annual renewal fee for each plate, including the Black Bear plate, the Lobster plate, the University of Maine System plate, and the Conservation All (Loon) plate, is an additional $15.00 per year. The first year costs an additional $20 for each plate.
14. Is it possible for me to use my specialty plate voucher when purchasing a personalized plate online?
Please proceed to your nearest motor vehicle branch office to apply for your personalized license plate. It is important to note that you are unable to utilize a voucher (gift certificate) to order a vanity plate online if you are interested in obtaining an Agriculture, Breast Cancer Support, or Animal Welfare plate.
15. Is it possible for me to apply for a Firefighter vanity plate online?
You can apply for a firefighter personalized plate only if you are replacing an already existing firefighter registration plate.
16. Am I able to make payment for my online purchase using an electronic check?
Currently, only Visa, MasterCard, and Discover are accepted as acceptable forms of payment.
17. Can I renew my registration using the Rapid Renewal online service and apply for a vanity plate at the same time?
With the online platform, you can request a personalized license plate after you have obtained your renewal. Typically, you will receive your updated registration within 3-5 days when you renew your existing registration through Rapid Renewal.
18. Is it possible to order a dish at any time of the year?
Yes, it might be financially beneficial for you to request a personalized license plate once you have completed the re-registration process, especially if your expiration month is approaching. Please remember that the fee for a vanity plate is an annual fee that is payable when you re-register.
19. If I have a vanity in one category, can I acquire the same vanity in a different category?
No. This is no longer allowed. Vanity plates already issued in one class code cannot be duplicated in any other class code.
Can I renew the registration for my personalized license plate if that plate has been issued in different classes?
Even if the vanity plate may exist in another class, you will be allowed to renew your registration as long as it has not expired for more than 1 year.
21. Am I able to request a personalized license plate for my extended stay trailer?
No. Personalized license plates are permitted for all trailers, except for trailers intended for long-term use.
22. My registration for the personalized license plate has been expired for 6 months or longer. Can I renew it using the same vanity plate?
You will need to complete a new application for that specific vanity plate. Regardless of the plate category, as long as there is no other individual with a valid registration, we can still provide vanity plates that have been expired for 6 months or longer.
Do you have any questions about this Service? Contact the Bureau at: (207) 555-1212 x 12345 or send an email to bureau@maine.Gov.